Functional Foods - What Are They?

Obviously, it's important to eat a healthy and balanced diet. It's also important to think about what you're eating in a different way than you usually would. You might want to consider foods that add an extra benefit beyond a normal healthy nutritious diet; these foods are called "functional foods".

By choosing "functional foods", you're taking greater control over your health and wellbeing. You do so because some foods provide greater than normal benefits as well as foods that have been enriched with potentially health-promoting ingredients. Examples would include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fortified or enhanced foods and beverages, and some dietary supplements.

More recently, you probably have seen in your local grocery stores, foods with various health claims attached to them. You might see soy or oatmeal marketed as helpful to prevent heart disease, while milk and calcium-fortified orange juice are marketed to fight osteoporosis, and folate-enriched flour to help prevent birth defects. All of these foods are "functional foods". They all have a health benefit attached to them.

There are two varieties of "functional foods". The first variety is the food that naturally contains extra health benefits. In this category you'll find: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, soy and other legumes, and foods such as herbal teas, yogurt, and fish. These "functional foods" might have health benefits such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, and non-nutrient chemicals with potential health benefits, according to the American Dietetic Association.

The second group of "functional foods" consists of enriched foods. Foods that have potential health promoting benefits added to them. These foods might consist of various margarines that contain stanol esters, orange juices enriched with calcium and other nutrients, and beverages that contain Echinacea and other herbs.

It's important to note that "functional foods" aren't necessarily all that they are cracked up to be. Some of these foods are based on science, others not. It's important to keep that in mind when shopping for and/or eating "functional foods". It's possible that, to keep things tasty, manufacturers keep beneficial elements so low that they have no useful effect.

Here are some good "functional foods" or food supplements that are reasonably solid, in terms of being beneficial, according to the American Dietetic Association.

- Fish oil

- Flaxseed

- Garlic

- Green tea

- Lycopene

- Soy

- Vitamin C

- Vitamin E

- Lutein

- Echinacea

- Probiotics

- And so many more.

These are just a few of the many great "functional foods" and food supplements. They provide many benefits for many various areas of health interest. If you are interested in "functional foods", be sure to check the labels of the food you buy to see just how "functional" they are.

Source:

Susan Nitzke, PhD, RD, CD, "Superfoods" American Diatetic Association.