**6. Mibyou-care functional food**

Whatever the types or appearances of functional food products, the functional foods can be classified into following four groups according to the objectives of usage. (1) The first group is used for sustaining health and preventing diseases; thus, individuals who are not ill and healthy will intake. (2) The second is used by the individuals who feel ill or uneasiness but clinical test does not show significant change or abnormality in disease markers (Mibyou I). (3) The third group is used by the individuals who shows certain abnormal level in disease markers or physical inspections such as CT but can spend normal daily life (Mibyou II). (4) The fourth group is used by the hospitalized patients to ameliorate or to help recovery of diseases under medication, or to assist the therapy as an adjuvant such as in cancer therapy, and thus used in the integrate medicine. Except this 4th group, all other functional foods are able to define as the Mibyou-Care functional food.

These Mibyou-Care functional foods are basically grouped into two types as shown in **Figure 2**. One is the Mibyou-Care functional food-1 that is used mainly for sustaining health and preventing diseases. Therefore, the foods in the groups 1 and 2 of above classification of usage are included. Another group of functional foods denoted as Mibyou-Care functional food-2 is used for keeping well-being, and amelioration and recovery of the Mibyou condition assessed by diseases markers. Therefore, the Mibyou-Care functional foods-2 essentially have certain pharmacological function, which can manipulate the Mibyou condition evaluated by the changes of respective diseases marker.

#### **6.1 Targets of Mibyou-Care functional food-1**

Oxidative stress and inflammation are the commonly encountered cell-damaging factors during normal life activity. It is known that the system or the respective component devices working in the metabolism as life process are damaged even under normal condition by the oxidative stress [22] and the associated inflammation [23]. It is implicated that the accumulation of such damages is the major cause of aging [24]. Therefore, the protection against these abuses is exclusively important to maintain the health and also prevent the diseases.

**Figure 2.** *Targets of functional foods and Mibyou-Care functional foods*

On the other hand, healthy condition is often described by the potential to maintain the homeostatic balance that is reflected in the ability how extent the system can tolerate against the stimuli that distort the dynamic equilibrium of metabolism. The Mibyou was often described as the condition that the homeostatic potential is decreased or is hardly sustainable. It is known that neural, endocrine, and immune functions are the physiological factors controlling the homeostasis, and nutritions are exclusively necessary to support these systems to function [25], both the major nutrients (protein, lipid, and sugar) that are essentially needed for the maintenance of the system and also micronutrients that are the catalyst for driving the system. Therefore, it is evident that appropriate daily meals are essential to supply these necessary nutrients. Moreover, it became apparent that certain non-nutrient-edible molecules including food factors and also natural products as xenobiotics are playing a pivotal role in manipulating homeostatic factors, especially immune system [26, 27].

Natural products, especially botanical ingredients, are the treasure source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions [28, 29] and thus used as attractive resources to develop the Mibyou-Care functional food-1. Currently, the vegetables and fruits with enriched health beneficial ingredients are in the market; therefore, there are many types and appearances of functional foods are possible from such fortified fresh vegetables and fruits, processed foods, restaurant menus, take-out menus such as Bento (take-out pack), and even tablet or capsule. The Mibyou-Care functional food-1 will cover the target area related to anti-aging, homeostatic regulation, *Qi* modulation, locomotive functions, internal and external beauty, mental and pscychological brain activities including stress tolerance, and some area of age-related symptoms such as frail and sarcopenia.

#### **6.2 Targets of Mibyou-Care functional food-2**

On the other hand, the second group of Mibyou-Care functional foods (Mibyou-Care functional food-2) targets the specific disorders or abnormality assigned by the biochemical or physical examinations from the respective disease markers or nidus imaged, for example, blood sugar for diabetics, transaminases for liver damage, and echo image for fatty liver. Therefore, the presently distributed functional foods such as FOSHU are included in this category. The Mibyou-Care functional foods-2 carry medicinal functions mediated by the food factors in addition to the basic functions usually associated with foods such as nutritional, antioxidant, and anti-inflammation activities, with which the amelioration of distorted conditions or the prevention of disease progression is anticipated. They are used to manage the variety of distorted physiological states such as related to the metabolic syndromes (hyperglycemia, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia), early stage of cancer, depression, allergy, and pains, so as to prevent the progression of early stage of disorders into the serious diseases such as heart attack, stroke, cancer, and dementia. The functional food application in integrative medicine will be another promised field and is also covered by the Mibyou-Care functional food-2 category. Specially designed foods for adjuvant use are such example to enhance the efficacy of medication such as in cancer chemo- and radiotherapies.

These functional foods are usually taken as tablet- or capsule-type supplements but many other forms of food products are also possible such as granule, drink, gel, candy, other processed and fortified foods, and served or ready-to eat foods such as restaurant menus and Bentou (take-out pack), so that they are beneficially used in the self-medication strategy.

New category of functional foods proposed from the view of Mibyou care not only helps the effective usage of functional foods in the Mibyou care practices but also stimulates further basic studies such as the search of appropriate Mibyou markers and functional food design and development.

*Mibyou Care is A Key for Healthy Life Elongation: The Role of Mibyou-Care Functional Foods DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.101073*
