Functional Foods for the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases, an international scientific conference, was held November 15-16, 2005, in Dallas, Texas. The conference was organized by the Functional Foods Center at Richardson, Texas, along with informational sponsors UNESCO Chair-Life Sciences International Education Center, the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, and the American Botanical Council (media sponsor). The conference was the second in a series: “Functional Foods: Prevention and Diseases Treatment.” Previous scientific conferences have dealt with “Functional Food Products for the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases,” hosted by the Functional Foods Center (held in Dallas, November 2004; see article in HerbalGram #66). The result of last year’s conference was the publication of 2 books: Functional Foods for Cardiovascular Diseases (D&A Inc., April 2005, ISBN: 0-9767535-0-2) and Functional Foods for the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases (D&A Inc., October 2005, ISBN: 0-97675.35-1-0).

The main goal of the 2005 conference was to bring together experts in medicine, biology, and the food industry to discuss the contribution of functional foods in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. The scope of the conference covered the advances of phytotherapy and food therapy for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, and cancer, with a special focus on the creation of functional and medicinal foods with new properties.

Main conference topics included:

1. The role of nutrition in the occurrence of chronic diseases;

2. How functional and dietary products for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases are developed and utilized;

3. The creation of functional and medicinal products for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases (cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, and cancer);

4. A host of phyto-products and biologically active substances in the treatment of chronic disorders; and

5. A description and various listings of non-traditional plants (i.e., plants that are not well known), which may be used as a source of functional food products.

The conference opened with an introductory speech by the conference chair Dr. Danik M. Martirosyan. It was emphasized that many problems remain unsolved in this area despite the achievements of modern approaches and the potentials of pharmacotherapy. The urgency of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity, was stressed along with the necessity for creating functional food based on natural plant-derived resources.

Paul Durfee discussed modern surgical approaches in the war on arteriosclerosis and Kim Rendell discussed “Cardiac Support and Dietary Concerns in the Post Acute Myocardial Infarct Patient” (both are from The Medical Center of Mesquite in Mesquite, Texas). A leading invasive specialist and cardiovascular technician, Mr. Durfee emphasized the achievements of modern surgical approaches and potentials of drug therapy, and pointed out some of the major problems with the current therapeutics (e.g., their unwanted side effects). He also stated that medicine is still unable to treat atherosclerosis effectively despite many advances, and hence, cardiovascular diseases and, in particular, myocardial infarction are the number-one killers in the United States. He noted that there are not enough effective dietary approaches available to offer to post-acute myocardial infarct patients.

Undurti Das, MD, president and CEO of UND Life Sciences (Shaker Heights, OH), spoke on “A Perinatal Strategy to Prevent Adult Diseases: The Role of Long-chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids.” He proposed that perinatal supplementation of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) prevents or postpones the development of a wide range of adult diseases, including obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemias, syndrome X, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, auto-immune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, and inflammatory bowel diseases, and it protects against the development of certain types of cancers.

Igor Sobenin, MD, with the Institute of Genetic Pathology and Pathophysiology (Moscow, Russia), presented a talk on “Multifunctional Cardioprotective Effects of Time-released Garlic Powder Tablets,” made from Allium sativum L., Aliliaceae (Allicor^®, garlic powder tablets standardized to 1.3% allicin, INAT-Farma, Moscow, Russia). He discussed that an 8-week treatment of 85 patients with arterial hypertension by garlic powder (600 mg daily) resulted in the reduction of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 5.2% and 4.0%, respectively. In a hypolipidemic study, the 12-week treatment resulted in a statistically significant decrease in LDL cholesterol by 11.8%, and it was lower by 13.8% as compared to the placebo group. HDL cholesterol increased significantly by 11.5% as compared to the baseline level at randomization. Dr. Sobenin concluded that evidence obtained from these studies indicates that garlic powder tablets have potential in the prevention and control of cardiovascular disorders and are beneficial when taken as a dietary supplement.

Professor Teruyoshi Yanagita, PhD, from Saga University, Japan, and director of the Japanese Society of Nutrition & Food Science, is a renowned authority on conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and its health benefits. Professor Yanagita discussed “Conjugated Linoleic Acids and their Health Benefits.” His group demonstrated for the first time that the 9c,11t,13c-CLNA isomer reduces apolipoprotein B100 (apoB100) secretion through the suppression of triglyceride synthesis in human liver cells. Apolipoproteins are proteins on the surface of the lipoprotein complex that bind to specific enzymes or transport proteins on the cell membranes. ApoB100 is an intermediate form of lipoprotein and a low density lipoprotein. These results suggest that 9c,11t,13c-CLNA could form an effective dietary regimen for the treatment of hyperlipidemias.

Ravinder Reddy, MD, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, emphasized the role of functional foods in psychiatry. His presentation highlighted key aspects of neuroactive lipid biology and free radical metabolism as relevant to psychiatric disorders, and the role of long-chain PUFAs, particularly omega-3 fatty acids, in the treatment of a variety of psychiatric conditions, particularly schizophrenia and depression.

The conference organizer and first author of this article (D.M. Martirosyan) provided a talk on “Amaranth and Its Oil for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases.” The result of these investigations (co-authors: A.V. Pogojeva, K.V. Gonor, S.N. Kulakova, and L.A. Miroshnichenko) showed that oil of the seed of amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus L., Amaranthaceae) does not cause allergic reactions or other side effects during its application and lowers cholesterol significantly. Main investigations were conducted in the Russian Institute of Nutrition (Moscow). Eighty patients (60 in the main group; 20 in the control group) suffering from coronary heart disease and hypertension of the 1st and 2nd degrees accompanied by obesity of the 1st and 3rd degrees were under observation. The inclusion of amaranth oil in the diet at the dosage of 6 ml, 12 ml, and 18 ml per day contributed to a statistically significant decrease in the total cholesterol level in the blood serum in patients of main groups by 14%, 17%, and 20%, respectively, and 12% in the control. The application of amaranth oil with the special diet in the patients who had ischemic diseases of the heart, hypertension, and obesity showed a significant hypolipidemic effect. The authors conclude that amaranth oil can be recommended as a functional and dietary food for patients with cardiovascular diseases (arteriosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia) and obesity. More studies are needed to investigate the cholesterol-lowering properties of amaranth oil.

