Fortified, functional foods provide the little extra you need to get through your day. Because, if we had to be honest, the modern era has spoiled us with seedless watermelons and tangerines, long-lasting milk and bread, fast food, soft drinks, and yoghurt with sweeteners.
Fortified, functional foods provide the little extra you need to get through your day. Because, if we had to be honest, the modern era has spoiled us with seedless watermelons and tangerines, long-lasting milk and bread, fast food, soft drinks, and yoghurt with sweeteners. As great-tasting as the above may be, they have been stripped of their full nutritional value, the nutritional value your body needs to grow and excel.
We need seeds as they are a source of healthy fats, B vitamins, fibre and protein to help support your overall heart, brain, muscle and bone health. The treatment of long-lasting milk, also known as UHT milk, goes through to extend its shelf life and can break down some heat-sensitive vitamins like vitamin C and certain B vitamins. Bread with a long shelf life usually contains preservatives and emulsifiers that can negatively affect your gut health. Sweetened yoghurt may not always have live and active cultures that also benefit your gut.
And that is why fortified foods are the star of the day. They “replace” what has so-called been lost for the sake of convenience. Let’s learn a bit more about it.
What are Fortified Foods?
Fortified foods have been enhanced or fortified with extra nutrients or beneficial compounds to support your health. Unlike regular foods that simply provide essential nutrients like carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals, fortified foods are designed to offer specific health benefits. These foods are usually impossible to miss as they flaunt various badges on their packaging. They are also designed to help reduce your risk of developing a deficiency.
Examples include probiotic-rich yoghurt packed with beneficial bacteria that support digestive health. Fortified cereals are fairly popular. They are usually enhanced with vitamins like B12 or folic acid to support energy production and brain health. Of course, you can also find functional foods like antioxidant-packed smoothies or detox smoothies blended with specific ingredients to pack that extra proverbial punch. Another common example of fortification is the addition of vitamin D to milk, a measure taken to prevent rickets, a bone disorder caused by vitamin D deficiency.
A Journey Through The Evolution Of Food Fortification
Even though adding extra nutrients to food may sound like a futuristic idea, brace yourself. Food fortification has been around for almost a century!
A hundred years ago, back in the early 1900s, nutrient deficiencies like rickets, goitre, and pellagra were rife. To tackle these problems, various governments and health organisations put their thinking caps on and introduced fortification programs. Of course, these fortified foods have made a massive difference ever since! Here is a mini timeline:
- 1920s: Iodine was added to salt to prevent goitre, a thyroid gland disorder caused by iodine deficiency.
- 1930s: Vitamin D was added to milk to combat rickets. Rickets are the softening and weakening of bones in children, typically identified by the legs making a convex shape.
- 1940s: B vitamins, including thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin, were added to flour to prevent pellagra and beriberi. Pellagra is a disease that can affect your skin, digestive system, and nervous system. Whereas beriberi is a very serious condition that can affect your heart, muscles, nerves, and brain.
- 1990s: Folic acid fortification in flour became widespread to reduce neural tube defects in newborns.
So, if you see a product on your local supermarket shelf that says “fortified” and you think, “This must be a marketing gimmick, ” think again!
Fortified foods can help vegans meet their nutritional needs and prevent health issues. As we know, veganism has gained a lot of popularity over the past few years. This is predominantly due to a growing awareness of the ethical concerns surrounding animal welfare, the environmental impact of animal agriculture, and the potential health benefits of a plant-based diet. However, many vegans may fall victim to calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin D, Iron, Zinc, or Iodine deficiency. Therefore,, fortified foods are champions all around.
Things To Keep In Mind
Of course, there is such a thing as overconsumption. An excessive intake of certain nutrients, such as iron and vitamin A, can be harmful. Therefore, you need to pay attention to what you put in your body and how much. Consuming a balanced diet is always key to avoiding excessive nutrient intake. It is also important to remember that while fortified foods help fill nutritional gaps, they should not replace a diet rich in natural, whole foods.
Last But Not Least
Our bodies need protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fats, and water to survive, and they need the right amount of each to thrive. Sadly, many foods lose some of their nutritional value during food processing. That is why fortified foods are the start of the show. They help children and adults alike get the nutrients they need in a great-tasting and affordable way!
