Summary of things to know about functional foods

Functional foods are “advertised” with the ability to support disease treatment, increase resistance, and help the body become healthier. So should you drink this type of health protection food? Do they have any effect on the health of the user? How to use it properly? Below is a summary of knowledge about what you need to know about functional foods. Don’t forget to refer to it!

I. Things to know about functional foods

1. Are functional foods drugs?

→ What is medicine? It is a product used to treat, cure, prevent or diagnose diseases, improve physical and mental health. In addition, biological substances that are naturally present in the body but are introduced into the body are also considered medicines (hormones, insulin, steroids, etc.).

→ What are functional foods? They are also known as nutritional supplements, which are related functional foods, related functional organizations, supporting the treatment, supporting drugs or nutrition to improve physical condition during treatment.

It can be affirmed: Functional foods are NOT medicine! They only have the effect of supporting treatment of diseases.

2. Origin of dietary supplements – Things to know about dietary supplements

The sources of functional foods can come from:

Firstly , foods contain beneficial elements in large amounts. Some typical examples: Fish liver oil (contains a lot of Omega 3 fatty acids); Carrots, gac fruit, tomatoes (contain a lot of Vitamin A); Seaweed contains a high iodine content...

Second , foods with few active ingredients but thanks to biotechnology, are processed into special functional foods. They lie on the boundary between functional foods and medicines: Alicaments, Medical foods; Nutraceutics…

3. Popular functional foods

What are the types of functional foods? They are divided into 7 main product groups, including:

(1) Vitamin supplements

(2) Mineral supplement food line

(3) Functional foods supplementing Protein and Amino Acids

(4) Fatty Acid Supplements

(5) Functional foods containing Probiotics

(6) Nutritional supplements for athletes

(7) Functional foods extracted and concentrated from nature: contain extracts from medicinal plants, herbs...

By adding nutrients to the body, functional foods help the body become healthier and reduce signs of disease.

4. What are the benefits of using functional foods?

What are the benefits of functional foods? – This is one of the things you need to know about functional foods! According to experts, this type of food brings 4 great benefits to users as follows:

Prevent nutritional deficiencies

If your diet does not provide enough nutrients for your body, functional foods will help us balance this. Functional foods help us supplement: Vitamins, Omega 3, Iron...

Functional foods prevent disease

This is the most important and outstanding function of functional foods. By enhancing resistance, they help users prevent many diseases such as: Reducing the risk of stroke, the risk of diabetes complications, cancer... thanks to products that fight harmful free radicals. In addition, inflammation can be reduced, brain and heart function can be enhanced thanks to foods rich in Omega 3 fatty acids...

Some products help promote growth and development in children

Functional foods containing omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, calcium and vitamin B12… all help promote children’s development. In particular, cereal products, powders supplemented with Vitamin B… have also been proven to have positive effects on the fetus.

II. Are there any harmful effects of using functional foods?

Although functional foods bring many health benefits to users, they can also have "counterproductive effects" - according to some research experts. The "harm" of functional foods comes from the following reasons:

→ Some functional foods are of poor quality, have not been tested for safety and effectiveness, and affect the health of users.

→ False advertising: The product's effects are not as stated on the packaging.

→ Instructions for use on functional foods are unclear, users use them incorrectly, overdose.

→ Using functional foods to replace medicine or daily meals seriously affects health.

In addition, experts also point out that the incorrect use of functional foods causes negative effects on health. These include: Abuse of functional foods, taking functional foods for a long time... This is one of the things to know about functional foods but NOT everyone knows!

III. How to take functional foods? – Instructions for proper use!

With 2 lines of regular functional foods (nutritional supplements) and enhanced functional foods (with health-enhancing effects), the usage will be NOT the same.

How to use nutritional supplements: You can use them regularly, as a daily supplement. They often contain nutritious ingredients such as fruits, grains, nuts, etc. 

Use nutritional supplements properly: Because they are often used to supplement nutrients, prevent nutritional deficiencies, and improve health → Only take the correct dosage as prescribed. Do not take continuously for more than 6 months, and do not use more than 3 types of nutritional supplements at the same time.

Hopefully, through this article, you have added to your knowledge about functional foods. Remember to regularly follow the NanoFrance Website to update more interesting information!