What Is a Super Food?
“A super food”, also known as “functional food” is just a way of describing a food that may provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition. In other words, these categories of foods do more than meet your minimum daily requirements of nutrients; they also can play a role in reducing risk of disease as well as promoting good health.
Super foods can include whole foods as well as fortified, enriched or enhanced foods and dietary supplements that have a beneficial effect on health.
How does a food become “functional”?
Most fruits, vegetables, grains, fish, dairy, and meat products contain several natural components that deliver benefits beyond basic nutrition, such as lycopene in tomatoes, omega 3 fatty acids in salmon or saponins in soy. Even tea and chocolate have been shown to have functional attributes.
Below is a list of a few functional foods and their potential benefits for human health
|
Functional component |
Source |
Potential health benefits |
| Lutein | Green vegetables | Contributes to healthy vision |
| Insoluble fiber | Wheat bran | May reduce risk of breast and colon cancer |
| Lactobacillus | Yogurt, other dairy | May improve gastrointestinal health |
| Soy protein | Soy-based foods | May reduce risk of cardiovascular disease |
| Omega 3 fatty acids | Salmon, tuna, fish, marine oils | May reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and improve mental and visual functions |
| Xylitol | Nutritional bars, jams | Improves oral health |
Benefits associated with functional foods
Scientists have just begun to understand the effects that nutrients have in our bodies. However, many studies have already shown that eating foods with functional benefits on a regular basis as part of a varied diet can help reduce the risk of, or manage a number of health issues, including:
- Cancer
- Heart and cardiovascular disease
- Gastrointestinal health
- Osteoporosis
- Eye health
Just to name a few.
How can I get more functional foods in my diet?
The best way to obtain the health benefits from foods is to eat a balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables as well as foods that have beneficial components. Read food labels. Just remember that there is no single “magic bullet” food that can cure or prevent most health problems, so you need to eat a variety of them.
The best thing you can do is choose your foods wisely from each food group in order to include as many beneficial nutrients as you can into your diet.
Are functional foods regulated by the federal government?
Yes. Because most often “functional foods” are simply natural whole foods that we have been eating for thousands of years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates them in the same way they regulate all foods: safety has to be assured in advance and all claims must be substantiated, truthful and not misleading.
Functional foods represent an important breakthrough in understanding the connection between diet, health and even the reduction of risks for certain disease. With regard to all claims pertaining to diseases and health conditions, you may be reassured to know that they must be pre-approved by the FDA and substantiated by a large body of credible scientific evidence.
Health claims approved so far by the FDA
- Potassium and reduced risk of high blood pressure and stroke
- Plant sterol and plant stanol esters and coronary heart disease
- Soy protein and coronary heart disease
- Calcium and reduce risk of osteoporosis
- Grain products, fruits and vegetables containing fiber and cancer
- Fruits, vegetables and grains that contain soluble fiber and heart disease
- Fruits, vegetables and cancer
- Folate and neural tube birth defects
- Dietary sugar alcohol and dental cavities
The following three are based on diets low in “negative” nutrients in food:
- Dietary fat and cancer
- Dietary saturated fat and cholesterol and risk of coronary heart disease
- Sodium and high blood pressure.
Final word
As you can see, fruits and vegetables are crucial when you look for “special foods” or “functional foods”. Try to include them in your diet on a daily basis; they can help you prevent or control many health problems.
To your good health!
Emilia Klapp, RD, BS
www.TheDiabetesClub.com
www.Discussion.TheDiabetesClub.com
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
