Fortified and functional foods provide the small extra you need to spend the day. Because we had to be honest, the modern era has spoiled us with watermelons and mandarins without seeds, milk and long data, fast food, soft drinks and yogurt with sweets.
Fortified and functional foods provide the small extra you need to spend the day. Because we had to be honest, the modern era has spoiled us with watermelons and mandarins without seeds, milk and long data, fast food, soft drinks and yogurt with sweets. So flavor that the above can be, they have an stripped leg of their complete nutritional value, the nutritional value that your body needs to grow and excel.
We need seeds, since they are a source of healthy fats, B vitamins, fiber and proteins to help support their health in general, brain, muscle and bone health. The treatment of durable milk, also known as UHT milk, is done to extend its useful life and can decompose heat sensitive vitamins such as vitamin C and certain vitamins B. Bread with a long common useful life contains preservatives and emulsifiers that can negatively affect their intestinal health. Sweet yogurt does not always have active and active cultures that also benefit its instinct.
And that’s why fortified foods are the star of the day. They “replace” what has dissolved the call in the good of convenience. Let’s learn a little more about it.
What are fortified foods?
Fortified foods have been improved or fortified with additional nutrients or beneficial compounds to support their health. Unlike regular foods that simply provide essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals, fortified foods are designed to offer specific health benefits. These foods are usual impossible to lose, since they flaunt varying badges in their packaging. They are also designed to help reduce their development risk as deficiency.
The examples include yogurt rich in probiotic full of beneficial bacteria that support digestive health. Fortified cereals are quite popular. They usually improve vitamins such as B12 or folic acid to support energy production and brain health. Of course, you can also find functional foods such as fastened of antioxidants or detoxification shakes mixed with specific ingredients to pack that additional proverbial blow. Another common example of fortification is the addition of vitamin D to milk, a measure of the tasks to prevent rickets, a bone disorder caused by vitamin D. deficiency D.
A trip through the evolution of food fortification
Although additional foods were added, it may sound like a futuristic idea, prepare. The fortification of food has existed for almost a century!
One hundred years ago, in early 1900, nutrient deficiencies such as rickets, boitre and pelagra were abundant. To address the thesis problems, several governments and health organizations put their thought limits and introduced fortification programs. Of course, fortified thesis foods have made a big difference since then! Here is a mini timeline:
- 1920: Iodine added to salt to prevent Goitre, a thyroid gland disorder caused by iodine deficiency.
- 1930: Vitamin D was added to milk to combat rickets. The rickets are the softening and tissue of the bones in children, typically identified by the legs that make a convex shape.
- 1940s: Vitamins B were added, including thiamine, riboflavin and niacin, to flour to avoid pelagra and Beriberi. Pelagra is a disease that can affect its skin, digestive system and nervous system. While Beriberi is a very serious condition that can affect his heart, muscles, nerves and brain.
- Decade of 1990: Fortification of folic acid in flour was generalized to reduce neural tube defects in newborns.
So, if you see a product on your local supermarket shelf that says “fortified” and think: “This must be a marketing trick,” think again!
Fortified foods can help vegans to meet their nutritional needs and prevent health problems. As we know, veganism has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. This is due to a growing awareness of the ethical concerns that surround animal welfare, the environmental impact of animal agriculture and the possible health benefits of a plant -based diet. However, many vegans can be victims of calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, zinc or iodine deficiency. Therefore, fortified foods are champions everywhere.
Things to take into account
Or of course, there is excessive consumption. Excessive intake of certain nutrients, such as iron and vitamin A, can be harmful. Therefore, you must pay attention to what you put in your body and how much. Consuming a balanced diet is always key to avoid excessive nutrient intake. It is also important to remember that, although fortified foods help fill the nutritional gaps, they should not replace a diet rich in natural integral foods.
Last but not least
Our bodies need proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fats and water to survive, and need the correct amount of each to prosper. Unfortunately, many foods lose part of their nutritional value for food processing. That is why fortified foods are the beginning of the show. They help both children and adults to obtain nutrients who need in a way of great flavor and affordable!
