Debbie Strong MBA, RD
Kristen Williams
With so much emphasis on food and nutrition in the news and media it is hard to separate the good information from the not so good information. One nutrition topic that is getting a lot of attention is the subject of functional foods and their specific benefits. The name may be a little deceiving if you think of all foods as functional for providing nutrients or at least calories for energy, but there is a lot more than just calories to these foods.
Functional foods are foods that supply over and above basic nutritional value. They are foods that contain biologically active components that may have specific health benefits or physiological affects. Researchers have found that many traditional foods can be considered functional foods. There is also the development of new food products that is on the move right now.
Another advantage of functional foods is that they can be tailored to fit someone’s personal health needs. Over the recent years, genetics has not only become a topic of interest within circles of researchers, but also at the dinner table. As a result the desire to learn more about functional foods has also increased. As health and nutrition become more related to genetics and more specific to individuals, functional foods are likely to increase in demand and popularity.
At this point the question of the exact function of functional foods and which functional foods are best may arise. A guide to recognizing functional foods is that typically these foods are going to be fresh, natural, and non-processed foods that you have always known to be good for you. Recognizing that they are more beneficial than you ever thought is just taking it a step further. For example, you have always known that carrots are good for your eye sight but did you also know that they contain beta-carotene which can neutralize free radicals that cause damage to your healthy cells? Furthermore, when grabbing a handful of red grapes have you ever thought, “These are so sweet and they are packed with flavonoids which may contribute to the maintenance of my brain function!!” Ok, so not many of us think like that but we certainly should! The old saying “You are what you eat!” seems to be more and more believable with the constant increase of disease relating to what we put into our bodies.
Now that you have the knowledge you may be wondering how to put this knowledge into practice in your everyday life. It is simple. Be a conscious consumer by reading articles like these and educating yourself on the foods that not only satisfy your hunger, but also benefit the way you feel today and how you will feel in the days to come. Take this information to your cook books when making shopping lists or to the take out line when picking up food for the family. For more information and a list of functional foods go to www.ific.org/nutrition/functional/index.cfm and see how you can make functional foods a part of your life every day!