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\u00a0Brought to you by<\/strong>\u00a0Deepak Chopra, MD<\/a>,\u00a0Alexander Tsiaras, and TheVisualMD.com\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you\u2019re concerned with eating healthy, you may have heard about \u201cfunctional foods.\u201d Nutritionists and marketers use this term to describe foods that go beyond the basics of supplying nutrients to the body and appear to help ward off and combat certain chronic illnesses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In a way, these foods are misnamed–they are far more than simply functional.\u00a0The New York Times<\/a>\u00a0calls them \u201cfoods with benefits.\u201d While many functional foods deliver real potential health benefits, consumers need to be aware of packaged foods that use the term mostly as a marketing tool. To make smart choices, you have to distinguish the products that offer more hype than health from the foods that may really make a difference.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0Traditional\u00a0healthy\u00a0choices are\u00a0now\u00a0healthier\u00a0than\u00a0ever. Your whole life you\u2019ve probably been told that you need to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to stay healthy. Now\u00a0researchers believe these foods are even better for you than initially thought. Fruits and vegetables, especially those rich in color, are among\u00a0the top functional foods.\u00a0Fruits such as blueberries and red cherries come loaded with antioxidants called\u00a0flavonoids<\/a>;\u00a0and carrots, spinach, kale, and sweet potatoes are packed with antioxidants called\u00a0carotenoids<\/a>.\u00a0These antioxidants play a role in reducing the risk of some types of cancer and heart disease by neutralizing\u00a0free radicals<\/a>,\u00a0which are\u00a0unstable atoms or molecules in the body that cause cell damage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0Vitamins\u00a0A,\u00a0C, and E in many of these fruits and vegetables also act as antioxidants. Tomatoes, especially those made into processed tomato products like sauce or ketchup, have the added bonus of\u00a0lycopene<\/a>, a type of antioxidant that has been shown to bolster prostate health. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower, have been linked to\u00a0lowering cancer risk<\/a>, and garlic and onions have demonstrated\u00a0detoxicating effects<\/a>\u00a0on the body. Whole grains seem to offer\u00a0protection against coronary disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0Fish, another functional food, also wards off heart disease\u00a0and\u00a0lowers blood pressure<\/a>.\u00a0Salmon, sardines, and tuna deliver high doses of Omega-3, also known as the \u201cgood\u201d fat.\u00a0The Omega-3 fatty acids in fish\u00a0have\u00a0hypotensive properties<\/a>\u00a0due to their stimulation of hormone-like compounds called \u201cprostaglandins\u201d which regulate\u00a0the balance of\u00a0salt retention and water excretion.\u00a0This hypotensive effect is especially pronounced in individuals with\u00a0hypertension, atherosclerosis, and hypercholesterolemia.\u00a0Omega-3 fatty acids also\u00a0reduce inflammation in the body that can damage blood vessels. When it comes to eating sea creatures, however, there is a catch. Many contain\u00a0high levels of mercury and other contaminants<\/a>, so follow the\u00a0American Heart Association\u2019s recommendation and try to eat fish at least two times a week, but don\u2019t go overboard. For alternative sources of Omega-3, try\u00a0beans, walnuts, and flax seed<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0Some \u201ctreats\u201d\u00a0pack an\u00a0unexpected\u00a0health\u00a0punch.\u00a0While you might expect fish, fruit, and veggies to be extra healthy, it may come as a welcome surprise to find that some \u201cindulgences\u201d are considered functional foods as well.\u00a0Yogurt, red wine,\u00a0and\u00a0coffee have all been found to contain ingredients that appear to give the body a boost.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0Yogurts\u00a0are creamy, versatile treats jam-packed with health benefits. It\u2019s a great source of calcium, which is known to prevent osteoporosis and promote bone health. Yogurts also contain\u00a0probiotics<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 the \u201cgood bacteria\u201d we all need in our bodies to maintain our immune and digestive health. Probiotic foods can also help in\u00a0the\u00a0treatment of urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast infections, and diarrhea.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0When it comes to red wine, you may now think of enjoying a glass at night as a way of helping your heart. Red wine is rich in flavonoids, as well as resveratrol, an antioxidant that some researchers believe offers protection from diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.\u00a0Resveratrol<\/a>\u00a0comes from the grape skins, and since red wine ferments longer with its skins than white wine, it has more of this palliative ingredient. Too much alcohol can be harmful to your health, so don\u2019t overdo it. Try keeping your red wine consumption to a glass with dinner. For those who don\u2019t drink at all, grapes and grape juice may offer similar benefits.\u00a0Pomegranate juice<\/a>, with its deep red color, is another alternative, offering more antioxidants than many other types of juice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0Doctors have long warned about the risks of consuming too much caffeine, but recent studies have shown that\u00a0drinking modest amounts of coffee may actually help fight cancer, diabetes, and Parkinson\u2019s disease<\/a>. Note that drip coffees are thought to be healthier than\u00a0unfiltered\u00a0coffee drinks\u00a0like lattes because the paper captures elements in the coffee that may raise cholesterol levels.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0The antioxidants in black tea also promote better health, and green tea is highly regarded as a major functional food. Green tea contains high levels of catechins, which are potent antioxidants shown to help\u00a0lower\u00a0cholesterol by\u00a0blocking its absorption<\/a>\u00a0from the gastrointestinal tract\u00a0as well as promoting its\u00a0fecal elimination<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u00a0Functional\u00a0foods\u00a0with \u201chealth\u201d\u00a0added.\u00a0\u00a0 You\u2019ll also find the term \u201cfunctional foods\u201d applied to\u00a0products that have ingredients added to them to increase their healthful potential<\/a>. While marketers use this as a selling point, some of these products can have\u00a0genuine benefits.\u00a0Buttery spreads with\u00a0added\u00a0Omega-3 may promote better heart health\u00a0than\u00a0unfortified butter.\u00a0Orange juice\u00a0fortified with calcium may help fortify bones and fight\u00a0osteoporosis, and the vitamin C naturally found in oranges may inhibit cancer. But don\u2019t always believe the hype. Do your own research on packaged foods that tout better heart health or claim to fight cancer, and weigh the nutritional value\u00a0against their unprocessed counterparts.\u00a0\u00a0The actual orange fruit, for example, is still going to provide more\u00a0nutritional value<\/a>\u00a0than most fortified orange juices,\u00a0which\u00a0are much higher in sugar and do not contain fiber to slow down absorption.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n