Plant Foods for Human Health: Research Challenges and Opportunities
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Foods".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2023) | Viewed by 10246
Special Issue Editor
Interests: health claims; functional foods; phytochemicals (polyphenols, cruciferous, carotenoids); micronutrients; dietary fibers; gut health; bioavailability; biotransformation and bioactivity; nutrigenomics
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Our society is evolving. Climatic changes and the growth of populations require that we move further toward plant-based diets. Epidemiological data suggest numerous benefits for plant foods in preventing chronic disorders, and traditional medicine is on the rise, including the use of plant-based food supplements. While numerous plant metabolites are beneficial, other metabolites or co-products may be toxic. In addition, plants’ bioactives may differ in nature and content depending on variety, climate, or processing. It is therefore essential to ensure the safety of consumers. This can be achieved through better characterization of plant extracts and their safety, but also through clear clinical evidence of the benefits and better understanding of the mechanisms of action. This is particularly true when considering the impact on bioavailability and functional benefits of bioactives present in whole food or food supplements. Finally, the position of phytotherapy at the border between food and medicine can be addressed on a regulatory, scientific, or philosophical point of view. Altogether, plant foods are one of the food segments with the largest economic growth potential, but this needs to be addressed with care and research needs to go beyond traditional use to prove efficacy and safety.
Dr. Depeint Flore
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- plant-based diets
- plant-based food supplements
- phytotherapy
- chemical characterization
- safety
- clinical evidence
- mechanisms of action
- botanical health claims
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