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Historically, influence of dietary factors on one’s health as well as their role in disease appearance, progression and morbidity is well understood because human race knew how to use food as medicine. In modern times, we can say that the same knowledge got transcended to next level. For example, fortification of table salt with iodine and fortification of wheat flour with iron was done with specific aim of prevention of conditions like goitre and anemia, respectively.

 Hence, the relationship between diet and health has provided momentum to the demand of nutraceuticals or functional foods as more and more people these days are becoming aware about the health benefits of nutritional compounds and food fortification. Functional foods—as they are popularly termed nowadays, can do much more than simply provide basic nutrition. Functional foods contain spe ... ...