What are Functional Foods?

Monday, April 27, 2009 by George Pappas

Functional foods are “foods or dietary components that may provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition.”* Functional foods may have health-promoting or disease-preventing properties that can help you prevent or treat chronic conditions. 

Functional foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fortified foods and beverages, and some dietary supplements. Researchers have recently begun to discover that some of the specific compounds in fruits and vegetables can influence health and wellness.** 

Many scientific organizations are currently trying to establish guidelines to validate claims for functional foods. In order for people to fully understand the health benefits of certain foods, it’s important that a strong effort be made to document scientific criteria that are used for health statements and claims.*

Fresh fruit and vegetable juices are great ways to bring more functional foods into your diet. They help you personalize your nutrition, so you can consume the functional foods most likely to help your condition. For example, if you have digestive concerns, you may want to try Biotta’s Sauerkraut Juice. Hypertension problems? Drink Biotta Beet Juice to increase the betacyans in your diet and help lower blood pressure. Eyesight concerns? Try our carrot juice with natural beta-carotene, which is essential for your eyes.

With the increased interest in functional foods, the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetable juices can hardly be overstated. Biotta’s 100% fresh juices allow you to choose the individualized approach that will benefit you most.

Biotta produces USDA organic juices, available in 16.9 and 8.4 fl. oz. recyclable glass bottles.

Want more information about Biotta juices? If you’re a consumer and want to know where to find our juices, click on the beet juice icon on the right. If you’re a retailer that already carries our juices, click the carrot juice icon to be included in our retailer directory. If you have any other questions, just email us.

*www.ific.org/nutrition/functional/index.cfm

**www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Guest_Columnist_710/Try_Functional_Foods_for_Better_Health.shtml

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