摘要：Functional food components are potentially beneficial components foundnaturally in foods or added to them as functional ingredients, and include carotenoids,dietary fiber, fatty acids, flavonoids, isothiocyanates, phenolic acids, plant stanols andsterols, polyols, prebiotics and probiotics, phytoestrogens, soy protein, vitamins andminerals.At present, professionals are recognizing that some functional components offoods have a major role in health enhancement. In fact, the big importance of these“bioactives” present in many foods, either naturally or added, has lead many scientists ofdifferent fields to conduct studies aimed for establishing the scientific basis that supportsand validates the benefits of a particular food or component for the human health. Itappears that people should strive to consume a wide variety of foods such as to assure theingestion of compounds such as carotenoids, fiber, flavonoids, specific fatty acids,minerals, prebiotics and probiotics, phytoestrogens, soy protein and vitamins, amongothers, in order to reduce the risk of developing some diseases, or even to help curingothers.In the present work, an examination of the characteristics of these compounds,the study and repercussions of these “bioactives molecules” allied to their ability toprevent and/or cure certain diseases will be object of study, based on recent evidencepublished in the medical journals.
