Week 4 Workshop: Functional Foods, Phytonutrients & Pre/Probiotics (Lecture notes)

Introduction

• Welcome to week 4 of NM DM 121 live stream workshop.
• Topics: Functional foods, phytonutrients, prebiotics, and probiotics (briefly).

Content Review

• Review of: Functional foods, phytochemicals, prebiotics, and probiotics.
• Intertwining with week 4 portfolio content.
• Workshop portfolio: Comparing pre and probiotic products.
• Activity (if time allows): Building good bars and balls for clinical practice knowledge.

Functional Foods

• Foods with potential health benefits.
• Processed foods can become functional foods when fortified with nutrients, phytochemicals, or herbs.
• Good marketing tool: Health claims on products (e.g., Omega-3 eggs, prebiotics in yogurt, Vitamin D fortified products).
• Benefits: Helps picky eaters, those on budgets, and the elderly get key nutrients.
• Check nutritional panels: Location of added nutrients indicates amount.

Functional Foods: Practical Considerations

• Review back of packets to see where the ingredients fall on the nutritional panel.
• Location matters: 1st ingredient vs. very end (less than 0.5%).

Fortified Foods: A Question of Absorption

• Question: How absorbable is the calcium in fortified nut milks?
• Answer: Depends on form used, production, and additives.
• Portfolio B activity: Understanding bioavailability and digestibility of grains.
• Emulsifiers or sweeteners can affect absorption.
• Individual metabolism, caffeine intake, constipation, or diarrhea affect absorption.
• Calcium absorption is notoriously difficult, especially for the elderly; vitamin D and Omega-3s are also important.
• Caffeine leaches calcium from bones.
• Female reproductive hormones and menstruation affect bone density.

Maximizing Absorption

• Maximize absorption by dividing intake throughout the day, practicality is key.
• Some brands of nut milk are better than others due to ingredient quality.
• Homemade is best but not always practical.

Phytochemicals

• Phytochemicals = phytonutrients = bioactive components.
• Biological active substances in plants, in small amounts.
• Plants produce these chemicals for growth, reproduction, and defense against insects.
• Benefits: Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects; reduce the risk of chronic diseases.
• Extra resources and clinical trials will be shared for Part B Week 4.
• Different phytochemicals have different uses and benefits.

Nutrient Profile

• Macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, healthy fats).
• Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).
• Bioactive components (phytochemicals).
• Avoid intertwining nutraceuticals (supplements) with functional foods (food as medicine).

Week 4 Activity

• Complete the provided table using listed phytonutrient classes.
• Add 2-3 key functions/benefits (e.g., anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antioxidant).
• Provide up to 5 food sources (more than 5 will be marked down).
• Key functions: Use single words, not sentences.

Structure of the table used for the week 4 assessment.

• Phytonutrient class.
• Specific type (3 phytonutrients).
• Benefits.
• Reference.
• Food sources (missing from example table but must be included).
• Label the table (e.g. Table 1: Phytonutrient class and their food sources and benefits).
• Delete "your answer" in your table.

Steps to Completing the Table

• Use the provided example table structure.
• Identify the specific type for each phytonutrient class.
• List up to 5 food sources.
• List 2-3 key functions/benefits (brief, not paragraphs).
• Referencing is crucial.

Navigating the Phytonutrient Diagram Correctly

• When identifying key benefits, functions, and food sources, ensure to link them to the correct phytochemical.
• Be mindful to link to the specific phytochemicals, as certain benefits exhibit similarities.

Food Sources

• Food sources are adapted from different papers and the modules.
• When looking at food sources, look at the specific type.
• Isoflavonoids are found in soybeans and soybean products.
• Pro-vitamin A is found in tomato, pumpkin, squash, carrot, watermelon, and papaya.

Additional Resources

• The live stream slides are a good starting point for finding your specific types.
• Lou H. 2013 Diagram is helpful for the overall breakdown.

Activity Tips

• List 3 key functions and benefits.
• List up to 5 food sources.
• Review the marking specifications.

Importance of Phytochemicals

• Be aware of food sources.
• Phytochemicals can be targeted towards anti-cancer and cardiovascular health.

