Abstract

Getting nutrients for the physical activities, growth, and maintenance of body from food is essential for all of the living organisms. Human being continues to increase its knowledge and understanding about the food and their role in maintaining and optimizing health. It is well-established now that intake of nutrients in appropriate quantity is essential for a healthy life. Certain nutrient becomes essential to be taken up under a particular deficiency condition or for a specific purpose/gain. However, for the benefits to be gained/validated or the claims to be made, a strong and reliable regulatory framework is required based on the scientific evidence. For the functional food to deliver its potential health benefits, the product must contain the ingredients in the quantity and form described in the health statements and claims. With the scientific and technological advancements in the fields of health and nutrition, increasingly more focus is directed toward personalized nutrition or nutrigenomics. Although increasing the availability of healthy foods has become a necessity in today’s world, the regulatory framework is needed to protect consumers’ right. Making the consumers aware of the health benefits of functional foods available in the market is critically important.

Keywords: Nutrigenomics; Phytochemistry; Balanced diets; Bioactive compounds; Flavonoids