title: New perspectives on dietary-derived treatments and food safety-antinomy in a new era.
abstract: Despite the advances in science and technology and wide use of chemical drugs, dietary intervention (or food therapy) remains useful in preventing or treating many human diseases. A huge body of evidence shows that the dietary pattern or habit is also an important contributing factor to the development of chronic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and cancers. In recent years, over-the-counter health foods, nutraceuticals, and plant-derived medicinal products have been gaining popularity all over the world, particularly in developed countries. Unfortunately, owing to the contamination with various harmful substances in foods and the presence of toxic food components, food-borne diseases have also become increasingly problematic. Incidents of food poisonings or tainted food have been increasing worldwide, particularly in China and other developing countries. Therefore, the government should put in a greater effort in enforcing food safety by improving the surveillance mechanism and exerting highest standards of quality control for foods.
authors.affiliation: a Beijing University of Chinese Medicine , Beijing , China.
authors.forename: Si-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Si-Hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Rui-Chao
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Shu-Feng
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hong-Guan
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Min-Ke
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Zhi-Ling
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Kam-Ming
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Ko
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000517:prevention & control; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D059022:Food Safety; D058870:Food, Organic; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000517:prevention & control; D006973:Hypertension / Q000517:prevention & control; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D010946:Plants, Medicinal
keywords: Functional food; antinomy; food safety; food supplement; food therapy; food-borne illnesses