Functional food carbohydrates

Abstract

The text begins with in-depth treatments of the chemistry, physical properties, processing technology, safety and health benefits of a variety of carbohydrates including cereal beta-glucans, microbial polysaccharides, chitosan, arabinoxylans, resistant starch, and other polysaccharides of plant origin. The authors then discuss the physiological and metabolic effects that a variety of carbohydrates have on specific chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and various gastrointestinal disorders. The final chapters discuss the regulatory and technological aspects of using carbohydrates as functional foods. Specifically, the authors consider the safety and efficacy of pre-, pro-, and synbiotics, and the potential use of carbohydrates as delivery vehicles for other bioactive compounds.