Developing scientific technology has increased our awareness of the relationship between diet and disease, and there has been a growing interest in functional foods and their role in the maintenance and improvement of health and wellness. Foods can no longer be evaluated only in terms of macro- and micronutrient content alone. Recently, more attention is being paid to the role of food in bioregulating functions. Any food that exerts health properties beyond the traditional nutrients it contains is termed a functional food. They can be whole, fortified, enriched or genetically engineered foods that are consumed as a part of a daily regular diet. A variety of functional foods or food ingredients have been shown to improve health, reduce the risk of chronic diseases and have an impact on the prevention and treatment of various diseases. Many different fruits, vegetables, grains, fish, and dairy and meat products contain several components that deliver health benefits beyond basic nutrition, such as lycopene in tomatoes, omega-3 fatty acids in salmon and phytoestrogens in soy. Regular consumption of functional foods can help reduce the risk of or manage a number of health concerns, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal health, menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis and eye health. It should be born in mind that functional foods are not magic bullets and that they are for the establishment of good health. The most effective way to reap the health benefits from foods is to eat a balanced and varied diet.

Keywords: Fonksiyonel besinler, sağlık, nutrasötikler, fitokimyasallar, fitoöstrojenler, flavonoidler, polifenoller, fitosteroller, omega-3 yağ asitleri, konjuge linoleik asit, prebiyotikler, probiyotikler, sinbiyotikler, functional foods, health, nutraceuticals, phytochemicals, phytoestrogens, flavonoids, polyphenols, phytosterols, omega-3 fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid, prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics