Distinguishing types of health protection foods – Understand to use correctly!

As the name suggests, health protection foods are used to "protect" health, but they can also be harmful if not used properly. To use them correctly, you need to understand and distinguish correctly each type of health protection food. Let's distinguish the types of health protection foods through the following article of NanoFrance!

I. What are health protection foods?

1. Concept of health protection food - Functional food

Health Supplement, Dietary Supplement is also known as “Functional Food”. In different regions, this product line will be called by many different names such as:

• In Western Europe: called “alicaments” or nutraceutics, food supplements
• In China: “health-preserving nutritional food”.
• Vietnam: “Special Food”

The Vietnamese Ministry of Health also gives a specific definition of functional foods as follows:

These are foods used to support the functions of organs in the human body. They have nutritional effects, create a comfortable state for the body, increase resistance and reduce the risk of disease.

Depending on the formula, micronutrient content and instructions for use, functional foods also have other names such as: micronutrient supplements, dietary supplements, health protection foods, and medical nutritional products.

2. What are health foods made of?

Health protection foods may contain one or more of the following substances or a mixture of substances:

→ Group 1: Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, enzymes, probiotics and other biologically active substances.

→ Group 2: Substances of natural origin, including animals, minerals and plants in the form of extracts, isolations, concentrates and transformations.

→ Group 3: Synthetic sources of the ingredients mentioned in groups 1 and 2.

Currently, functional foods are prepared in many different forms such as: capsules, pills, tablets, granules - powders, solutions. They are all divided into small units for ease of use.

II. Distinguishing types of health protection foods

With different criteria, we will have different ways to distinguish different types of health protection foods. Specifically:

1. Distinguishing health protection foods based on main ingredients

Based on the main ingredients, we can distinguish functional foods into the following main forms:

• Vitamin supplements
• Health food supplement with fatty acids
• Mineral supplements
• Probiotics Supplement
• Protein and amino acid supplement line
• Herbal extract supplement products group

With each main ingredient, these product lines will have different effects for users.

2. Distinguish functional foods by product type

This aspect refers more to the way of usage. They will be divided into 2 main forms:

→ Health protection foods in the form of Food - Medicine: They are prepared similarly to current modern medicines such as pills, solutions, powdered granules... The form is similar but in essence they are still health protection foods and only have the effect of PREVENTING - SUPPORTING THE TREATMENT OF DISEASE.

→ Functional foods in the form of Food - Medicine: This group of products will be prepared in the form of food such as powder, tea, etc. Supplements and herbal extracts will be added directly to these products.

Milk for people with bone and joint problems - Common food group

3. Health protection products classified by function

Each product will have a specific function. If classified according to specific uses, we will have:

• Anti-aging support products group
• Health food to support digestion
• Product group helps increase resistance
• Products to help enhance physiology
• Products help prevent cerebral circulation disorders
• Dietary supplement for blood pressure
• Dietary supplement for bone and joint diseases
• Products to help reduce diabetes
• Fiber supplement products group
• Products to prevent endocrine diseases

….

For each disease, there will be a product line that helps prevent, support treatment, and reduce specific symptoms of the disease.

4. What types of health protection foods are there? – Classified by users

As mentioned above, health protection foods are divided into many types and used for different purposes and subjects. For each specific subject, there will also be corresponding product lines:

Products for people who want to prevent disease

They will contain herbs, plant and animal extracts that help: Increase resistance, "eliminate" the risks of causing diseases... thereby helping to prevent diseases. Products for this group of people are also prepared in a relatively diverse and rich way: pills, solutions, powdered milk...

Products for active people

The target group is people who go to the gym, regularly exercise, and play sports and need to supplement many vitamins, minerals, nutrients, proteins, etc. to be able to compensate for the lost energy. Powder and liquid dosage forms (soft drinks, energy drinks) are the most preferred.

Products for “special” people

“Elderly – Children – Pregnant women” are all considered special subjects. Specifically: Food for pregnant women, food for the elderly, food for weaning children, food for people with congenital metabolic disorders, ... food for people with diabetes, food for people with high blood pressure, natural foods: garlic, green tea, plant biological substances ...

5. Management method – One of the ways to distinguish between types of dietary supplements

Health protection foods also have specific management units. With each management unit, we will also have separate product groups:

→ Managed by the Department of Food Safety and Hygiene under the Ministry of Health: This is a group of products that support the treatment and prevention of diseases. To produce and trade, it is necessary to have full certificates as well as product circulation licenses.

→ “Self-declared” product group: This is a group of common foods (milk, meal replacements, tea powder). They can be used for their intended purpose without a doctor's prescription.

Distinguishing the right types of health protection foods will help you use them correctly, and the products will also maximize their effectiveness!
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