Eating the Rainbow

• Eating the rainbow means eating a variety of colorful foods.
• Pictures are good to get people excited to eat a variety of foods.
• It is a quick snapshot of the overall benefits of phytochemicals and their components.
• Helpful for those with a family history of specific cancers.

Encouraging Clients to Eat the Rainbow

• Eat the rainbow to increase the diversity of vitamins and minerals.
• Eating a variety of colourful foods helps with cardiovascular health and cancer prevention.
• Acknowledge it is challenging to eat different foods by starting with the foods that they enjoy, expanding it with a variety of foods from each colour.
• Use visual aids and handouts.

Prebiotics

• Non-digestible dietary fibres that feed gut bacteria.
• Resistant to gastric acids.
• Fermented by intestinal microflora.
• Available in both food and supplements.
• Examples: Onion, garlic, asparagus, Jerusalem artichoke, avocados, apples, bananas, oats, and flax seeds.

Probiotics

• Foods or products that deliver live microorganisms.
• Usually listed in CFU counts.
• Examples: Kombucha, kefir, kimchi, tempeh, miso, pickles, and yogurt.

Prebiotics vs Probiotics: Common Misconceptions

• Many individuals consume more prebiotics than they realize.

Fermented Foods

• Most people do not typically consume enough probiotic-rich foods.
• Fermenting pot to introduce prebiotics and probiotics.

Probiotics: Supplements

• The market is heavily saturated with probiotic supplements.
• Due to antibiotic use it is essential to re-establish good bacteria.

Practical Tips for Prebiotic Consumption

• Cooking onions and garlic destroys the prebiotic content; add at the end for nutritional benefits.

Prebiotic & Probiotic Supplementation

• Prebiotic supplements: Inulin and PHGG (partially hydrolyzed).
• Useful for those with IBS, food allergies, or intolerances.
• Benefits: Feeds good bacteria, helps with cholesterol levels, cardiovascular health, and regulates bowel movements.

Probiotic Supplementation

• Probiotic supplementation should be balanced, you want multiple strains after antibiotic use.
• Multi-strain for diversity after antibiotics.
• Single strains target specific issues like diarrhea, stress, cortisol, or acne.

Supermarket Tours

• Comparing the brook farms prebiotic bar and Carmen's protein bar.
• Look at ingredients, additives, nutritional claims, and nutritional panel.
• Consider pros and cons: cost, taste, accessibility, and practicality.
• Determine who to recommend each bar to.

Key Considerations for Comparing Food Bars

• Evaluate ingredient lists and additives: Determine the source of additives and prebiotic components.
• Analyze nutritional claims: Identify eye-catching claims such as "health plus gut health energy" and "paleo gluten-free vegan."

Practical Factors in Recommending Food Bars

• Assess pros and cons from a cost perspective: Consider whether the product suits individuals feeding families or those with high or low incomes.

Brookfarm Prebiotic Bar

• Higher cost.
• Contains additives for stability and shelf life.
• Good if someone needs more probiotics, is a picky eater, and has extra financial income.
• Good if someone is lacking in dietary fiber and needs a bit of dietary fiber with some protein, good healthy fats for blood sugar regulation.

Carmen's Protein Bar

• Not the best ingredients.
• Consider swapping for chocolate bars as an afternoon snack.
• Could be an in-between step to swap from chocolate bars to a healthier protein bar, protein ball, or homemade version.
• Cheaper than the Brooklyn prebiotic bar.

Analyzing Food Products: Practical Tips

• Look at products, ingredients and also cost.
• Look at Evelyn Fay and Goodness Me website to find the list.
• Identify Ingredients and Costs.

Online Resources for Health Foods

• Goodness Me, is a really good website, really clean and easy to use in regards to clients.
• Find the rating of the clinical nutritionist.

Kitchen Pharmacy (Next Week)

• Herbal teas, edible weeds and flowers.
• Q&A on kitchen pharmacy.
• If anyone has any questions, please let me know. I'll post all of the resources and extra tables and diagrams. For your part, your week, 4 portfolio assessment in the loop straight after this.

Quiz Details

• Quiz next week: Weeks 1-4, open book.
• Use modules, study guide, and textbook.
• Must be done in one sitting between Monday and Sunday.