Functional foods: what are the benefits?

Functional foods and drinks are products that have been enriched with added nutrients or other substances that are considered to have a positive influence on health. Examples include probiotic yogurts, cholesterol-lowering spreads and foods with added nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids. This article considers a number of the more popular functional foods currently on the market, looking at how they may benefit our health and the evidence behind some of the claims being made about them. There is good evidence for the efficacy of some functional food products, for example cholesterol-lowering spreads have been proven to be effective in human trials. However, there is currently little evidence that foods with added omega-3 fatty acids can help improve brain function in 'normal' individuals. Other important factors, such as the amount of functional food that must be consumed to provide a health benefit, are also considered.