Food Components in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

The current obesity epidemic with its deleterious effects on public health and the increase in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases in our aging society have dramatically increased public awareness of nutrition-related health issues. On one hand, food components, such as fat, sugar, flavors, and spices, are major determinants of the hedonic value of food, and the constant and almost ubiquitous availability of good-tasting food in our affluent societies promotes overeating and weight gain. On the other hand, several food components, including flavoring compounds and the active ingredients of many plants, such as spices and herbs (e.g., polyphenols and capsaicinoids) or thylakoids, supposedly can decrease food intake and affect gastrointestinal function and metabolism. These substances may act as antioxidants, may stimulate the release of incretins and, hence, insulin, and may improve insulin sensitivity or decrease plasma levels of lipids. Such beneficial effects are often difficult to demonstrate in epidemiological studies because they may occur only at supraphysiological doses and/or when the purified compounds are administered, but they can be present under certain circumstances. This review discusses the putative mechanisms of the health-promoting and disease-preventing effects of some food components and their potential physiological relevance, primarily with respect to counteracting obesity and type 2 diabetes.