Fat-based food products

Abstract

The invention is in particular concerned with a food product comprising one or more fats or oils and a carotenoid compound. The products of the invention may be used in reducing elevated total cholesterol, triglycerides and inflammatory damage, as well as improving tissue microcirculation and tissue oxygenation.

1 . A food product comprising one or more fats or oils and a carotenoid compound. 
     
     
         2 . A food product according to  claim 1 , which is an edible vegetable oil, cooking oil, edible fat, cooking fat, shortening, hard or soft cheese, a spreadable food, margarine or butter. 
     
     
         3 . A food product according to  claim 1  or  2 , where:
 (a) the food product comprises 0.001 to 10 mg of carotenoid compound per gram of food product; and/or 
 (b) the carotenoid compound is a lycopene compound, preferably lycopene. 
 
     
     
         4 . A food product according to  claim 1  where:
 (a) the carotenoid is an isolated carotenoid compound or a carotenoid rich product; 
 (b) the food product comprises a homogenous matrix containing the fats or oils and the carotenoid compound; 
 (c) the fats comprise one or more of animal or bird fats, or vegetable or other plant fats or oils, fungi, algae or bacteria fats, synthetic fats; 
 (d) the one or more fats or oils are in the form of a food matrix, said matrix incorporating the carotenoid compound; 
 (e) the carotenoid compound is comprised in a carotenoid-rich product, such as tomato or other fruit, vegetable or plant paste, sauce, concentrate, oleoresin, fraction or extract, synthetic or purified molecules; 
 (f) the carotenoid compound is comprised in a carotenoid rich fruit, vegetable or other plant, or fungus, yeast, algae or bacterium, synthetic or purified molecules; 
 (g) the food product is produced by admixing or blending together the fats, the carotenoid compound and optionally one or more additional ingredients, preferably where the fats or oils are admixed or blended, or sonicated, or sprayed-dried, or embedded by other means together with the carotenoid compound in a dry, liquid, aerosol, frozen or melted form. 
 
     
     
         5 . A food product according to  claim 1  or  4  where:
 (a) the food product is a foodstuff; 
 (b) the food product is a foodstuff selected from bread, flour, cereal, biscuit, pastry, shortening, spread, filling, paste, sauce, mousse, cream, or yogurt. 
 (c) the food product is a foodstuff which comprises butterfat; 
 (d) the food product is a foodstuff selected from cheese, butter, milk, cream or ice cream; 
 (e) the food product is a foodstuff selected from margarine or lard; 
 (f) the food product is a beverage; or 
 (g) the food product is a butter, margarine or an oil. 
 
     
     
         6 . A food product according to any one of any one of the preceding claims wherein the food product is a dietary supplement, nutracosmetic or nutraceutical product. 
     
     
         7 . A food product according to any one of the preceding claims for use in:
 a) reducing elevated levels of cholesterol, LDL and/or triglyceride in an individual;   (b) reducing subclinical or clinical inflammation; reducing anti-inflammatory oxidative damage; increasing plasma molecular oxygen transport, microcirculation and tissue oxygen saturation, reducing already developed liver (micro-) damage and liver steatosis, liver and other organs, including peripheral, tissue hypoxia or ischaemia; increasing antioxidant activity and/or reducing or delaying symptoms of aging in an individual; and/or   (c) reducing postprandial cholesterol- and triglyceride-aemias, reducing size of chylomicrons and increasing rate of their clearance, reducing postprandial inflammatory and oxidative stress, reducing postprandial or other liver (micro-) damage and liver steatosis, liver and other organs, including peripheral tissue hypoxia or ischaemia, or delaying of above mentioned symptoms of fat, or excessive, or imbalance food intake in an individual.   
     
     
         8 . A food product according to any one of  claims 1  to  6  for use in the nutrition of an individual, preferably for use in the nutrition of the individual to treat one of the conditions referred to in  claim 7 . 
     
