Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Nutrition and Weight Control | Pros and Cons of Functional Foods

Functional foods have some health benefits, but functional foods are not a substitute for a healthy lifestyle or any medications your doctor may prescribe.

Peruse the shelves of your local supermarket and you're sure to find a proliferation of functional foods -- products that contain ingredients that purportedly offer health benefits, from lowering blood pressure and cholesterol to boosting your body’s immune system. But do these health products really provide the benefits their labels tout? Here we look at three functional foods to let you know the pluses and minuses of each.

Functional Food 1: Activia Yogurt
Health claim: Helps naturally regulate your digestive system.
Functional food ingredient: Live cultures of the bacterium Bifidus regularis.
Evidence for claim: Not much. All the research has been done by Dannon, the makers of Activia. This research shows that, when eaten on a daily basis, Activia decreases transit time (how long it takes for food to pass through the digestive tract) by up to 40%. When food moves slowly through your digestive tract, it can lead to constipation and abdominal discomfort.
Pluses: Contains only 110 calories per 4-oz serving and is low in fat. One 4-oz serving has 15% of the daily recommended amount of calcium. Activia contains no artificial flavors or colors.
Minuses: Dannon recommends one serving (4 oz) a day, but more research is needed to determine the minimum beneficial dose. More research is also needed to definitely say this product has the intended effect. However, it is safe to try Activia to see if it helps keep you regular. Another minus: It contains added sugar.

Functional Food 2: Nature Valley Healthy Heart Chewy Granola Bars
Health claim: Helps keep your heart healthy.
Functional food ingredient: 0.4 g of plant sterols.
Evidence for claim: Many studies show that eating 2 g of plant sterols on a daily basis as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol helps lower blood cholesterol levels.
Pluses: Contains oats and barley, which are whole grains. Contains 3 g of fiber per serving. Low in saturated fat (only 0.5 g).
Minuses: To see a cholesterol-lowering effect, you will need to eat five granola bars every day. That comes at a daily cost of about 750 calories. The granola bars are also high in sugar.

Functional Food 3: Tropicana Pure Premium Essentials Orange Juice With Fiber
Health claim: Helps your digestive system stay healthy and regular.
Functional food ingredient: Fibersol-2, a fiber derived from corn.
Evidence for claim: Research shows that fiber adds bulk to and softens the stools, which may help prevent constipation.
Pluses: An 8-oz glass contains 3 g of fiber (as much as a medium sized orange). Regular orange juice contains no fiber. Good source of vitamin C, folate, and potassium.
Minuses: Why not just eat a medium- sized orange instead? It has just as much fiber for half of the calories (60 vs. 120 calories). In addition, the latest dietary guidelines recommend that most of your fruit servings come from whole fruit.

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Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Nutrition and Weight Control | Pros and Cons of Functional Foods