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Tips on Buying Functional Food
May 7, 2009
1 Min Read
Yogurt that’s good for your gut, butter that helps your heart, soft drinks that boost your brain power. The food industry has been busily churning out functional foods and beverages, filling store shelves and offering consumers more options than ever for fortifying their diets beyond basic nutrition. But, as U.S. News & World Report recently noted, “claims about the health benefits of these foods can be confusing at best and misleading at worst.”
To help, the publication offers consumers seven tips for navigating the sea of functional foods:
Ask yourself why you want to buy this particular food
Figure out what health benefit the product is really claiming to provide.
Take vague language with a big grain of salt.
As with everything else, realize that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Be prepared to drop something else from your diet. There is no magic bullet that can solve bad eating habits; ultimately, adding something to your diet isn't necessarily helpful unless you also subtract something.
Look at what else is in there. The biggest trap in functional-food shopping is buying something that seems healthful but really isn't.
Consider your diet and supplements. The nutrients touted in a functional food or beverage might alreay be in the food you eat ro the supplements you take.
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