title: Functional Food in Traditional Persian Medicine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  During the last decades, there have been great advancements in the field of preventive medicine. Research has demonstrated that nutrition plays a crucial role in the prevention of chronic diseases. The concept of functional food was first introduced in Japan during the 1980s. It proposes to consider food not only vital to survive, but also a mean for mental and physical well-being, contributing to the prevention and reduction of risk factors for diseases. However, there is evidence that the concept was believed by ancient physicians as well. One of the traditional systems of medicines is traditional Persian medicine (TPM). Rhazes said; "as long as a disease could be treated with food, medicine should be avoided".
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out a review of Avicenna's Canon of medicine and Rhazes books for the definition of food and drug and similar concepts of functional food. We listed the identified concepts along with their examples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The classification of food and their therapeutic use were explained in Canon of medicine. Rhazes has a book called 'Manafe al-Aghziyeh', in which he writes about the medicinal benefits of different nutrition. Five concepts (food, drug, medicinal food, nutritional medicine and antidote or poison) were noted in these books.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are many recommendations on food for the prevention and treatment of diseases in TPM books, which can be the basis for novel research studies.
authors.affiliation: Reaserch Centre for Traditional Medicine and History of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Department of Traditional Persian Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Roghayeh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zare
authors.affiliation: Reaserch Centre for Traditional Medicine and History of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Department of Phytopharmaceuticals (Traditional Pharmacy), School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Ayda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hosseinkhani
keywords: Functional Food; Medicine; Preventive Medicine; Traditional