Clarifies the definition of functional foods and outlines some of the better‐known ones now in the marketplace.

No abstract

Diet has been recognised for over three thousand years as being vital to the overall management of diabetes mellitus (DM). Today dietary advice for the person with diabetes continues to play just as an important role, not just as regards the day to day control but also in respect of the prevention of complications. The history of dietary advice for diabetes is examined as well as current dietary advice.

PurposeSalicylate intake and lifestyle have been implicated in the aetiology of prostate cancer, but the purpose of this paper is to evaluate their influence on established cancer progression.Design/methodology/approachA randomised, double blind, phase II study involving 110 men whose prostate specific antigen (PSA), had risen in three consecutive values, >20 per cent over the proceeding six months. Men were counselled to eat less saturated fat, processed food, more fruit, vegetables and legumes; exercise more regularly and to stop smoking. They were then randomised to take sodium salicylate (SS) alone or SS combined with, vitamin C, copper and manganese gluconates (CV247). Patients took this daily, without other intervention, but were withdrawn if their PSA doubling time (PSAdt) shortened or their PSA rose >20 per cent from baseline.FindingsAlthough there was no difference in outcome between the SS or CV247 (21 v 19 p = 0.92), the intervention slowed or stopped the rate of PSA progression in 40 patients (36.4 per cent) for over one year. A further ten patients were stabilised for ten months. Patients least likely to stabilise had received previous radiotherapy or had a Gleason ≥7. These men welcomed this addition to active surveillance.Originality/valueA further RCT in the sensitive subgroup, would determine the role adding SS to lifestyle counselling alone. These data suggest that this intervention would be welcomed by patients as if substantiated, it could potentially delay the need for more radical therapy and their associated toxicities

Briefly reviews the case history of dietary intervention in the case of a six‐year‐old boy with a diagnosis of autism. Identifying food intolerances to milk and gluten, and the removal of these items from the child’s diet, led to an improvement in his condition and behaviour.