Functional products

What is healthy food?

Functional foods are similar to common and conventional foods that we consume during the day, with the difference that in addition to basic nutritional properties and energy production, they play an important role in maintaining our health and preventing diseases. Foods enriched with vitamins and minerals, products containing fiber, probiotics and prebiotics, antioxidants, and foods prepared using some traditional and medicinal plants are of this kind. This concept was first proposed in Japan in 1980. At that time in Japan, government agencies started the process of approving food products with proven health benefits in order to try to improve people's health. Nowadays, in developed countries, due to the high importance of maintaining the health of the society, increasing the awareness of consumers regarding the intake of nutrients from the daily diet, and especially the concern about the health status of older people and people who are at risk of disease, the issue of consuming multi-beneficial foods is of great interest. It has been placed. Super-beneficial foods are generally divided into two categories, conventional and modified. Conventional super foods are mostly natural foods rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats. This category includes fruits such as kiwi and oranges, vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, nuts such as almonds and pistachios, seeds such as flax and pumpkin seeds, legumes and whole grains such as oats and brown rice. Foods such as salmon and sardines, fermented foods such as kefir and spices such as turmeric and ginger are also included in this category. Modified super foods are foods that have been fortified with additives such as vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and fiber to enhance their health benefits. Fortified juices, fortified dairy products such as milk and yogurt, fortified milk substitutes such as almond milk and coconut milk, fortified cereals, fortified bread and pasta, and fortified eggs are beneficial examples of modified foods. Whole foods contain high amounts of important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, and healthy fats. So, if you adjust your diet based on a combination of conventional and modified beneficial foods, you will be protected against nutritional problems. Since the introduction of super foods to the world, nutritional deficiencies have decreased dramatically. For example, in Japan, after the introduction of iron-enriched wheat flour, the rate of iron deficiency in children has been reduced by half. Healthy foods contain nutrients that protect the body against diseases. Some of them are rich in antioxidants. . Antioxidants are molecules that neutralize harmful compounds called free radicals in the body and prevent diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Some super foods contain omega-3 fatty acids. These compounds are healthy fats that reduce inflammation in the body, increase mental performance, and improve heart health. Some of them are rich in fiber. The presence of fiber in foods leads to improved blood sugar control and prevention of diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and digestive disorders. The presence of some nutrients in food is necessary for proper and normal growth in babies and children .Inclusion of beneficial foods that are enriched with nutrients necessary for growth in the daily diet is necessary for normal and proper growth. For example, it is very beneficial to be rich in cereals and types of flour with B vitamins such as folic acid, which are essential for the health of the fetus. A healthy diet should consist of foods that are rich in nutrients such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and Be beans. Useful foods not only provide the body's need for vitamins and minerals, but also lead to balance in the diet and maintain the general health of the body.