© 1999 by Oxford University Press
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 91, No. 9, 755-757,
May 5, 1999
© 1999 Oxford University Press
NEWS |
Purple Carrots, Margarine Laced With Wood Pulp? Nutraceuticals Move Into the Supermarket
An aging population, rising health care costs, and rapid advances in science and technology are fueling a revolution in food — from its traditional role for survival and enjoyment to a new status: food as medicine.
The food industry is pouring millions of dollars into this transformation. Whether consumers will snap up these functional foods or "nutraceuticals" is unclear. But if the health claims prove true and the food is tasty, the likelihood is that they will.
Clare Hasler, Ph.D., executive director of the Functional Food for Health Program at the University of Illinois, Urbana, believes that over the next few years "there will be a glut of foods designed to optimize health," and that supermarkets of the future will have entire sections set aside for the prevention of chronic illnesses.
Functional foods represent an exploding market — an estimated $29 billion a year in
the United States alone, according
Soy Soup to Nuts
Sweeter Carrots
Super Tomatoes
No Guarantees