What Are Functional Foods?
Functional foods are a category of foods that not only provide basic nutrition but also offer additional health benefits. They usually contain bioactive components that can help prevent diseases, boost immunity, and regulate physiological functions.
There are a wide variety of functional foods, including natural foods and fortified foods.
Natural functional foods, such as olive oil, honey, blueberries, and garlic, are rich in nutrients and bioactive substances on their own.
For example, blueberries are rich in antioxidants and dietary fiber, which can help enhance brain function; garlic contains allicin, which has antibacterial and antioxidant properties.
Fortified functional foods, on the other hand, enhance their health value by adding specific nutrients.
For example, milk enriched with calcium and vitamin D is beneficial for bone health; foods rich in antioxidants can boost immunity.
Functional foods are a category of foods that not only provide basic nutrition but also offer additional health benefits.
