Cereals: from staple food to nutraceuticals

Natural products such as cereals are likely to form the basis of nutraceuticals. The nutraceutical revolution represents an enormous opportunity for growth and expansion. Wheat, buckwheat, oat, barley, flaxseed, psyllium, brown rice, soy and products are notified the most common cereal based functional foods and nutraceuticals. The nutrients in the cereals have known potential for reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, reducing tumor incidence, cancer risk, lowering blood pressure, reduces the rate of cholesterol and fat absorption, delaying gastrointestinal emptying and providing gastrointestinal health. Thus diet with the regular inclusion of cereals can contribute much to health promotion and disease prevention.