FUNCTIONAL FOODS: HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS????

Hello, today it's going to be about functional foods. Majority of people don't really know much about what function foods are, its features and advantages of functional foods. This write up is aiming to educate the reader about what makes a food a functional food

What are functional food?

Functional food has as many definitions as the number of authors referring to it.These are the key definitions:

food and drink products derived from naturally occurring substances consumed as part of the daily diet and possessing particular physiological benefits when ingested.

food derived from naturally occurring substances that can and should be consumed as part of the daily diet and that serve to regulate or otherwise affect a particular body process when ingested.

food similar in appearance to conventional food, which is consumed as part of a usual diet and has demonstrated physiological benefit and/or reduces the risk of chronic disease beyond basic nutritional functions.

What are the features of functional food?

being a conventional or everyday food

to be consumed as part of the normal/usual diet

composed of naturally occurring (as opposed to synthetic) components perhaps in unnatural concentration or present in foods that would not normally supply them

having a positive effect on target function(s) beyond nutritive value/basic nutrition

may enhance well-being and health and/or reduce the risk of disease or provide health benefits so as to improve the quality of life including physical, psychological and behavioural performances

have authorised and scientifically based claims

What are the classification of functional foods?

Functional foods are classified into the following groups:

soft drinks such as energy and sports drinks

cereal and baby foods

baked goods

confectionery

dairy products, especially yoghurts and other fermented dairy products

spreads

meat products

animal feeds

What are the benefit of functional food?

These functional foods offer varying types of benefit and act in differing ways. One way of categorising their mode of operation is as follows:

vitamin and mineral fortification

cholesterol reduction

dietary fibre

probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics

antioxidants

phytochemicals

herbs and botanicals.

What are the examples of functional foods?

Ginger. Bitter Melon. Grapefruit., Fatty Fish,Fermented Foods,soy, oats, flaxseed, grape juice, broccoli. There are several examples of functional foods, the majority are fruits and vegetables.

Hope you've learnt something new!

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