By Grace LeBleu
Bioactives are everywhere — lurking in berries, steeping in your tea, hiding in the vibrant pigments of your dinner — and yet, few of us could confidently define what they are. As it turns out, even scientists are still debating that very question. There’s currently no universally accepted definition of bioactives, but one recognized framing describes them as non-nutritive (i.e., zero calorie) compounds in foods or supplements that have an effect on health.
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From Complexity to Discovery
It’s estimated that our food system contains around 100,000 unique bioactives, yet we’ve only identified and measured about 10,000 of them. Several organizations are now working to close this gap. I recently attended a convening hosted by the Foundation of Food and Agriculture Research, which brought together researchers, funders, and industry leaders to shape future research priorities for bioactives — spanning the entire pipeline from farm to consumer. The outcomes from this convening are expected to guide research efforts and funding priorities over the next 5–10 years. Meanwhile, the international Periodic Table of Foods Initiative is already underway, working to systematically map all molecular components of food, including bioactives, to build the most comprehensive food composition database to date.
