Advancements in Algae in Nutraceutical and Functional Food

Nutraceutical and functional foods are seen as those natural bioactive chemical compounds able to provide both health benefits to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and nutrition. This new group of products promises to be the solution to many health problems. Though both microalgae and seaweeds have been in the human diet for thousands of years, only in recent years with the new technological outcomes has the algal nutraceutical potential been reported. Algae could play an important role in the increasing the commercial value of the functional foods market. This chapter presents an overview of the main molecules that have been recovered from microalgae and seaweeds and their nutraceutical benefits and applications.