Published: 24/06/2015
Often it begins on the advice of a friend, sometimes surfing the internet. Then, the feeling of being less swollen after removing from their menu bread or dairy, or the impression of having flatter stomach after giving up on croissants and leavened products, pushing more and more into a vortex of eating disorder that causes damage to health and often also for the family balance. I am convinced the experts of the CNR and various Italian universities who have gathered at the Expo in Milan for a panel discussion on ‘ smart nutrition ‘, the new frontier of scientific research in the sciences of ‘ power.
The meeting, organized by the Institute of Food Science (Isa-CNR) of the National Research Council in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce of Avellino, provided an opportunity for take stock of the complex relationship between man Food from a point of view bio-medical and anthropological and analyze the impact of functional foods may have on the state of well-being, as well as trying to understand how the methods ‘omics’ studies can make a contribution in the field of nutrition and food sciences.
The problem, which affects a large and growing number of people, has a name, or orthorexia ‘syndrome appetite corrected’ . “In many countries – explains Marino Niola, professor at the University Suor Orsola Benincasa and author of the book ‘Homo Dieteticus. Journey tribes food’ – is already an epidemic disease.” The subject orthorexic “eliminates every day before a food, then another, reducing the power in very few nutrients, often with serious health damage”. Not only that, “isolates from others to avoid the risk of eating food that considers dangerous. Like those people you invite to a dinner, carry with them their food. A habit absolutely asocializzante”.
In a society of abundant food, nutrition confront ‘subtraction’, as well as a paradox, it is likely to cause damage even on family balance: “The orthorexia – observes Niola – often breaks families too.” In America “it is one of the leading causes of divorce and now, even in Italy, there was the case of a couple, husband and wife vegan omnivore, who has come to do battle in the court for disputes on feeding their children “. This “means that this passion of ‘food that’s good’, actually end up hurting ourselves or to make us live from sick to die healthy.”
For this, the phobia of ‘no’ should be balanced by the gratification instead of ‘with’, meaning the presence in food of molecules able to strengthen and make more Healthy diet means a new generation of products. “And ‘the case of nutraceuticals – says Vincenzo Di Marzo, director of the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry of the National Research Council -. Active ingredients contained in certain foods, for which we observed an association between the consumption and some positive health effects” .
Not a real novelty, underlines the scientist among the top 100 top italian scientist, but a new course given by new techniques ‘omics’, that “studying in a comprehensive way the impact of nutraceuticals on proteins, genes and metabolites of ‘hiring. ” “There is also talk of nanotechnology – adds Di Marzo – useful to be able to improve the bioavailability and efficacy.”
On the phenomenon of eating disorders, experts also believe that it has a vital role above all communication. “The problem of proper communication, regarding the immense field of new foods, fortified foods, super food and functional food – detects Gian Luigi Russo researcher Isa-Cnr – must be considered in a very careful”.
“I do not think – says the expert – is a case that the scientific field of food science, from the 90s to 2000 has increased by about ten times, in terms of publications.” And that “the increased interest has kept pace with the explosion of the internet”.
In other words, “the ease with which you can retrieve data and information through the Internet, in some cases leads to an oversimplification of scientific information that should always be checked and consolidated before they can be considered real.” In recent years, “examples are many: it is the case of the antioxidants, historically associated with beneficial effects, but which, however, administered in superdosi or with an excess of supplements such as anti oxidants, may be due to pathologies or worsen pathological states background “.
In the Mediterranean and in Italy, “fortunately we have a power in itself correct.” If “suitably modified with those foods that we call ‘smart’, the result not only of technological processes, but whose validity nutritional level has been or is confirmed by serious studies nutrition, can not help but improve the nutritional status of the population” .
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