Functional ingredients are ingredients in foods that help you reduce your risk of chronic disease.
Since the link between your eating habits and your health is very important it’s a good idea to know what to look for in foods that’s going to give you the best nutritional value.
These foods are known as “functional ingredients” because they’re jam-packed in compounds that have been linked to reducing your risk of dozens of diseases and illnesses.
NOTE: There’s controversy surrounding “functional ingredients”. Many people believe it will distract you from eating healthy meals and others wave the pointing finger at manufacturers for making health claims, which in most cases are not backed up or supported with research.
But in the end, the general public seems to show a strong interest in functional ingredients.
Top 7 Food Ingredients
Below is quick list of the top 7 food ingredients that will do more than just make your body healthy.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Linked to the treatment and prevention of many diseases including, heart disease, stroke, lupus, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, and breast, colon and prostate cancer.
You can find omega 3 fatty acids in fatty fish, fish oils, flax seed and in some egg products.
Soy Protein: Research shows that soy protein can play a role in the reduction of your blood cholesterol levels.
The research is still ongoing for their anti-cancer properties and how it can guard against osteoporosis (especially important for women). You can get soy protein from soybeans, soy nuts, tofu, and soy beverages.
Probiotics and Prebiotics: Probiotics are the active bacteria that can help restore your intestinal function and improve your immune response. You can find the probiotics in yogurt, and other fermented foods.
Lutein: This is a type of antioxidant that has been linked to the preventions of vision loss in older people. It’s supplied in foods like eggs, corn, spinach, kiwi, oranges, broccoli, and chard.
Psyllium: For the most part, North Americans have seen an increase in this in their cereals and in other products as well. Its main benefit is its cholesterol lowering fiber.
Oats: Oats have been a popular food to study because of their ability to lower cholesterol levels. They also contain beta-glucan, which is a cholesterol reducing fiber.
Stanols and Sterols: Another cholesterol lowering ingredient. These are being extracted from wood oils and are being added to margarines.
And there are your top 7 functional ingredients. How many of those do you eat on a daily basis?
Fantastic article on functional foods which all women should be eating.
On a daily basis I am educating health-care professionals, retailers and consumers about the incredible health benefits of prebiotics.
Many people have heard of probiotics. Prebiotics, however, offer outstanding benefits and help feed the good bacteria already in your body. By feeding the good bacteria, the bad bacteria are driven out. In addition, short chain fatty acids are created which help nourish and strengthen the colon wall.
Prebiotics are soluble dietary fibers. The brand we sell, Prebiotin (http://www.prebiotin.com), contains the most researched type of prebiotic fiber: oligofructose enriched inulin (OEI). OEI is a full-spectrum prebiotic which nourishes the entire colon, not just a portion. Our website contains a ton of information for those people interested in learning more about prebiotics and Prebiotin specifically.
The really great news is that one of our newest products, Prebiotin Heart Health, contains 3 of the 7 functional foods listed in the above article.
Prebiotin Heart Health contains OEI, psyllium and oat bran. It is packaged in a convenient 30 day supply container and is flavored with natural vanilla and stevia. The psyllium is milled to the same size as the oat bran. Prebiotin Heart Health, as well as all of the Prebiotin products, mix quickly and easily without clumping. Best of all, it tastes fantastic.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Have a healthy day!
Bill Duprey
im very hungry.these are must to eate every women. i like your post.
http://www.enjoyhealthybody.com
Add calcium to this list as essential item. Women often suffer from calcium deficiency after giving birth to child as the calcium is used from the calcium reserve from her body. Calcium requirements once ignored during pregnancy can cause loss of bone density.
Great blog, take a look at Dr. Khalid Mahmud's suggestions on preventing breast cancer and his new book Check out the full story here: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=prnw.20...
His book is Keeping aBreast Ways to Prevent Breast Cancer – on nutrition, detailed studies backing up prevention of cancer in his book written for the average person. He's endorsed by several fellow physicians and Keeping aBreast is recommended “a must read for all women” by Suzanne Somers.