How do you determine the appropriate dosage of functional food ingredients?

1 Know your purpose

Before you start adding functional food ingredients to your diet, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. Are you looking for general wellness, prevention of chronic diseases, or treatment of specific conditions? Different ingredients have different functions and mechanisms of action, so you need to choose the ones that match your purpose. For example, if you want to improve your gut health, you might opt for probiotics and prebiotics, while if you want to lower your cholesterol, you might choose plant sterols and soluble fiber.

2 Check the evidence

Once you have selected the functional food ingredients that suit your purpose, you need to check the scientific evidence behind their claims. Not all ingredients have the same level of support from research, and some may have conflicting or inconclusive results. You need to look for reliable sources of information, such as peer-reviewed journals, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and official guidelines, that provide the dosage, duration, and form of the ingredients that have been proven to be effective and safe. You should also be aware of the potential interactions, side effects, and contraindications of the ingredients.

4 Monitor your response

Finally, you need to monitor your response to the functional food ingredients and evaluate their effectiveness and safety. You can do this by keeping a record of your intake, symptoms, biomarkers, and outcomes, and comparing them with your baseline and goals. You should also consult your health care provider regularly and report any changes or concerns. Depending on your response, you may need to modify the dosage, frequency, or duration of the functional food ingredients, or switch to a different one.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?