14C-6

A. LABROPOULOS, Case Western Reserve University, 5839 Woolman Ct. #12, Cleveland, OH 44130 and S. Tzimas.

Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food is the objective of this study which refers to nutraceutical foods. What is nutraceutical food? Nutraceutical or functional foods are substances that may be considered a food or part of a food that provides medical or health benefits, including prevention and treatment of disease. They may be isolated nutrients, dietary supplements, "designer" foods, herbal products, etc. These foods are a recognized category of functional foods in Japan, while Europe and Americal is getting behind due to their food laws and regulations. Soy is the only substance with many positives associated with it, to be considered a nutraceutical candidate. Soybeans play a significant role in Asian diets for over 1000 years. The beneficial components of soy are the soy isoflavenes (genistein, daidzein), soy proteins, optimal lipid profile (low saturated fat, no cholesterol, omega-3 fatty acids) and other components (phytate trypsin inhibitor). The main benefits associated with soy are prevention of heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis. The future of soy and nutraceuticals is so promising (exciting) as a new area with great potential for both health and market perspective.