Functional ingredients are all around us in nature, Dr John Maher points out.
Functional ingredients need not be specially produced, according to Dr John Maher.
The director of education at BioPharma Scientific writes for ChiroEco of the natural superfoods that exist in nature.
Milk thistle - a relative of the artichoke - is one example of these natural functional ingredients, he says.
Thanks to its seeds' content of a bioflavonoid called silymarin, milk thistle has been associated with positive health benefits for the liver and gallbladder.
More recognisable functional foods include liquorice, which is praised for its benefits as an anti-cancer preparation, a boost to the immune system - and as a flavouring agent for other functional ingredients.
Cinnamon is also recommended by Dr Maher as a means of decreasing insulin resistance, helping to reduce instances of diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
The magazine previously published forecasts from nutraceutical business publisher New Nutrition Business which referred to naturally healthy foods as "what everyone wants" in the present climate.
