Pan SY[1], Gao SH[1], Lin RC[1], Zhou SF[2], Dong HG[3], Tang MK[1], Yu ZL[4], Ko KM[5]
[1] Beijing University of Chinese medicine, Beijing, China.
[2] University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
[3] Hospital de la Tour, Geneva, Switzerland.
[4] Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
[5] Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear water bay, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Despite the advances in science and technology and wide use of chemical drugs, dietary intervention (or food therapy) remains useful in preventing or treating many human diseases. A huge body of evidence shows that the dietary pattern or habit is also an important contributing factor to the development of chronic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and cancers. In recent years, over-the-counter health foods, nutraceuticals, and plant-derived medicinal products have been gaining popularity all over the world, particularly in developed countries. Unfortunately, owing to the contamination with various harmful substances in foods and the presence of toxic food components, food-borne diseases have also become increasingly problematic. Incidents of food poisonings or tainted food have been increasing worldwide, particularly in China and other developing countries. Therefore, the government should put in a greater effort in enforcing food safety by improving the surveillance mechanism and exerting highest standards of quality control for foods.