Functional foods provide more than just nutrition
Say you eat yogurt for your health, and most Americans will know what you mean: You are targeting that food's bone-building calcium and gut-friendly probiotics.
In fact, Americans are much more aware of the health benefits of specific "functional" foods than they were a decade ago, reports a survey released today.
When the International Food Information Council began its survey in 1998, "only about three-fourths of Americans could name a food and its related health benefits," says the group's Elizabeth Rahavi. "Now, almost nine out of 10 can. A lot has to do with scientific studies coming out, talking about the benefits of a food and its relationship to good health."
The IFIC defines functional foods as "foods or food components that may provide benefits beyond basic nutrition."
"People are 1,000% more conscious of the fact that food can act as medicine and help prevent lots of diseases," says Jean Carper, author of several best-selling books about functional food.
Jean Carper’s top five functional foods:
1. Salmon — Omega 3 Oils cut down on the risk of heart disease and are good for memory and brain function.
2. Blueberries — They’re high in anti-oxidants and help slow down the aging process. They’re also good for brain function.
3. Apples — In addition to cutting down on the risk of cancer, they promote healthy lung function and contain lots of antioxidants: just make sure you eat the skin
4. Nuts — Tree nuts like pecans and almonds are a cocktail of anti-oxidants and magnesium. They’re also anti-cancer and offer some heart protection.
5. Legumes — peanuts and beans help control spikes in blood sugar and offer protection against diabetes while fighting heart disease. Make sure to eat the skin for the full benefit.
With such broad awareness, are people actually eating heath foods? "Only about a third of Americans say they're making dietary changes because of a health condition," says Rahavi. More are "making dietary changes because they want to improve their overall well-being, so they have energy to go about their day."
Cost, taste and availability were the key reasons given for not eating health foods.
"Expense comes out on top," Rahavi says. "People have this perception that functional foods are more expensive, but in reality, when you look at something like a whole-grain cereal or a yogurt, it's not."
The survey was conducted online by Cambridge, Mass., based Cogent Research. There were 1,000 adults age 18 and over in the survey with a margin of error of + or - 3.1% and a 95% confidence level in the results.
Also noted in the survey:
-The nutrients and components considered most important by Americans in the survey include calcium (92%), vitamin D (90%), protein (87%), B vitamins (86%), omega-3 fatty acids (85%), probiotics (81%) and fiber (79%).
-95% of consumers are confident they have a "great" or "moderate amount" of control over their health.