Food supplements

Suplementos Alimentares

Curse code:9554220

Ana Isabel Henriques Dias Fernandes Pinto

Learning outcomes of the curricular unit:

Addressing the scientific, technological and regulatory aspects impacting the quality and effectiveness of food supplements, and public health. It is intended that this is a multidisciplinary and integrated approach to various areas of knowledge important to this issue, which lies at the interface between medicines and food, and whose importance is growing.
It is intended that students know the main bioactive substances in food supplements and its action on the body, and to promote the safe use of various supplements available, adapting their use to each particular person and situation.
At the end of this course students should be able to recognize the advantages and limitations of the use of food supplements in the prevention of disease and promotion of health and beauty, applying the most recent scientific and technological knowledge.

Syllabus:

Lectures:

1. INTRODUCTION
   Scientific, technical and social (national and international) framework of the curricular unit in the Nutrition Sciences course.
   The link between nutrition and health.
   Terminology and legal boundaries between food supplements/nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and functional foods.
2. RAW MATERIALS
   Natural products: production, extraction, selection and identification of raw materials.
   Analytical methods (chemical, physical and microbiological) of characterization, standardization and quality control.
   Methods for evaluating effectiveness.
   Presentation of selected monographs.
3. PHARMACOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY
   Assessment of benefits and risks of food supplements use and related problems, including adverse reactions to drugs.
   Health claims and design of clinical trials of food supplements.
   Patient and/or consumer information and counseling.
   Supplementation in enteric and parenteral nutrition.
   Presentation of (clinical) case studies.
4. MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
   Dosage forms used in the delivery of bioactive substances, their advantages and disadvantages.
   Impact of formulation and manufacturing process variables on the quality, stability, and bioavailability of food supplements.
   Generic aspects of Good Manufacturing Practices and quality control methods of finished products.
5. LEGISLATION AND REGULATION
   National and international overview on the legislative framework for the design, production, distribution and marketing of food supplements.

Suggested Bibliography:

• Lockwood B (2007) Nutraceuticals, A guide for healthcare professionals, 2nd ed., Pharmaceutical Press, London. ISBN - 9780853696599
• Somdat M & Pathak YV (2014) Nutraceuticals and Health: Review of Human Evidence, CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA ISBN - 9781466517226
• Pathak YV (2009) Handbook of Nutraceuticals Volume I: Ingredients, Formulations, and Applications, CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA. ISBN - 9781420082210
• Mason P (2011) Dietary Supplements, 4th ed., Pharmaceutical Press, London. ISBN - 9780853698838
• Brahmachari G (2013) Chemistry and Pharmacology of Naturally Occurring Bioactive Compounds, CRC Press, Boca Raton, USA. ISBN - 9781439891674