You still have a few days of holidays left and have decided to use them to return to good habits. And where better to start than with food? We suggest adding functional foods to your diet as well as correcting poor eating habits. Now, you may wonder how if you still don’t know what they are… Well, let’s get started!
Food not only provides us with nutrients and satisfies our hunger, or pleases our palate: it can help us prevent illnesses and improve our physical and mental health. We’re talking about “functional food”, which refers to foods that have a positive influence on some or all of the body’s functions, in addition to their adequate supply of nutrients. This is a series of foods that enhance our state of wellbeing and reduce the risk of disease.
Naturally fortified foods
When we look at certain conventional foods such as fruits, vegetables, or whole foods, with bio-active compounds that help to develop our health in an objective way, we’re speaking about a functional benefit, but we’re also speaking about functional benefit when we refer to food products fortified with some substance that is favourable for general wellbeing.
Both the Greeks and Romans had already established the link between food, lifestyle and health thousands of years ago, but today, and especially since the beginning of the 21st century, there has been substantial growth of functional food products in our food industry.
The Mediterranean diet is a good example of a diet based on mainly functional foods, since vegetables, fruits, oil and fish predominate, rather than meat. This is why it’s associated with lower mortality and fewer cardiovascular diseases.
Key functional foods in the Mediterranean diet
Among these foods we can identify the following:
- Pulses:Lentils, chickpeas and beans are a source of folic acid.
- Fruits and vegetables:Which are also folates.
- Grapes and red wine:They contain antioxidant polyphenols.
- Whole grain cereals:Protectors against colorectal cancer.
- Olive oil:Rich in monounsaturated fatty acids.
- Wheat germ:Contains tocopherol, a natural antioxidant.
How functional foods benefit us
These foods generate different benefits and advantages by acting on the different functions of human physiology.
First, the antioxidants in functional foods help our body’s defences fight against free radicals.
As far as metabolic processes are concerned, they provide regulation when the food modifies the type of carbohydrate and optimises its release, enhancing the glycemic response to the food.
The cardiovascular system garners clear benefits from functional nutrition. The fatty acids in food have a positive influence and the addition of omega-3 acids to food has health benefits. Furthermore, the soluble fibres in these foods reduce the absorption of bad cholesterol. Foods of plant origin containing flavonoids influence the activity of immuno-competent cells and inhibit the formation of cell adhesion factors.
As far as the intestinal tract is concerned, well-known probiotic, prebiotic and symbiotic food products promote a beneficial renewal of the intestinal flora, which in turn leads to an increase in bifidobacteria and lactobacilli.
Better blood glycolysis in carbohydrates also enhances cognitive and mental performance in areas such as memory, decision making and information management. In the morning, caffeine also improves cognition.
With respect to physical performance, functional nutrition also offers benefits, since protein and high glycemic carbohydrates improve the athletes’ recovery after exercise. These are two nutrients that can be combined in a potentially functional product.
Oral rehydration drinks also enhance performance and delay the onset of fatigue. They are quickly absorbed and promote gastric emptying, as well as regulating body temperature.
Lastly, in addition to incorporating functional foods into our diet, it’s very important to have a healthy lifestyle and do regular physical exercise. The combination of these three factors will undoubtedly improve our quality of life, health and reduce the risk of certain pathologies.
Now you’re ready to improve your diet, but you also know the main functional foods to fortify it and have a positive influence on your physical health. So, now it’s time for some “nutritious” holidays!
