Nutrition Know-how

One of the most popular references to functional foods, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” dates back to 1866. The term “functional food” may be new, but the concept is not.

Functional foods are foods that provide health benefits beyond (in addition to) basic nutrition. They can be whole foods like apples, or packaged foods with added minerals, vitamins, or herbs. In a sense, all fruits and vegetables are functional foods, since they contain antioxidants, which are known to be beneficial in preventing diseases like heart disease or cancer. There are other health benefits to functional foods as well. Functional foods may:

Functional foods are becoming more and more popular, as people realize that foods may actually be able to help prevent disease, in addition to satisfying calorie and nutrient requirements. There has been a great deal of research effort in the past two decades seeking to pinpoint specific health benefits to food. But no food is a magic bullet - disease cannot be prevented just by eating a certain food, but rather by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Nutrition experts caution against choosing functional foods based on health claims, especially those that are not overseen by the FDA. In order to get the benefits of functional foods, take a personal nutritional inventory. The best piece of advice we can give you is to eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods including functional foods. Be adventurous and try new foods and recipes. Below are some specific functional foods and their benefits.

Take tomatoes for instance. This delectable fruit was actually thought to be poisonous at one time! Tomatoes are high in Vitamin C, an important nutrient for health. Researchers have also found that eating tomatoes and tomato products (containing the functional food component lycopene) may decrease the risk for developing certain cancers.

Another prime functional food example is kiwifruit. Kiwifruit is packed with Vitamin C, potassium, fiber, folate, magnesium, Vitamin E, lutein and copper. Even the seeds are edible in this luscious fruit! Recent studies have shown that kiwifruit may help work to thin blood, reduce clotting and lower fat in the blood that can cause blockage, without negatively affecting cholesterol levels. It’s almost like a succulent, edible aspirin!