Bioactive Components in Functional Foods, Mechanism of Action and Impacts on Health with a Focus on COVID-19 –A Review

Functional food plays a critical role on enhancing an individual’s health, in the current scenario. The health benefits of functional foods are elaborated through a review of bioactive components present in these foods. The importance of the components such as minerals, polyols, prebiotics, probiotics, carotenoids, flavonoids, proteins, dietary fibres, vitamins, and fatty acids such as Omega n-3 fatty acids which are present in our daily diet and their role in promoting human health is reviewed in this article. The mechanism of action of these components in the gut and their biochemical responses are discussed. This study also emphasizes the use of controlled delivery of the components by nanotechnological research, typically conducted "in-vitro." A detailed note is included to describe how these bioactive ingredients work to treat and prevent COVID-19 infection. The functional components present in foods such as garlic, green tea, curcumin and so forth, can impede the spike glycoproteins of the COVID 19 virus and the ACE2 (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme) receptors present in the human body. These components act by modulating the host immune response against the SARS CoV2 virus in addition to their own inherent antiviral action. Since COVID infection has become an endemic, the daily dietary supplementation of functional components is a novel idea of battling the same. A few of the adverse effects of the bioactive components are also outlined.