Coffee contains phytocomponents including caffeine, chlorogenic acid (CGA), and ferulic acid. This study was intended to explore the impact of light roasted coffee rich in CGA on anthropometric parameters, lipid, and glycaemic indices, along with various lipid metabolizing molecules in healthy obese subjects. Forty healthy obese subjects (n = 40) were recruited and divided into 2 groups as experimental (CGA-340 mg/day and caffeine-220 mg/day; n = 20) and placebo (CGA-12.4 mg/day and caffeine-220 mg/day; n = 20). Daily consumption of the experimental sample resulted in a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in body weight, body fat, BMI, waist circumference, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Various lipid metabolism-related signaling molecules like AMPK-α and PPAR-α were improved (p < 0.05) after 12 weeks of supplementation with experimental samples as compared to the placebo group. The adiponectin levels were increased (p < 0.05) in the experimental group, levels of leptin, LXR-α, and PPAR-γ were decreased (p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed in any glycaemic indices or hepatic/renal markers in either the experimental or placebo group. The present outcome depicts that consumption of coffee (experimental/test sample) rich in CGA and caffeine (holistically) for 12 weeks could positively alter various lipid metabolizing signaling molecules and thereby lower the body fat accumulation and the incidence of obesity.

Long-term postprandial hyperglycemia is a primary risk factor for developing chronic metabolic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Chronic hyperglycemia induces the glycation of proteins, oxidative stress, inflammation and increases plasma insulin and lipid concentrations. Insulin resistance is the primary cause of postprandial excursions of blood glucose and lipids. Hyperglycemia can be treated by lowering dietary carbohydrates intake, digestion, and absorption. Various functional foods improve glucose metabolism by increasing insulin sensitivity and inhibiting α-glucosidase in the small intestine. Natural phytochemicals, especially active phenolics are good antioxidants and show anti-inflammatory action and regulate blood glucose. This review aimed to report on hypoglycemic properties of active phenolics from functional foods and their proposed anti-diabetic mechanisms. Nevertheless, further clinical trials are required to confirm the bioavailability, safety, and efficacy of phenolics, especially the dosage and duration of treatment, to avoid adverse effects and give better dietary recommendations.

The world health organization (WHO) announced that coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic. Considering the pandemic spread of Covid-19, many researchers have shown immense interest in various functional foods/nutraceuticals and dietary supplements to improve immune function and overall health status and thus lower the risk of COVID-19 infection. Studies have indicated that a balanced diet rich in various nutrients especially micronutrients plays a huge role in recovering and preventing COVID-19 related health issues. Improvement of obesity could reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection owing to the less angiotensin-conversion enzyme 2 receptors and increase the effect of vaccination. This review signifies the importance of various food bioactives along with dietary supplements (balanced diet) rich in various micronutrients against COVID-19 and its related anomalies. Moreover, this contribution helps non-specialists to understand the importance of various functional foods/nutraceuticals based on the dietary/supplementation recommendations indicated by various popular nutritional or dietary or health organizations. To sum up this contribution, healthy life style and balanced nutrition play important role on immune system. Reducing obesity becomes a critical point on the COVID-19 infection. The most important is to find the potential and effective food bioactives, which might act as supportive or complementary therapy (prophylactic) for mitigating the risk and comorbidity associated with COVID-19.

This study was conducted to evaluate and compare the anti-allergenicity effect of rice and wheat hydrolysates in food allergic subjects. Totally fifty food allergic subjects (confirmed by allergic score) were recruited and divided into 2 groups as rice hydrolysate (RH; n = 40) and wheat hydrolysate (WH; n = 10) and asked to take either rice or wheat hydrolysate formula for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks of intervention with RH, the levels of the allergic score, allergic inflammatory markers like eosinophil count (EC) and eosinophil cation protein (ECP), as well as in total IgE, total nasal symptom score (TNSS) were significantly reduced as compared to the baseline. However, WH supplemented (4 weeks) group showed a mild increase in total IgE, EC (but no change in inflammatory markers, ECP, TNSS) along with decreased SCORAD (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis) index as compared to the baseline. Overall, the subjects that consumed the RH formula for 4 weeks showed a marked decrease in the allergic parameters except for the SCORAD index and thus endorsing its potent anti-allergenicity property better than WH (which indeed aggravated EC, IgE levels). Therefore, RH might be recommended with other standard anti-allergic drugs to delay or suppress allergic symptoms and its related allergic responses.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common non-communicable ailment which claims one-third of total global death. This contribution provides an overview of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipidemia (dyslipidemia) and their related complications as well as the current treatment options with special attention to popular functional foods and nutraceuticals. Currently, many synthetic lipid-lowering drugs are available in the market. However, they trigger several adverse effects. Thus, to overcome this problem nutraceuticals and functional foods which are considered safe, and with multifaceted lipid-lowering activity are highly recommended (adjuvant therapy) for treating dyslipidemia. This review intends to shed light on how to choose the appropriate or better nutraceutical/functional food ingredients to alleviate the risk of CVD, based on recent literature survey with the inclusion of clinical trials and meta-analysis to ensure the efficacy of nutraceuticals/functional foods on lipid profile.