Functional
Foods And Dietary Supplements
What is
the
difference between functional foods and dietary supplements? Functional
foods
are pretty much what they sound like: foods that have a specific
function.
“Function” meaning that they provide the body with
something good, improving it
in that certain area more than other ordinary food can. You gain a lot
from
knowing what foods out there are functional and healthy.
Some
examples include:
dietary fiber (relieves constipation), omega-3 fatty acids (known to
lower
cholesterol), and probiotic bacteria such as bifidus (improves immune
system
and helps in digestion). You may have heard these phrases in
commercials on TV
stating how this milk is rich in calcium, or this soup has omega-3,
oatmeal has
fiber, soymilk contains healthy good bacteria, etc. If you
didn’t know what
they were talking about, well now you know!
Knowledge
of
what functional foods will help your heart if you have a heart
condition, or
what milk gives you a lot of calcium for those with osteoporosis, will
help you
deal with these health ailments through the food you eat and allow you
and your
family to live longer lives. But dieticians advise people not to go
overboard
with them. Like almost everything in this world, too much of something
is usually
bad for you. Keep your intake of them at a moderate level.
Dietary
supplements, on the other hand, are simply that, diet supplementing.
These are
in the form of pills, capsules, liquids, soft-gels, etc. you can take
daily to
get your required daily nutritional needs. They are especially helpful
for
those who need assistance in acquiring everything from food. For older
people,
vitamins and minerals are a must and these dietary supplements taken
orally
once a day for specific types of ailments can facilitate improved
health.
Babies, pregnant women, young children, vegetarians, even those people
who
smoke or drink too much can take them to prevent sickness and
strengthen their
immune systems, basically to make up for what they can’t get
from the food they
eat. You can find supplements almost anywhere, over-the-counter, the
grocery
store, and not just the pharmacy. Strenuous research is going on
constantly for
finding ways to improve health, and research has contributed a lot to
the world
of supplements. They are now potentially known to be able to aid in
controlling
numerous medical health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and
osteoporosis. Even sleeping difficulties, depression, stress, and
weight
problems can be somewhat treated since supplements aren’t
made to cure these
conditions.
Overall,
it is good
to know what goes into your body and what is the difference between
functional
foods and dietary supplements. If it’s especially good for
you, then you should
have more of it don’t you think? Keep yourself informed on
the advancements in
the food and nutrition market these days. Discoveries of potential
health
treatments are happening everyday, be aware.
(Go here for
information about teenage
diet plans.)
|
