Functional Foods for Better Health and Weight Loss

The prevalence of obesity has increased gradually in recent decades.Obesity is a metabolic disorder causing decreased life expectancy and is strongly associated with co-morbidities including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disorders and cancer.A good diet and changes in lifestyle are important to regulate appetite and satiety through the modulation of adipogenesis and thermogenesis.This has increased consumers' and public health interest in food that may help them to control appetite and weight.In recent years, functional food and its bioactive derivatives are gaining widespread attention due to their diverse biological properties.Green tea, legumes, whole grains, nuts, dairy products and dietary fibers are some examples of functional foods.Regular intake of functional foods may enhance the body's antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticholesterol functions.For this reason, functional foods and their components can be used strategically as a weight management tool against obesity.In this review, we have highlighted the protective role of functional foods as a nutritive therapy in obese individuals.Additionally, several functional components, including dietary fibers, fucoidan, polyphenols, tocopherols, tocotrienols, prebiotics, probiotics, etc., have been described for their specific actions in weight loss.