For centuries man has speculated about the medicinal properties of certain foods. Scientific investigation has shown us that hundreds of compounds exist in natural foods that have health promoting properties. The Handbook of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods presents an up-to-date and comprehensive review of this rapidly growing field for nutrition. Written by an international team of experts, the book covers the history of nutraceuticals, their connection to preventing diseases, and marketing issues. Well researched, the book provides an easy-to-follow delineation of interorgan and intracellular activities of these substances. It contains figures that illustrate the molecular structure and design as well as metabolic pathways, providing you with an in-depth guide to nearly 200 nutraceutical compounds.For decades nutritional recommendations have focused on what not to eat. Today, we understand that the other side of the nutritional coin - what to eat - may be equally if not more important. The Handbook of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods explores the cause-and-effect relationship between nutraceuticals and health.