title: Functional foods and nutraceuticals as therapeutic tools for the treatment of diet-related diseases.
abstract: In Western societies, the incidence of diet-related diseases is progressively increasing due to greater availability of hypercaloric food and a sedentary lifestyle. Obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and neurodegeneration are major diet-related pathologies that share a common pathogenic denominator of low-grade inflammation. Functional foods and nutraceuticals may represent a novel therapeutic approach to prevent or attenuate diet-related disease in view of their ability to exert anti-inflammatory responses. In particular, activation of intestinal T regulatory cells and homeostatic regulation of the gut microbiota have the potential to reduce low-grade inflammation in diet-related diseases. In this review, clinical applications of polyphenol-rich functional foods and nutraceuticals in postprandial inflammation, obesity, and ageing will be discussed. We have placed special emphasis on polyphenols since they are broadly distributed in plants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sensory Organs, University of Bari, Policlinico, Piazza G. Cesare 11-70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Thea
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Magrone
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perez de Heredia
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jirillo
authors.forename: Giuseppa
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morabito
authors.forename: Ascension
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marcos
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Serafini
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000592:standards; D055951:Functional Food / Q000592:standards; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D059808:Polyphenols