Functional food ingredients for reducing the risks of osteoporosis

There is a strong interest in strategies to reduce the risks of osteoporosis and the related health care costs. The age of the population in civilized countries is ever increasing. One of the concerns is to maintain a high quality of life after retirement. Another concern is the continuous and explosive growth of public health care costs. This has lead to governmental measures to let people pay relatively high own risks and self-contributions for medical treatment. One of the results of these developments is a growing trend towards self-medication. Because drugs cannot be obtained without prescription, consumers seek for natural products to fit their needs and expectations. The food industry is aware of these developments and targets this ever growing market segment with an intensified search for food substances, which may have a positive effect on health, disease prevention or disease management. Once established, the benefits are usually communicated as claims related to either the product or the consumer benefit. One of the basic questions consumers are dealing with is whether the claims made are true and not just misleading selling arguments. Recent developments in international food legislation point to a need to avoid the launch of products with unsubstantiated claims. Thus, functional or health claims related to specific food ingredients or functional foods may only be approved by legal food authorities, if there is an international consensus on the supporting scientific evidence. This article reviews current opinions on osteoporosis and highlights a number of epidemiological, physiological and nutritional aspects. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.