Functional foods and their potential impact on women's health in Chile.

Abstract

Feeding transcends mere nourishment by integrating social and cultural factors. The foods we consume hold significant economic and social relevance within territories and are rich in bioactive compounds that confer health benefits. In the context of an aging population and increased life expectancy, functional foods represent a healthy alternative for Chilean women. Evidence among Chilean women suggests that incorporating functional foods into the diet, alongside modifying behaviors and risk factors such as the desynchronization of biological rhythms, can aid in preventing non-communicable chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. This review examines the potential beneficial effects that locally sourced functional foods may have on the health of Chilean women during critical life stages, including pregnancy, the climacteric, and advanced adulthood. A healthy diet incorporating functional foods commonly consumed in Chile, particularly those endemic to the country, could contribute to improved women's health across key stages of the life course, reduce obesity rates, and exert both short- and long-term effects on the prevalence of diseases affecting older women, mothers, and their offspring.