Articles

• Exercises Help Avoid Erectile Dysfunction
• An Introduction To Functional Foods
• Aspartame – The Artificial Sweetener With Controversy
• Genetically Modified Foods (GMO) & Labeling - Your Health Can Be At Risk
• Gum Diseases leading to Stroke
• Health Concerns About HFCS – High Fructose Corn Syrup

An Introduction To Functional Foods

Functional foods are foods that are have a positive impact on the health and provide more benefits than just nutrition. Usually they are packed full of nutrients and can be used for a plethora of other things such as soaps and vitamins and medicinal purposes. Of course all foods are are really functional in the sense that they have the nutrients or other substances that provide energy to sustain health, however functional foods are usually thought to have even more advantages which can reduce the risk of disease, have sustainability, and promote optimal health. Examples of functional foods are coconuts, oranges, nuts, etc. The Food and Drug Administration regulates what statements manufacturers can make on the content of functional foods, however in the United States this is widely abused legally. For example, tomatoes are considered a functional food, however food companies will market ketchup as a so called functional food. This is not only an out right lie, but it is deceiving to consumers that believe because tomatoes are the main ingredients in ketchup, that ketchup has added health benefits.

Typically functional food comes from plant sources. However fish is the exception. Fish, particularly tuna, indeed is a functional food, however when it is packaged in a can with added vegetable oils, food marketers are allowed to say that their tuna is a functional food. When in fact the vegetable oil that it is in has a 90 percent chance of being genetically modified. Deceiving as it may be, there are ways for consumers to enjoy their foods that pack an added punch by simply buying fresh whole foods from the super markets. Broccoli, raw nuts, and even tomatoes are readily available in the grocery stores. Yogurt is also considered to be a functional food. It is packed full of calcium, is known to reduce osteoporosis, and has probiotics qualities. However yogurt is a dairy product derived from cows milk. Dairy cows are fed genetically modified corn and the milk is pasteurized. Even though all of these factors are in place, big food corporations are still allowed to market this product as a function food, when indeed it went through an unnatural process of formation and packaging.

Whole functional foods are excellent for the body's health and mind, however to truly obtain food of this nature, consumers must not be deceived by the marketing techniques of big food corporations. Simply purchasing foods that are not in a package will suffice.