Canapa Sativa L. and Moringa Oleifera as naturally functional beverages. Innovative trends

In recent years, the demand of functional products has increased, demonstrating that consumers are paying more attention to product labels, showing the growing preference for natural and local ingredients that have a positive benefit on body and mental health. To confirm the effective implementation of functional drinks consumption, the projection of functional beverages global market will increase for the period 2017-2022 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) equal to 9.3% (Mordor Intelligence Report, 2016). Consumers are demonstrating the affirmation of a new health paradigm, by reducing the assimilation of beverage products that contains added sugar, artificial colourings, flavourings, and preservatives and by increasing the usage of drinks that contain healthy nutritional characteristics. Functional beverages include nutrients and bioactive compounds useful for improving the health performance. The nutritive substances employed for the functional beverages preparation are minerals, vitamins, amino acids and omega-3 (ω-3) and omega-6 (ω-6) fatty acids in different percentages, according to the product ingredients composition. Furthermore, another important group of elements added in the functional beverages are the antioxidants compounds. An interesting category is represented by “naturally functional beverages”, composed by foods that naturally contain nutrients and bioactive compounds and contribute to the improvement of health benefits for the consumers, having positive effects on immune defense system, mental energy, cholesterol management, and other benefit associated with specific organs such as heart, liver or eyes. Cannabis sativa L. and moringa oleifera are officinal and medical herbs that are contemplated in the category of “naturally functional foods”, and can be also considered as “naturally functional beverages” for the composition in nutritive principles. In fact, the cannabis sativa L. seeds have a high nutritional value, by containing approximately 25% of protein, 27% of carbohydrates, 36% of lipids, and considerable amounts of fibers, vitamins and minerals (Callaway, 2004); the moringa oleifera seeds contain approximately 39% of carbohydrates, 27% of protein, and 17% of lipids, and fibers, vitamins and minerals (Juhaimi et al., 2016). Both the cannabis sativa L. and the moringa oleifera seeds contain in different percentages: essential amino acids necessary for protein synthesis; polyunsaturated essential fatty acids, essential for the functioning of muscles, nerve receptors and many glands in our body; vitamins; mineral salts (calcium, magnesium and potassium) and antioxidant substances. The cannabis sativa L. contain also unsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 and ω-6) in an optimal aspect ratio for the regulation of metabolic activities and all the eight essential amino acids: a regular intake of ω-3 and ω-6 in functional drinks, offers various health benefits like improved cognitive function (especially for elderly and children), joint health, mental health, lowered incidence of heart failure and irregular heartbeat and lowered blood triglyceride levels.