     
         9 . A food product for use according to  claim 7  or  8  where:
 (a) the individual is mature or elderly; 
 (b) the individual is undergoing body mass control or body mass reduction; 
 (c) where the individual is recovering from injury, operation, or trauma or undergoing or recovering from chemo- or radio-therapy; or having or being at risk of having Metabolic Syndrome, obesity, diabetes II, atherosclerosis and clinical complications thereof; 
 (d) where the individual is suffering from, at risk of suffering from, or recovering from, a clinical condition, preferably where the clinical condition is a cerebro-vascular disorder, cardio-vascular disorder, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, type II diabetes, being overweight (e.g. BMI>25), obesity (e.g. BMI>30), anaemia, rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, non-rheumatoid arthritis, prostate or testes malfunction, erectile dysfunction, loss of libido, cellulite, age-related functions of liver, skin and other organs, sarcopenia and cachexia; an/or 
 (e) the food product is consumed during a mealtime 
 
     
     
         10 . A method of:
 (a) improving the appearance of an individual comprising administering a nutracosmetic formulation according to any one of  claims 1  to  6  to the individual; and/or   (b) reducing or delaying visible signs of aging and performance in an individual comprising administering a nutracosmetic formulation according to any one of  claims 1  to  6  to the individual.   
     
     
         11 . A method of:
 (a) reducing elevated levels of cholesterol, LDL and/or triglyceride in the blood of an individual comprising administering a food product according to any one of  claims 1  to  6  to an individual in need thereof   (b) reducing subclinical or clinical inflammation; reducing anti-inflammatory oxidative damage; increasing plasma molecular oxygen transport, microcirculation and tissue oxygen saturation, reducing already developed liver (micro-) damage and liver steatosis, liver and other organs, including peripheral, tissue hypoxia or ischaemia; increasing antioxidant activity and/or reducing or delaying symptoms of ageing in an individual; comprising administering a food product according to any one of  claims 1  to  6  to an individual in need thereof.   (c) reducing postprandial cholesterol- and triglyceride-aemias, reducing size of chylomicrons and increasing rate of their clearance, reducing postprandial inflammatory and oxidative stress, reducing postprandial or other liver (micro-) damage and liver steatosis, liver and other organs, including peripheral tissue hypoxia or ischaemia, or delaying of above mentioned symptoms of fat, or excessive, or imbalance food intake in an individual; comprising administering a food product according to any one of  claims 1  to  16  to an individual in need thereof;   (d) providing nutrition to an individual comprising administering a food product according to any one of  claims 1  to  6  to an individual in need thereof; and/or   (e) slimming, weight reduction or dieting comprising administering a food product according to any one of  claims 1  to  6 .   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 (a) the individual is mature or elderly.   (b) the individual is undergoing body mass control or body mass reduction;   (c) the individual is recovering from injury, operation, or trauma or undergoing or recovering from chemo- or radio-therapy; or having or being at risk of having Metabolic Syndrome, obesity, type II diabetes, atherosclerosis and clinical complications thereof.   (d) the food product is for use in treating a clinical condition comprising administering a food product according to any one of  claims 1  to  6  to an individual in need thereof, preferably where the clinical condition is cerebro-vascular disorder, cardio-vascular disorder, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, type II diabetes, being overweight (e.g. BMI>25), obesity (e.g. BMI>30), anaemia, rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, non-rheumatoid arthritis, prostate or testes malfunction, erectile dysfunction, loss of libido, cellulite, age-related functions of liver, skin and other organs, sarcopenia or cachexia; and/or   (e) the food product is consumed during a mealtime.   
     
     
         13 . A method of producing a food product which comprises adding a carotenoid compound during production of the food product, so producing a food product as defined in any one of  claims 1  to  6 . 
     
     
         14 . A butter, lard, margarine, or oil comprising a carotenoid compound, preferably an isolated carotenoid compound. 
     
     
         15 . A foodstuff which comprises, or has been cooked in, a butter, lard, margarine, or oil according to  claim 14 .