Page 47 - FoodFocusThailand No.165 December 2019

STRATEGIC R&D

According to Reports And Data, the high prevalence Specifications of a Medical Food
of diseases and nutritional disorders, along with the • Featuring specific formulas for both oral and
development of manufacturing technologies and new tube administration
product launches, is fueling the drastic growth of the • Used for clinical dietary management of a
disease or disorder that has a clear nutritional
medical food market. requirement
• Containing GRAS (Generally Recognized as
What Is A Medical Food? Safe) ingredients
A medical food is a food specially formulated for specific dietary • Containing health claims in accordance with
management of a disease such as allergies, gastrointestinal disorders, the FDA regulations and containing a label
or other chronic illnesses so that patients can receive an adequate displaying “Intended for Use under Medical
intake of nutrients. A ready-made feeding-tube food or a supplement Supervision”
that provides just enough nutrients for a patient’s daily intake are
examples of such food. However, medical foods, which must be • Not claiming to cure, treat, nor prevent a disease
administered under the supervision of a physician and with a patient’s • Only intended for the specified target
voluntary permission, are not meant to be an active cure. They are group
designed to prevent the occurrence of further disease-derived Source: USFDA
problems and facilitate an easier management of an illness. The global
medical foods market was valued at USD 17.27 billion in 2018 and 2. It can function as a food supplement for those who can ingest
is expected to reach USD 29.54 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 6.9%. food by themselves but cannot fulfill their daily energy intake such as
the elderly, post-op patients, or cancer patients who may experience
side effects of a chemotherapy such as loss of appetite.
ตารางที่ 1 ความแตกต่างระหว่างอาหารทางการแพทย์ ผลิตภัณฑ์เสริมอาหาร และยา
Table 1 The differences between medical foods, food supplements, and medicines
อาหารทางการแพทย์ ผลิตภัณฑ์เสริมอาหาร ยา
Medical Food Food Supplement Medicine

ใช้ทางปาก
Oral administration
การใช้ต้องอยู่ในความดูแลของแพทย์
Administration under medical supervision
เป็นความต้องการทางโภชนาการเฉพาะโรค
Specific dietary management of a disease
สำาหรับคนที่มีสุขภาพดี
For healthy people
มีการศึกษาทางคลินิกว่าได้ผล
Clinically proven effectiveness

How Many Types Are There? 3. Most nutrients in medical foods
The medical foods are developed for the are engineered to allow for an easy
target population with illnesses or digestion. Some foods are subjected
disorders such as metabolic syndrome, to a process of partial digestion in
irritable bowel syndrome, Alzheimer’s Medical foods are not intended to order to facilitate faster and easier
disease, lactose intolerance, specific food replace a medicine but rather help absorption once administered.
allergies, and maldigestion and supplement the treatment of a
malabsorption in the elderly. In the U.S., patient. Like exercise, which is not a Are Medical Foods
most medical foods are developed for medicine, it leads to a better health Interesting?
people with metabolic diseases. The Studies on medical foods are still
common ingredients are, for example, and reduces the chances of taking limited in terms of the improvement of
omega-3 fatty acids, isoflavones, vitamin a medicine or visiting a doctor. medical properties, physical properties,
D, zinc, flavonoid, and phytosterols. stability, appearance, and other
aspects. Clinical studies are especially
What Are the Benefits of limited in this sense. Despite such
Medical Foods? challenges, the medical foods market
1. A medical food can function as a staple food for people with is expected to perform better due to the development of manufacturing
ผู้ช่วยศาสตราจารย์ ทศพร นามโฮง ingestion problems such as patients with paresis or paralysis. It is technologies and the increasing number of aging societies such as
อาจารย์พิเศษ also ideal for patients who cannot digest or absorb certain nutrients Thailand, which will fully face such situation within 2021, with the
มหาวิทยาลัยเทคโนโลยีราชมงคลสุวรรณภูมิ or minerals such as diabetic patients who need foods with low glycemic population of over 60 years exceeding 20% of the total population.
index, patients with renal failure who can ingest only a limited amount
Assistant Professor Tosporn Namhong of sodium and potassium, patients with muscular atrophy who need
Visiting Lecturer
Rajamangala University of Technology Suvarnabhumi high-protein foods, or children with cow’s or soy milk protein
tnamhong@hotmail.com intolerance. DEC 2019 FOOD FOCUS THAILAND 47

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