RT Journal Article ID 0af1d81346d1a007 A1 Smith, John E. A1 Rowan, Neil J. A1 Tan, Kok- Kheng T1 Functional Food Science and the Medicinal Mushrooms JF International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms JO IJM YR 2000 FD 2000-12-01 VO 2 IS 4 OP 9 AB Arising from the awareness of the relationship between diet and disease has come the concept of functional foods. In essence, functional foods are foods that are eaten not only to satisfy functional dietary needs but also to elicit additional health effects. Foods as medicine underpins the paradigm of functional foods. Functional foods come in a plethora of consumer form. Functional food science is quite distinct from medicine and pharmaceutical science. The early usage of the medicinal mushrooms for health benefits was most probably in the form of extracts, concentrates, or powders now termed "mushroom nutriceuticals" or dietary supplements. Further purification of mushroom nutriceuticals has produced several medicinal products that can be viewed as noninvasive pharmaceutical products, and a large worldwide market is envisaged. Immunomodulatory and anticancer effects of mushroom glucans and proteoglycans are discussed together with other relevant medical usages. Regulatory aspects of functional foods are discussed with respect to medicinal mushrooms. PB Begell House LK https://www.dl.begellhouse.com/journals/708ae68d64b17c52,093ad305339fcd09,0af1d81346d1a007.html