Medicinal Plant Research 2025, Vol.15, No.1, 20-31 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/mpr 28 Moreover, the variation of the functional ingredient concentration caused by variable processing practices could affect their long-term safety. Certain processing practices might reduce the concentration of the beneficial constituents, while others might enhance them, thereby causing variable effects on health (Abuajah et al., 2015). Therefore, standardized processing and consistent quality control are necessary to give confidence in the long-term safety of functional foods. 8.2 Potential side effects and drug interactions Functional foods, while being safe, also pose the risk of side effects and drug interaction. For example, excessive intake of some functional ingredients can lead to adverse consequences. The use of functional foods or food supplements with prescription drugs can lead to increased risk for food-drug interaction, hence reducing the efficacy or increasing the drug toxicity (Eussen et al., 2011). This is particularly challenging for patients with chronic conditions who are on long-term medication therapy. Besides, the immunomodulatory effects of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics, even though natural, may also lead to unintended side effects. These foods have the ability to modulate the immune system in a way that might not be entirely predictable, and this can lead to unwanted immune responses in a subset of patients (Yahfoufi et al., 2018). For this reason, it is necessary that intensive research be carried out to ascertain the potential side effects and interaction of functional foods with other medications. 8.3 Regulation and standardization in clinical applications Regulation and standardization of functional foods are highly important for their safety and functionality in clinical practice. Functional foods, food supplements, and nutraceuticals are already at the interface of pharma and nutrition and require an open regulatory system to be able to successfully manage their use (Díaz et al., 2020). Various different regulations being used across different geographies can lead to confusion and abuse of the products. For instance, European, American, and Japanese regulatory approaches are all distinct, as per the demands for harmonized regulation (Díaz et al., 2020). Moreover, health technology assessments must be used in order to compare the cost-effectiveness and benefit-risk profiles of functional foods, dietary supplements, and drugs. In this way, it can help in evaluating the added value of functional foods as a supplement to drug therapy, so that they can be effectively and safely applied in clinical practice (Eussen et al., 2011). Standardized rules and regulations will help the proper integration of functional foods into healthcare systems, their safe usage in preventing chronic diseases, and promoting health results. 9 Conclusion and Future Directions Moreover, health technology assessments must be used in order to compare the cost-effectiveness and benefit-risk profiles of functional foods, dietary supplements, and drugs. In this way, it can help in evaluating the added value of functional foods as a supplement to drug therapy, so that they can be effectively and safely applied in clinical practice (Eussen et al., 2011). Standardized rules and regulations will help the proper integration of functional foods into healthcare systems, their safe usage in preventing chronic diseases, and promoting health results. Although there is encouraging evidence supporting the functional role of foods in the prevention of chronic disease, there are still some limitations and loopholes in current studies. Among these, one limitation is the differential availability and efficacy of bioactive compounds due to differential food processing and preparation practices. Secondly, the majority of the studies have been conducted in animal models or in vitro and more large-scale long-term human trials are required to confirm these data. One other gap is in the absence of consensus guidelines on the suggested intake of individual bioactive compounds, and it is therefore difficult to translate research findings into practical dietary advice. Besides, synergistic activity of different bioactive compounds and their interaction with food constituents is not fully understood and needs to be thoroughly investigated. Subsequent research needs to work towards conducting well-planned human clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of functional foods and bioactive compounds in chronic disease prevention. Mechanisms of action
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