title: Multifunctional food: medical evidence and methodological notes on substantiating health claims.
abstract: In nutritional research, a specific issue is about understanding how to provide a clear and solid proof of the health effects of each functional food. The problems range from regulatory perspectives down to very basic methodological issues. In addition, when multi-functionality comes into play, then several additional problems are posed in terms of the methodological appropriateness of research done. In this review, a focus is provided on some methodological issues related to (i) the general concepts of 'proving' effects in a methodological perspective and (ii) the difficulties of specifically proving functional effects of food. A specific attention is dedicated on the characteristic problems which, from a methodological perspective, arise when multi-functionality is the matter of the proof.
authors.affiliation: Laboratories of Epidemiological Methods and Biostatistics, Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Via Loredan 18, 35131 Padova, Italy. dario.gregori@unipd.it
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gregori
authors.forename: Claudia Elena
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Gafare
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D005515:Food Labeling; D005527:Food, Fortified / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D055951:Functional Food / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000639:trends; D009626:Terminology as Topic