eng Science and Education Publishing Journal of Food and Nutrition Research 2333-1240 2024-04-22 12 4 196 205 10.12691/jfnr-12-4-4 JFNR20241244 article Mariam Nasser Aljaafari 1 Shun-Kai Yang 2 Aisha Abushelaibi 3 Maryam Sultan Alhosani 3 John Edward van der Graaf 3 Kok-Song Lai 3 Swee-Hua-Erin Lim lerin@hct.ac.ae 3 Health Sciences Division, Abu Dhabi Women¡¯s College, Higher Colleges of Technology, 41012 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia Abu Dhabi Colleges, Higher Colleges of Technology, 41012 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Functional foods contain a specific ingredient that claims to improve health. Many studies have been done to prove the beneficial effects of these foods, which led to manufacturers¡¯ increased focus on the concept of functional food. In this review, we will discuss the concept of functional foods and their effects on health and distinguish the functional components, such as prebiotics and probiotics, in terms of their uses and special benefits. Moreover, we will provide background information on the global market for functional foods focusing on the Middle East and Asia, including the latest studies on probiotics, prebiotics, and their prospects. https://pubs.sciepub.com/jfnr/12/4/4/jfnr-12-4-4.pdf Asia functional foods Middle East prebiotics probiotics