Full-spectrum foods: the new wave of full-spectrum food supplements offers consumers another way to get their fruits and vegetables

Prepared Foods, May, 2002 by Kerry Hughes

The whole and "super foods movement is building, and it may be just the paradigm shift needed to give direction to the burgeoning functional food market. Today, a new wave of consumers wants to supplement their diets with super foods that are rich in nutritional components such as beneficial phytochemicals, fiber, and antioxidants. According to Jay Levy of Wakunaga of America Co., Ltd., Mission Viejo, Calif. (makers of Kyolic and KyoGreen), these foods are booming.

"Full-spectrum" foods possess their inherent range of nutrients. They are offered to consumers packaged in a convenient form and may be either a food or supplement. They consist of basic vegetables and fruits that are known to contain solidly-researched phytochemicals, as well as other green foods.

Whole Foods

The fruits and vegetables used in these products not only are generally accepted as nutritious and healthful, but are recognized as sources of interesting phytochemicals. Propelled forward by both a steady stream of published clinical research and the surge of mainstream consumers who are interested in natural health and a diet packed with super nutrition, the extracts and supplements made from time-trusted foods are positioned to be the next wave in supplementation.

Whole food supplements are made from common fruits and vegetables or GRAS botanicals, including apples, broccoli, carrots, artichokes, blueberries, garlic, coffee, and chocolate. (1) Dietary supplements positioned as sources of whole foods are currently on the market, but, according to Jeff Wuagneux, of RFI Ingredients, Blauvelt, NY, many large functional food players are looking at these products and trying to formulate food products that feature them.

Beyond Vitamins

So, just what components make whole foods new and intriguing? As valuable as their vitamin and mineral content is, their lesser-known nutrients put them on the radar screen of product developers looking for an edge. Here's a few that are attracting the most attention.

* Quercetin. Widely distributed in many foods, quercetin is a supplement claimed to be of benefit in the treatment of allergies (as an antihistamine), and to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

* Chlorogenic Acid. This compound has been in the news, recently, for its strong antioxidant properties and for its ability to inhibit the N-nitrosating reaction. It is found in artichokes, coffee, pomegranates, and apples. Chiorogenic acid may be good not only for preventing oxidative damage, but also in inhibiting mutagenic and carcinogenic reactions.

* Ellagic Acid. This phenolic compound occurs in high levels in red raspberries and is present in pomegranates, strawberries, and walnuts. There have been numerous studies showing it is a potent antioxidant, and an anti-carcinogen, anti-mutagen, and an anti-cancer initiator.

* Cynarin. Although cynarin is not yet widely known, it promises to become an important phytochemical. The growing epidemic of Hepatitis C, coupled with elevated levels of alcohol abuse and environmental and lifestyle toxins, should allow this GRAS source of a liver-protecting phytochemical to find a growing market. Silymarin from milk thistle has had a steady following as a supplement for this purpose, however, it does not have GRAS status. Cynarin is found in artichokes, which also contain chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and luteolin.

* Phloridzin. Apples could be the flagship of the whole foods movement, as they have long been recognized as a symbol of health. Apples contain phloridzin, which has antioxidant benefits. (2) They also benefit cardiovascular health, blood sugar balance, women's health and inhibit cancer. Additionally, apples contain other beneficial phytochemicals including phloretin, chiorogenic acid, caffeic acids, rutin, quercetin, and pectin.

* Theobromine. This compound belongs to the same class of chemicals as caffeine, the methyixanthines, but it is reported to have some important differences in activity. New research indicates theobromine has potential as a weight loss stimulant ingredient, or ephedra altemative. It is present in chocolate and coffee, and several chocolate-based ingredients feature theobromine. According to Paul Altaffer, of Nat-trop, San Leandro, Calif., chocolate and coffee not only contain theobromine, but other phytochemicals that should expand in the functional food category.

* Carotenoids and Anthacyan ins. Whole food supplements are good sources of the "Old Faithfuls," carotenoid and anthocyanin antioxidants. Antioxidants are in many of our healthy fruits and vegetables, and the public is increasingly aware of their importance in our diet.

Green Acres

Also called "super foods," green foods refer to their green color due to chlorophyll content. They can be broken up into two main categories: the cereals and the micro-algae. The green foods often are promoted as the "original vitamin and mineral supplements" because some were used as dietary supplements in the early 1900's, before synthetically produced and purified vitamins and minerals became available. They often are used today as a kind of alternative multi-vitamin, but with additional antioxidants and beneficial phytochemicals.