What:
Functional foods or ingredients are food components or whole foods that may provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition. In other words, functional ingredients are believed to promote health or, in some cases, as part of a healthy diet, reduce the risk of certain diseases. Many foods containing antioxidants and essential nutrients are considered functional foods because of their potential health benefits.
Where:
Functional food components can be naturally found (although in low dosages) within a well balanced diet. From for example: fish, vegetables, fruit, berries, nuts, roots we isolate the active ingredients and process them to the food supplements as we know presented as: capsule, powder, effervescent, gel etc. Nowadays we also encounter them more and more available as so-called functional food. The isolated active ingredient in this case is added to already existing food products like: snack bar, soda, water, milk, yoghurt. They help you still your thirst or hunger sensation and at the same time have added health benefits (vitamins, minerals, pro-biotic etc).
Why:
The intention of functional foods / supplements is not to replace a well balanced diet; but it can help you fill the nutrition gaps in your diet. Functional foods/ ingredients can play an important role in restoring your inner balance influenced by poor eating habits and the intake of too great or too small amounts.
Functional ingredients can help to restore or improve our natural corporal processes like the evacuation of toxins, improve fat combustion capabilities, the absorption of vitamins and minerals. All processes with direct relationship to and obvious benefits related to weight control, concentration, stress, sleep, skin/hair/nails, quality of life, growing older healthy.
Functional foods alone won't 'make up' for poor dietary habits like avoiding vegetables or always eating exactly the same thing every day. But consume functional foods as part of an overall diet that is rich in variety and contains plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, calcium-rich foods and low-fat proteins
Functional ingredients work without any additional help, but if you adapt your lifestyle a bit (balanced food, exercise, etc) you find even more satisfying results.
Increase or improved metabolism, retention of accumulated fluids, better distribution of minerals/vitamins and fat, detoxifying (help your organs work a better with less work load).
all with great secondary effects at heart, blood, brain and vascular level
To really benefit from the effect of functional ingredient properties it is essential to take food supplements up in your daily routine.