Introduction

Scientists, public health experts, food producers and consumers have united to generate functional food research that allows the public to increase their knowledge about how functional foods can help to age in a healthier manner.

This book presents not only innovative functional food ideas for managing healthy aging, but also the processes and scientific research which lead to these modern yet time-honored management methods. This research lays the foundation for a field of science that promises to expand in coming years, potentially changing modern society’s relationship with aging.

This cornerstone guide, written by internationally recognized functional, medical, and bioactive food experts, covers the basics of functional food science. With more than 800 scientific references, this book provides scientists, medical doctors, nutritionists, food technologists, and students majoring in biology, nutrigenetic, food science fields, and public health professionals with a comprehensive and up-to-date examination of functional foods.

This book provides modern information on functional food components, including antioxidants, dietary fibers, prebiotics, bioactive peptides, flavonoids, and many other phytochemicals. This text presents some of the latest developments in nutrigenomics, molecular biology, epidemiology, as well as the production, marketing, and distribution of functional foods.

Book Chapters

Chapter 1: "Psychobiotics and Thanatophobia: A Psychoneuroimmunological Insight into Microbe-Mind Modification"

Chapter 2: "Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Healthy Aging"

Chapter 3: "Emergence of New Era of Evidence for Functional Foods or Bioactive Compounds as Perspective Natural Immunomodulators for Preventative Therapeutics in Older Adults"

Chapter 4: "Functional Properties of Kefir and Healthy Human Aging"

Chapter 5: "Obesity in Older Adults"

Chapter 6: "Macronutrients for Older Adults"

Chapter 7: "Epigenetically Active Nutraceuticals to Address Personal Molecular Mechanisms of Aging"  

Chapter 8: "The Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis and Parkinson’s Disease"   

Chapter 9: "Contribution of Dietary Spices to Human Health, Wellness, and Longevity"

Chapter 10: "The Prevention of Sarcopenia in Older Adults"

**In order to get the most out of this edition, we recommend reading each chapter completely and to also review the summary paragraphs that conclude each chapter. These summaries lay out the main take-aways from the chapter and help to put the chapter as a whole into perspective.