Daily Health Tips

Daily Health Tips Update for Sunday, September 5:  You’re probably hearing the term “functional food” a lot these days. But what exactly are functional foods, and what makes them different than regular food? Basically, functional foods are said to offer health benefits beyond simply providing nutrition, or fuel for your body. Food manufacturers often “fortify” or “enrich” their foods with added vitamins, minerals or other compounds to boost their health benefits...and allow them to make claims like “lowers your cholesterol” or “reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease.” But the FDA doesn’t actually use the term functional foods, so it can be a bit confusing for the consumer to make sense of it all. In fact, the FDA is currently working out how best to evaluate these functional foods and clarify to the consumer whether or not they’re any more healthful than traditional food. In the meantime, your best bet is to continue educating yourself on the nutrients your body needs and how to get those nutrients from a healthy, balanced diet without adding undue stress and anxiety to your weekly grocery shopping. You can also shop at a natural products store or a health and nutrition store and ask questions of those who work there. They will be able to answer your specific questions on the spot about the foods you’re buying.