The use of functional foods and its association to chronic and multimorbid conditions: a cross-sectional study among Bangladeshi people

Functional foods significantly impact health outcomes, particularly in the preventing and managing chronic diseases. However, there is a lack of studies in Bangladesh on the association between functional consumption and health outcomes in the adult population. This study aimed to explore the use of functional foods and their association with chronic multimorbidity among the adult population in Bangladesh. The study was conducted on 966 people in the southern region of Bangladesh. Data were collected on sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, chronic diseases, frequency of functional food consumption, and influencing factors. Binary logistic regression showed that respondents who consumed nuts weekly (OR = 0.58); natural products monthly (OR = 0.48); honey weekly (OR = 0.50), and egg occasionally (OR = 0.29) were less likely odds to chronic diseases. Furthermore, people who consumed probiotics daily (OR = 0.55) and monthly (OR = 0.39); prebiotics daily (OR = 0.19) and weekly (OR = 0.33); seeds monthly (OR = 0.51); tea and coffee daily (OR = 0.49), and black cumin daily (OR = 0.33) had lower odds to multimorbid condition. These results will support relevant policymakers in taking practical actions to improve healthy dietary practices with functional foods at the community level to prevent chronic multimorbidity in Bangladesh.