Longevity & AgingFunctional Foods as Medicine: What the Evidence Actually Shows
This 2025 interdisciplinary review from Semmelweis University synthesizes clinical trial and meta-analysis data on functional foods—including probiotics, polyphenols, omega-3 fatty acids, and fortified products—and their roles in preventing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. The authors examine how bioactive compounds modulate key aging pathways (mTOR, AMPK, Nrf2, sirtuins), gut microbiome composition, systemic inflammation, and immune function. While the clinical evidence is growing, widespread adoption is hampered by health literacy gaps, socioeconomic barriers, inconsistent regulation, and lack of standardized efficacy criteria. The review concludes that AI, microbiome science, and nutrigenomics may unlock personalized functional food strategies at scale.