The results of the use of dietary supplements and functional foods for the treatment of diabetes were also discussed. Jaime Uribarri, MD, a medical researcher from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine (New York City) discussed “Functional Foods for Diabetes.” He proposed to create functional foods for diabetic patients by decreasing the food content of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), well-known pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidant compounds, which may contribute to many of the complications of diabetes. Dr. Uribarri also stressed that because the “main factor responsible for the generation of AGEs in food is the application of heat during cooking, we could modulate the complications of diseases like diabetes in a rapid and cost-effective way by simple modifications of the way we cook.”

Motoki Kyo from the Biotechnology Development Department, Toyobo Co., Ltd. (Osaka, Japan) presented a talk about modern methods and equipment involved in investigations in the area of biotechnology and his company’s interest in a creation of new functional food products for chronic diseases.

Rakesh Kapoor, PhD, Director of Science and Technology at Bioriginal Food & Science Corp. (Saskatoon, Canada) discussed the role of “Lignans and Alpha-linolenic Acid as Anticancer Food Constituents.” These ingredients are present in highest concentrations in flax (linseed) (Linum usitatissimum L., Linaceae). Whole flaxseed has limited bioavailability while ground/crushed seeds have a short shelf life, limiting utilization in shelf-stable foods. Bioriginal developed shelf-stable products (Lignamax™ and FibrOmega™) from flaxseed, which are not only rich in these constituents, but are also organic and kosher certified. These products offer advantages to food manufacturers looking for kosher and organic ingredients with health benefits.

One of the most interesting presentations was delivered by investigators from Kaunas University of Medicine (Kaunas, Lithuania). Jurga Bernatonien, PhD, Kristina Ramanauskiene, PhD, and Majiene Daiva, PhD, discussed their interesting results in the report, “The Action of an Antihypertensive Plant Mixture on Metabolic Processes.” The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the infusion produced from lesser periwinkle (Vinca minor L., Apocynaceae), the blossoms and fruits of monopistillate hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna Jacq., Rosaceae), motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca L., Lamiaceae), knotweed (Polygonum aviculare L., Polygonaceae), and field horsetail (Equisetum arvense L., Equisetaceae) on the carbohydrate-lipid-protein and electrolyte metabolism in aortic myocardial tissues after the induction of pituitrin hypertension in rabbits. It was shown that the infusion prepared from an herbal mixture, which included knotweed, had a curative hypotensive effect. Researchers concluded that administration of an infusion prepared from the herbal mixture containing knotweed normalized arterial blood pressure, decreased hyperlipoproteinemia, hypercholesterinemia, the activity of glycolysis, and decreased cholesterol levels in the aortic wall.

Alexander Orekhov, PhD, Director of the Institute for Atherosclerosis Research in Moscow, Russia, reported on a series of studies that were performed to elucidate the effect of time-released garlic powder tablets in the prevention of acute respiratory disease (ARD). (The report was presented jointly with Dr. Sobenin.) At the first stage, the safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of tablets was investigated in an open-labeled 5-month study in schoolchildren aged 7-16. It has been shown that ARD morbidity (including influenza) was reduced 2.4-fold as compared to the controls. At the second stage, the effects of garlic tablets on ARD morbidity versus placebo or benzimidazole (a pharmaceutical drug) were investigated in the double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized 5-month comparative study in school children aged 10-12. Research has demonstrated that garlic tablets (Allicor®) reduced ARD morbidity by 2.4-fold as compared to placebo, and by 1.7-fold as compared to benzimidazole. The results of this phase of investigation have demonstrated that garlic powder tablets are effective in non-specific prevention of ARD in children and possess no adverse side effects. Time-released garlic powder tablets (Allicor) are highly recommended for long-term prevention of ARD, especially in health care programs, as an effective, low-cost and safe approach to the improvement of innate immunity and resistance to viral infections.

Conclusion

The general conclusions to be drawn from the various presentations are as follows:

1. More functional food products for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as hypertension, arterioscleroses, cancer, diabetes, and obesity are needed with internationally recognized standards and specifications.

2. More scientific investigations are warranted for the usage of amaranth oil and garlic powder as functional food products for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Scientists from countries including Armenia, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, France, Kenya, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan sent their proposals to the conference organizers and those manuscripts will also be included in the conference presiding and book entitled Functional Foods for Chronic Diseases, which will be published in 2006.

The third international conference in the series “Functional Foods for the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases” is scheduled for October 2006 at the Functional Foods Center in Richardson, Texas. More information about future conferences and new books on this subject are available at www.functionalfoodscenter.net (e-mail: ffc_usa@sbcglobal.net; phone: 469-441-8272 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting FREE 469-441-8272end_of_the_skype_highlighting).

Danik M. Martirosyan, PhD, is a research scientist at the Functional Food Center, Richardson, Texas. Undurti Das, MD, is the president and CEO of UND Life Sciences in Shaker Heights, Ohio. He is also chief editor of the scientific magazine, Lipids in Health and Diseases. Ashkhen Martirosyan is an editorial assistant with D&A Inc. in Richardson, Texas.