If you’re a health-conscious eater or someone who simply cares about what you put in your body, you’ve probably come across the term “functional foods.” Of course, all foods are meant to be functional, providing essential nutrients like protein for muscle repair, carbohydrates for energy, and vitamins and minerals for overall cell function.
However, modern agriculture and environmental pollution have depleted our soils of essential minerals, leading to nutrient-deficient crops. While a healthy, balanced diet should provide all the nutrients we need, many of us fail to meet even the basic recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. This is where “functional foods” come in—foods that offer additional health benefits, potentially reducing disease risk and promoting overall wellness.
Every day, new superfoods make headlines, from kale to cacao, coconut to chia. But how can we incorporate these powerful foods into our daily diets? The health industry often responds by isolating and extracting key nutrients, then concentrating them into pills or fortifying processed foods with synthetic vitamins and minerals. While this may seem like an easy way to boost nutrient intake, it falls short.
By consuming isolated nutrients, we miss out on the complete nutritional profile found in whole foods. Wholefood supplements are a better option because they include not just isolated vitamins but also a complex array of enzymes, coenzymes, antioxidants, trace elements, and other factors that work synergistically in our bodies.
Here’s a closer look at some functional wholefoods that could do wonders for your health:
Cacao
Packed with over 300 nutrients, cacao tops the ORAC chart (a measure of antioxidant capacity). It’s a rich source of essential minerals like magnesium and iron and contains “bliss chemicals” like phenethylamine, anandamide, and tryptophan. No wonder cacao can boost your mood!
Psyllium
Psyllium is a dietary fiber composed of 30% insoluble and 70% soluble fibers. It supports normal blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels and promotes regularity.
Chia
Chia seeds are a top plant-based source of complete protein, offering twice the protein of most grains. They’re also rich in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, minerals, and calcium.
Coconut
Coconut contains lauric acid, a healthy fat also found in human breast milk. Lauric acid converts to monolaurin in the body, fighting bacteria, yeast, and viruses. Coconut fat, mostly medium-chain fatty acids, is quickly converted to energy.
Maca
Also known as Peruvian ginseng, maca is a nutritional powerhouse with complex carbohydrates, fiber, and protein. It’s rich in essential minerals, vitamins, and fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-9.
Nuts
Nuts are high-energy foods packed with minerals, quality protein, and vitamins. They’re excellent plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants like vitamin E. Almonds, Brazil nuts, and cashews each offer unique health benefits.
Flaxseed (Linseed)
Flaxseed contains high levels of dietary fibre (both soluble and insoluble) including lignans, which are powerful antioxidants. They are also packed with micronutrients and essential omega-3 fatty acids, plus an abundance of other nutrients and vitamins including calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and vitamin E.
Pumpkin Seeds / Pepitas
Pumpkin seeds are a special source of the essential trace mineral zinc. Zinc has many important functions, including supporting tissue growth and repair and a healthy immune system. They have one of the highest levels of phytosterol antioxidants of all commonly found nuts and seeds, which help support healthy cholesterol levels.
Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds contain an abundance of well-balanced nutrients – for instance, potassium is high while sodium is low, and calcium is balanced with magnesium and vitamin D for absorption. They’re also rich in fibre and protein and contain good quality polyunsaturated fats.
