Are Functional Food Products Actually Doing Anything for Your Health?
Here's what a nutritionist wants you to know before you grab your next high-protein latte or prebiotic soda.
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A "functional" food certainly sounds like a positive thing, but making sense of this clever claim is complicated. From protein pasta to fiber-spiked drinks, functional products are now found in every corner of the grocery store (and internet), but do these seemingly fantastic functional foods actually do anything to improve your health? Find out below.
What is a functional food?
One could argue that all foods are functional in some way. Grains, fruits, and vegetables give us glucose for energy and fiber for gut health. Meat, fish, poultry, beans, soy, and nuts are animal and plant proteins that deliver amino acids for muscles, immunity, and more, plus foods provide a slew of vitamins and minerals. Your weekly cup of yogurt delivers carbs, protein, and fat for energy, plus probiotic bacteria for a healthy microbiome. Put simply, foods provide essential nutrients and other important substances that allow the body to function.
The functional food products we encounter today take on a more enhanced role, leading us to believe that they might offer a health advantage that often comes with a high price tag. Traditional definitions cite functional foods as a food that "provides functional benefits beyond basic nutrition." A paper published in 2022 updated this definition to a more complex matrix: "Functional foods are novel foods that have been formulated so that they contain substances or live microorganisms that have a possible health-enhancing or disease-preventing value, and at a concentration that is both safe and sufficiently high to achieve the intended benefit. The added ingredients may include nutrients, dietary fiber, phytochemicals, other substances, or probiotics."
While this definition is more specific, it may not resonate with everyone (phyto-what?) and continues to be unclear as to whether whole foods are functional verses a food that has been enhanced, such as fortifying a cereal with additional vitamins and minerals or adding protein to a cookie.
What about functional drinks?
The interest in functional beverages has seen incredible growth. From kombucha to better-for-you sodas, there is a flood of cans and bottles marketed to help with everything from energy to digestion to helping you find your zen state. You can make the argument that some of these drinks are an upgrade from traditional sodas, especially in the added sugar department. But many of these products are still highly sweetened and have plenty of potentially unwanted calories. Some are spiked with a hefty amount of fiber, which may cause stomach upset, while others are dosed with herbs, botanicals, vitamins, and minerals, which may be harmful in large amounts. Many also contain caffeine, which should be consumed in moderation.
Are functional food products actually doing anything?
Can functional food products provide value? The answer is a maybe, with strings attached. Consider taking your expectations from the level of "these foods will cure whatever ails you" down to "some can be the cherry on top of an already well-established and balanced diet." Here are some examples:
Electrolyte Powders
The right balance of electrolytes can help you optimize hydration, plus a few shakes of powder can make water more fun and flavorful to drink. Moderate doses are important as too much of the vitamins and minerals found in some formulations can have toxic effects. Here are my top picks for electrolyte powders.
Gut-Healthy Sodas
These cans of bubbly goodness are packed with benefits. Pre- and probiotic sodas can offer some gut health benefits, but as with most things, more isn’t better. The high-fiber content of these beverages means you should proceed with caution to avoid any potential side effects. Several of these drinks do contain calories and added sugar, so consume accordingly. Learn more about these and other better-for-you soda alternatives here.
Kombucha
Drinking this flavored, fermented tea is another way to help support a healthy digestive system, but be on the lookout for added sugar as well as the trace alcohol content present in these drinks. Read this article to learn more about the health benefits and potential pitfalls of kombucha.
Fortified Cereals
The original functional food might be breakfast cereal. It has been common practice to add additional vitamins and minerals to cereal to target nutrients that many people don’t get enough of including iron, folic acid, vitamin D, and calcium. This type of fortification is a helpful, convenient, and affordable way to help you meet your nutrient needs. From high-protein to lower sugar, there are so many options to choose from.
Protein-Boosted Grain Products
From baked goods and tortillas to pasta and frozen waffles, what carb staple isn’t spiked with protein nowadays? Since protein takes longer to digest, the addition of extra (usually from a protein powder) can help make these foods more satisfying; it may also make them higher in calories, sugar, and salt. Take advantage of a protein boost for meals or snacks that may otherwise be lacking. But be wise about the portions and what other ingredients may be coming along for the ride.
Protein Bars
Protein bars are yet another pantry item that have taken on a new identity in recent years (some companies have even been sued over their formulations.) Makers of protein bars are continually reinventing what is offered in handheld form, and the variability is extensive. Many contain a long list of added vitamins as well as caffeine, herbs, and other botanicals. Some may be excessive while others are lacking the proper dosing to have any effect — either way, you may not be getting what you paid for.
Bottom Line: Don’t expect a world of health benefits from every functional food. Some live up to their promises of offering some nutritional enhancements, but without some vigilance, you might be going overboard while also wasting your money.
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