Functional foods can be defined as dietary items that, besides providing nutrients and energy, beneficially modulate one or more targeted functions in the body, by enhancing a certain physiological response and/or by reducing the risk of disease.

Other additional considerations have been proposed to define a functional food, including three additional conditions in particular:

1. it is a food (not a capsule, tablet, or powder) derived from natural ingredients;

2. it can and should be consumed as part of the daily diet;

3. it has a particular function when eaten, serving to regulate a particular body process, such as:

• enhancement of biological defense mechanisms

•prevention of specific diseases

•recovery from specific diseases

•control of physical and mental disorders

•slowing of the aging process.

Functional foods can be defined as dietary items that, besides providing nutrients and energy, beneficially modulate one or more targeted functions in the body, by enhancing a certain physiological response and/or by reducing the risk of disease.

Other additional considerations have been proposed to define a functional food, including three additional conditions in particular:

1. it is a food (not a capsule, tablet, or powder) derived from natural ingredients;

2. it can and should be consumed as part of the daily diet;

3. it has a particular function when eaten, serving to regulate a particular body process, such as:

• enhancement of biological defense mechanisms

•prevention of specific diseases

•recovery from specific diseases

•control of physical and mental disorders

•slowing of the aging process.

Functional food Any food or nutrient that provides the body with health benefits as well as meeting traditional dietary requirements or that contain certain elements that contribute to the maintenance of health along with traditional nutrients, and thus can be classified somewhere between food and medicine.

https://www.cabi.org/nutrition/news/65180

I generally agree with the definitions already posted. However, I would add that functional foods have one or more identified bioactives which are typically quantified in a manner that links the amount to a physiological property.

It should be a food to eat or drink that gives additional benefits other than the calories., specially food with bio active compounds such as natural anthocyanin pigments

Functional foods are foods that provide additional benefits to the body beyond nutrition. Some of these benefits may include health benefits.

Colleagues have said it all! Bio-active compounds or beneficial microorganisms present in a particular food sample are sometimes responsible for the additional health benefits apart from the primary energy- providing function of that food. Foods differ from medicines!!

Functional food is any healthy food scientifically proven ability to promote health and resistance to certain diseases, which means that its function in prevention and treatment beyond its basic function as a food, and its beneficial effects on human health is not explained by the nutritional content of vitamins, minerals and others. As for the health benefits are summarized as follows - the promotion of physiological functions. - Promote mental functions. - Prevention of disease. The term "functional foods" was first used in Japan in the 1980s when the government agreed to recognize these foods in treatments, labeling them "Foods for Specified Health Use-FOSHU".

Functional food ", the World Food Information Council defined functional food as" the components of foods that improve physiological function or health status as well as nutritional value. "For example, those containing vitamins, dietary fiber or antioxidants