Functional foods do not only provide health benefits; it also meets nutrition needs. Functional foods include vital nutrients that can aid in illness prevention.

What foods are classified as functional foods? Functional foods include anything from berries to fish, yet they all have health benefits. Vegetables, fruit, seeds, herbs, spices, and teas are examples of functional foods that you already listed on your daily meals. 

Functional foods include rich bioactive components that prevent or treat chronic diseases(cancer, heart disease, stroke, etc.). Our study will describe functional foods, the health benefits of functional foods, categories of functional foods, and examples of functional foods. 

What is a functional food?

Functional foods are considered therapeutic foods that contain essential nutrients to prevent disease. Most people consume functional foods intending to get health benefits beyond essential nutrition. Functional foods offer crucial nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fiber, probiotics, and antioxidants.

Initially, the notion of functional foods was raised in Japan in the mid-1980s. Year after year, scientists can make a successful concept about bio-active foods as a medicine for diseases. Most functional foods are plant-based, like vegetable fruits, and animal-based functional foods are similarly popular. 

Types of functional foods

Although Functional foods have been developed in nearly every food category, there was not the standard list of distribution. Food manufacturers have classified functional food into conventional food and modified food based on the range of health benefits.  

Conventional food

Conventional food contains functional substances such as antioxidants, vitamins, fatty acids, and minerals. Bioactive compounds in traditional functional foods have health benefits. This category mainly lists plant-based food like nuts, vegetables, fruits, and fish or animal organs (liver, etc.) 

These foods contribute to a healthy lifestyle and lower the risk of disease. You can make a salad, herbal tea, and some nuts for an active day as your meal. In a couple of weeks, you can notice a massive change in your health because of the increase in your metabolic energy.  

Examples of conventional foods are apple, almonds, kiwi, chia seeds, bean, peach, spinach, salmon, brown rice, turmeric, cinnamon, coffee, green tea, oats, etc. 

Modified food

Modified foods include essential ingredients like vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and fiber. The health benefits of modified foods are not less than conventional foods. However, modified foods can help reduce world hunger and malnutrition because genetic engineers can modify the food genetically, leading to a great outcome.

Examples of modified foods are 

• dairy products (milk and yogurt), 
• fortified milk alternatives, 
• fortified grains (bread and pasta), 
• fortified juices, cereal, granola, eggs, etc. 

Health benefits of functional foods

With maximum health benefits, functional food gives proper prevention against diseases. We listed some of the health benefits that cause more importance.

• Improving physical activity 

Functional foods have a pretty amount of Glycemic types of carbohydrates. And it can impact both operational and recovery performance of health.

• Promote healthy growth and development

Functional foods hold essential rich nutrition like folic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamin B12, B13. These nutrition's can help to develop child growth properly. Folic acid is responsible for the healthy development of a child's brain, spine, and spinal cord. 

• Provide nutrition on immunity 

Nucleotides and nuclear substances, probiotics, prebiotics and symbiotic, zinc, copper are found in functional foods that boost a person's immunity system.

• Provide antioxidants

Functional foods include antioxidants like Carotenoids, flavonoids, lycopene, anthocyanin, and polyphenols. Antioxidants can prevent free radical damage.

Functional foods also reduce inflammation and give protection from bacteria. In addition, Functional foods have some nutrients that can prevent people from disease. Some points are added below: how can functional foods help fight against disease?

Health benefits of functional foods against disease

Functional foods include vital nutrients that can aid in disease prevention.

obesity control

We all know that obesity is a massive issue in today's world. An unhealthy diet is one of the leading causes of obesity. If you want a healthy body with a great immune system, you must take functional foods in your diet. Green tea is famous for functional foods to control obesity.

Protect mental health

Some functional foods can promote healthy mental health, psychological function, and behavior. B vitamins, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids affect stress, sleeplessness, and short-term memory. You can cure those problems and have excellent mental health by taking regular functional food. Caffeine has been shown to boost cognitive function in response time, attentiveness, and memory.

Prevent chronic disease

Doctors always suggest functional food to prevent chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, etc. Fatty acids in fish can promote the prevention of heart disease. Also, substances in olive oil can help to reduce cholesterol levels. If you start to consume functional food at a very young age, you can avoid these chronic diseases. 

Prevent musculoskeletal diseases

Regularly taking functional food can prevent elderly musculoskeletal conditions like osteoarthritis, sarcopenia, osteoporosis, fractures, etc. Functional food is the safe alternative cure for these conditions. 

How to Manage Your Diet with the best functional food

To get a healthy life, you have to maintain an ideal diet. 

Take plant-based foods regularly  

fiber, antioxidants, and electrolytes are the vital components we should take every day. And we can have these components from plant-based foods. Some of the best plant-based food is

• Turmeric - It is beneficial for the heart and prevents cancer. 
• Honey -Honey is beneficial for memory disorders. It also lowers depression & anxiety.
• Karkuma- Karkuma is highly beneficial for women. It reduces period pain, regularizes period & in most cases, increases natural skin glow.

Animal-based products

Choose wisely before taking animal-based products. Add in your diet fish that contain omega-3 acids and dairy products. Also, take fortified eggs and animal organs from grass-fed or pasture-raised, cage-free, and wild-caught foods. 

• Salmon - possess Omega-3 fatty acids, which maintain eye, brain, and cardiovascular health.
• Dairy products - enriched with bioactive components, calcium, and protein that help boost immune and metabolic health.

Choose healthy fat and oils.

You can select virgin coconut oil, natural olive oil, avocado oil in your diet chart over vegetable oil. Vegetable oil like sunflower oil and soybean oil is considered lousy fat.

Most importantly, try to cut off unhealthy food such as packaged food, fast food, etc. Unhealthy food can make your tummy full, but it can't give you proper health. 

Conclusion

Who doesn't want a healthy life? A list of healthy foods in your diet can give you a healthier life and save you from medical expenses. The conclusion is that functional foods are intended to enhance health and chronic conditions.

If you want to know nutritional benefits of organic food then check out this blog