Are functional foods really healthy?

By Megan Kian

A recent NY Times article, “Food With Health Benefits, or So They Say” (May 14, 2011), questioned the role of functional foods in our increasingly health conscious society. What exactly are functional foods? They are foods that claim to have a health-promoting or disease-preventing property beyond the basic function of supplying nutrients. For example, yogurts that claim to help regulate your digestive system or cereals that claim to help support your child’s immunity are functional foods.

The issue with functional foods is the accuracy of the health claims. Although companies are legally allowed to make these health claims (as long as they are supported by some sort of scientific evidence), you still have to wonder how truthful they are. It seems that many of the declarations companies make are just advertising ploys to increase sales of these foods. The best way to shop for healthy food in the supermarket is to take these claims with a grain of salt, read the fine print on labels, and stick to what you know is good for you.

What do you think of functional foods?