Dr. Proestos Charalampos, Prof. in Food Chemistry
Charalampos Proestos has a BSc (Ptychio) in Chemistry, University of Ioannina, Greece and MSc in Food Science at Reading University, U.K. He obtained his Ph.D. in Food Chemistry at Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), Greece, where he continued his post doc working on natural antioxidants on programmes funded by EU and Greece. After further training at Wageningen University (The Netherlands), he worked as a Research Associate at AUA.
He worked as a Chemist for the Hellenic Food Authority (EFET), being food industry auditor and supervisor of the Chemical laboratory in Athens accredited with ISO 17025. Currently he is Professor at the Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and Director of the laboratory of Food Chemistry.
He has published more than 150 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as an editorial board member of more than 10 repute journals. He is Member of the European Committee of the Division of Food Chemistry, European Association of Chemical and Molecular Sciences (EuCheMS). His research field focuses on Food antioxidants, functional foods, proteins, foodomics and food analysis.
Abstract
Nutrition, functional foods and medical tourism
Prof. Charalampos Proestos
Laboratory of Food Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian Unversity of Athens, Greece
Mail: harpro@chem.uoa.gr
Greece is a country that can offer the so called “medical tourism” to people who want to receive medical treatment or healthcare services. This phenomenon has gained popularity in recent years as advancements in technology, transportation, and communication have made it easier for individuals to seek medical care abroad. There are various reasons why people choose medical tourism, including cost savings, access to high-quality medical services, shorter waiting times, and the availability of specific treatments or procedures.
Along with medical treatment tourists will benefit during their stay and treatment from the Greek traditional products that are famous worldwide like the olive oil, honey, legumes, beverages from aromatic plants, Greek salad which include several bioactive compounds for the human health. “Let Food Be Thy Medicine and Medicine Be Thy Food”, Hippocrates the father of medicine said to emphasize the importance of nutrition to prevent or cure disease.
Taking into account this phrase, researchers of the laboratory of food chemistry of the NKUA in Greece, have been working on plant bioactive compounds and their use to produce functional foods for consumers and the food industry. The research focuses on plant-based proteins e.g. from legumes, polyphenols from olive oil, honey, and aromatic plants, and how these compounds can be used to produce innovative, healthy food products in collaboration with Greek food companies.
Abstract
Functional ingredients in human diet towards a physical-mental health promotion
Functional Foods are unprocessed foods with proven health benefits beyond their nutritional value. The Mediterranean Diet and Mediterranean Lifestyle are well known for their beneficial effects on health. Psychological Resilience is not only an important factor in human well-being; it is also regarded as a key indicator of mental health.
Food and lifestyle have long been regarded as key modifying factors addressing physical and mental health determinants in a non-pharmaceutical setting. The possible therapeutic effect of food on health was emphasised, among other things, by Aristotle, the father of modern science, who stated, “Food moves in two directions. On the one hand, it works to regenerate the body while also limiting disease progression”. Centuries later, in the 1980s in Japan, the term functional foods first appeared to classify foods with therapeutic properties. The Japanese scientific academic community defined functional food as “food that has physiological functions beyond nutrient functions, such as regulation of biorhythms, the nervous system, the immune system, and bodily defense”. Despite the fact that there is not a universally accepted definition, one of the most complete terms is that “functional foods are natural or processed foods that contain biologically-active compounds; which, in defined, effective, non-toxic amounts, provide a clinically proven and documented health benefit utilizing specific biomarkers, to promote optimal health and reduce the risk of chronic/viral diseases and manage their symptoms”. In Greece, both Functional Foods, such as edible wild greens, herbal infusions, legumes, raisins, cruciferous vegetables, berries, seeds, bee products, fermented dairy products, herbs and spices, and whole grains, and fortified functional foods have been studied for their potential effects on physical and mental health.
Researchers of the laboratory of food chemistry of the department of Chemistry of NKUA in Greece, have been working on plant bioactive compounds and their use to produce functional foods for consumers and the food industry. The research focuses on plant-based proteins e.g. from legumes, polyphenols from olive oil, honey, and aromatic plants, and how these compounds can be used to produce innovative, healthy food products in collaboration with Greek food companies.
The consumption of functional foods grown and produced in the Mediterranean region could be a natural, healthy, and sustainable way of enhancing physical–mental health