FUNCTIONAL FOODS: WHAT ROLE DO THEY PLAY IN YOUR DIET?

Have you ever eaten broccoli? Odds are that you have, but you may not have known that you were eating a functional food. In fact, some people have even called broccoli a superfood. Although there isn’t a legal definition for either of these terms, a commonly used definition for a functional food is one that has been shown to have a positive effect on your health beyond its basic nutrients (“superfood” is a more trendy term often used in the media to highlight that a food has functional and healthy properties).
Broccoli is a functional food because it is rich in beta-carotene, which, in addition to being a key source of vitamin A, helps protect your cells from damaging substances that can increase your risk of some chronic diseases, such as heart disease. In other words, the betacarotene’s function goes beyond its basic nutritional role as a source of vitamin A, because it may also help fight heart disease. Broccoli is also a cruciferous vegetable, which, along with cauliflower and brussels sprouts, is part of the cabbage family. These vegetables contain compounds such as isothiocyanates, which may also be “super” at fighting cancer. Oats are also a functional food and sometimes also referred to as a superfood, because they contain the soluble fiber beta-glucan, which has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels. This can play a positive role in lowering the risk for heart disease.

Functional Foods. Foods that have a positive effect on health beyond providing basic nutrients.

Phytochemicals. Plant chemicals that have been shown to reduce the risk of certain diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Beta-carotene is a phytochemical.

Zoochemicals. Compounds in animal food products that are beneficial to human health. Omega-3 fatty acids are an example of zoochemicals. If the beneficial compound in the food is derived from plants, such as in the case of beta-carotene, isothiocyanates, and beta-glucan, it is called a phytochemical (phyto = plant). If it is derived from animals it is called a zoochemical (zoo = animal). Hearthealthy, omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon and sardines, are considered zoochemicals. The accompanying table provides a list of currently known compounds in foods that have been shown to provide positive health benefits. Manufacturers are promoting foods containing naturally occurring phytochemicals and zoochemicals and have also begun fortifying other food products with these compounds. You can buy margarine with added plant sterols and a cereal with the soluble fiber, psyllium, which both help to lower blood cholesterol levels, as well as pasta and eggs that have had omega-3 fatty acids added.

Are People Buying Functional Foods?

Yes, people are buying them. Americans spent more than $31 billion in 2008 on functional foods and beverages, and the market is predicted to grow to more than $40 billion through 2013 as more consumers take a self-care approach to their health. In one survey of 1,000-plus American adults, more than 55 percent were changing the types of foods they eat in order to improve their health.
Baby boomers, in particular — the generation of people born between 1946 and 1964—are eager not only to live longer than their parents, but also, to live better. They are turning to functional foods to fight heart disease, aid in diminishing joint pain, prevent memory loss, and help them keep their eyesight healthy.

What Are the Benefits of Functional Foods?

Functional foods are being used by health care professionals to thwart patients’ chronic diseases and, in some situations, as an economical way to treat a disease. For example, many doctors send their patients to a registered dietitian (RD) for diet advice to treat specific medical conditions, such as an elevated blood cholesterol level, rather than automatically prescribing cholesterol-lowering medication.
Eating a diet that contains a substantial amount of cholesterol-lowering oats or plant sterols is less expensive, and often more appealing, than taking costly prescription medication. Ideally, the RD, who is trained in the area of nutrition, can recommend the addition of functional foods to the diet based on the person’s own medical history and nutritional needs. However, problems can arise when consumers haphazardly add functional foods to their diets.

What Concerns Are Associated with Functional Foods?

With so many labeling claims now adorning products on supermarket shelves, consumers have an array of enhanced functional foods from which to choose. Having so many options can be confusing.
Consumers often cannot tell if a pricey box of cereal with added “antioxidants to help support the immune system” is really better than an inexpensive breakfast of oatmeal and naturally antioxidant-rich orange juice. There is also a concern that after eating a bowl of this antioxidant-enhanced cereal, consumers may think they are “off the hook” about eating healthfully the rest of the day. Often, more than one serving of a functional food is needed to reap the beneficial effect of the food compound, but the consumer hasn’t been educated appropriately about how much of such a food to consume. Finally, while functional foods do convey health benefits, they are not magic elixirs that can negate a poor diet. The best way to use functional foods is as part of a healthy diet that can help prevent adverse health conditions from occurring in the first place. As with most dietary substances, problems may arise if too much is consumed. For example, whereas consuming some omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce the risk of heart disease, consuming too much can be problematic for people on certain medications or for those at risk for a specific type of stroke. A person can unknowingly overconsume a dietary compound if his or her diet contains many different functional foods enhanced with the same compound. Also, functional beverages, such as herbal beverages or vitamin-enhanced water, can have more calories and added sugar than cola.

How to Use Functional Foods

Functional foods can be part of a healthy, well-balanced diet. Keep in mind that whole grains, fruits, vegetables, healthy vegetable oils, lean meat and dairy products, fish, and poultry all contain varying amounts of naturally occurring phytochemicals and zoochemicals and are the quintessential functional foods. If you consume other, packaged functional foods, take care not to overconsume any one compound. Seek out an RD for sound nutrition advice on whether you would benefit from added functional foods, and, if so, how to balance them in your diet.

By Joan Salge Blake in "Nutrition & You", Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Pearson Benjamin Cummings,U.S.A, 2012, excerpts p. 58-59. Adapted and illustrated to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.

Share this post