Every week it seems that there is a new ground breaking research finding in the world of nutrition. It makes me think what an amazing time it is to be able to understand what those before us could only speculate. For instance, Hippocrates, recognized as the “father of medicine” for his accomplishments nearly 2500 years ago, said “Let thy food be thy medicine”. Meanwhile, ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptian athletes and warriors are known to have consumed the meat and organs of specific animals based on their respective physical attributes (e.g. strength, endurance, ferocity, etc) and/or to have drank concoctions (e.g. beverages) made from plants based on their physical performance benefit beliefs. 

Within the past few decades, science has transitioned from Captain Kirk and science fiction to the Surgeon General and science infliction. We now have DNA in the courtroom, cloning, retroviruses, and dare we forget a developing global fever (global warming). Meanwhile, our understanding of how nutrients and food allow us to grow, develop, move, think, operate and perform is derived from research studies conducted at universities and other research centers by PhDs, MDs and others. Thus, anecdotal information and the personal philosophies of physicians, nutritionists, coaches and people in general have been replaced with research derived data. Sophisticated laboratory techniques allow researchers to determine the underlying mechanisms (e.g. protein turnover, tissue concentration, enzyme activities, metabolic assessment) of how foods and supplements promote normal health and disease prevention. 

The latter portion of the twentieth century was a time of great strides in modifying the way many nutritionists and health care practitioners viewed nutrition. For decades we made nutritional recommendations based upon what needed to be avoided or limited in our diet choices. The nutritional “bad guys” were fat, (which evolved to saturated fat-rich foods), cholesterol, sodium, and arguably sugar. Today it is quite clear that the other side of the nutrition coin, or “what we should eat,” is probably as significant as “what we should not eat.” 

Nutraceuticals are substances found in natural foods that seem to have the potential to prevent disease or be used in the treatment of various disorders. Meanwhile, functional foods are the foods in which one or more nutra­ceuticals can be found. Nutraceutical substances include some of the more recognized nutrients such as vitamins C and E and the mineral calcium, but also include such substances as genestein, capsaicin, allium compounds, carotenoids (e.g. lutein, lyco­pene, and zeaxanthin) phytosterols, glucosamine, catechins (e.g. EGCG), fiber (e.g. psyllium, oat bran) and so on. 

Clearly we live in an amazing time whereby we can prove Hippocrates right and challenge nutrition dogma through scientific research. 

So what do you think? Post your thoughts and comments on the Science Forum.