Functional Foods

3 Pages 650 Words

Functional Foods
With plenty of research on the benefits of herbs came the recurrance of a “craze” surrounding the possible solutions that could be brought about by natural herbal remedies and supplements. Herbal supplements have continued to increase in popularity despite research that shows that not only is it possible that herbal supplements may not have a positive, if any, impact on a person’s health; they may also have negative interactions with the body’s own functions. Other research has also stated that herbal supplements may have negative interactions with prescription drugs. Also, without strict FDA guidelines, companies are able to incorporate additives that can cause adverse reactions to people’s health.
This reinstatement of a craze surrounding herbal supplements and remedies has produced numerous products which are advertised as “functional foods”. The term “functional food” has been used to describe many different products. An example of one type of “functional food” is green tea. Green tea is derived from a plant that has been used by many for hundreds of years, it has been proven that green tea contains “Catechins that reduce risk for cancer” Broccoli, fish, and garlic have also been shown to improve your health. However, along with the naturally occuring “funtional foods” that were listed above comes a new breed of products that are advertised as being beneficial to your health.
“…The Center for Science in the Public Interest. The Washington, D.C-based consumer group is urging the Food and Drug Administration to halt the sale of dozens of so-called functional foods that it claims are unsafe. The group also wants the FDA to order manufacturers to stop making what it says are false and misleading claims about their products.” The Center for Science in the Public Interest has begun trying to stop the marketing of snack foods that are infused with suppose...