February is American Heart Month and in its honor, this week’s blog post focuses on the concepts of “functional food” and “functional cooking”; two concepts that may help in the fight against heart disease.
In the nutrition world, the terms “functional food” and “functional cooking” have been circulating for some time now. As these words begin to circulate not only in the nutrition arena, but to the general public, the question is often asked; “What do these fancy buzz words mean?”
The term “functional food” is a marketing term that refers to a food that has been enriched or enhanced to promote health in some way. One example is Iodized Salt. The body needs iodine to make thyroid hormone. The body cannot make iodine and therefore must get this mineral from the diet. Iodine deficiency may lead to an enlarged thyroid, also known as a goiter. Salt does not naturally contain iodine, but since the addition of iodine began there has been a decreased incidence of iodine deficiency.
Many food companies have taken to adding ingredients to improve the nutrition and health of their products. Benecol® spread is one example of a food product (butter-type spread) that has added plant stanols and sterols. These plant ingredients have been clinically proven to help lower cholesterol. The only caveat is that the clinical benefits were seen with a dose of at least 2 grams of the spread per day in combination with a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. The cost of the spread and the amount you would need to eat to see results, may lead you to ask yourself if the benefits are worth the price.
“Functional cooking” refers to the addition of nutritional ingredients to a recipe to improve the health of a particular food or meal. Many of us do this without even realizing it. For example, cooking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil in place of vegetable oil or butter is considered functional cooking. Did you know that Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the first pressing of the olives, hence the term virgin? This first pressing means that you get more antioxidants, phenols, and Vitamin E with Extra Virgin Olive Oil compared to oils collected from later olive pressings and compared to other types of cooking fats (i.e. butter or margarine). That is why adding it to a recipe is considered “functional cooking”. It may promote heart health.
Bottom line, the terms “functional food” and “functional cooking” are used to describe foods and recipes that have been boosted nutritionally. Choosing “functional foods” and cooking “functionally” may help lower risk of stroke, heart attack, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer, and when combined with a calorie appropriate diet may help with weight management. When deciding whether or not to purchase functional foods, ask yourself if the price tag is worth the benefit. In some cases, like iodized salt, you may already be a “functional food” consumer. Happy Heart Month!
