[Review: functional foods and ingredients derived from milk].

The objective of this paper is to review the main research works related to functional foods and ingredients derived from milk. Research in functional foods has increased during last twelve years with the intention of increasing life expectancy and improving human health conditions. Probiotics, prebiotics, bioactive peptides or proteins, dietetic fibers and fatty acids, as well as the addition of fitochemical compounds in dairy products and a record of some allergic compounds are also discussed. The demand of this kind of products is increasing due to intense advertising campaigns posted in many countries. Basically, these campaigns promise better health and/or the prevention of certain illnesses. Milk contains diverse constituents with physiological functionality, which might change the traditional view point that we have about drugs. The topic of functional foods in general, and specifically that from milk and dairy products, has still not been completely exploited, and in the future it will be found that the best work has not been carried out in this area.