Yogurt: Top 5 Functional Foods
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Once again yogurt has been named a top healthy food winner. This time, it was selected by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) who picked yogurt as a top 5 food that you can eat on a health promoting diet.
In 2009, the ADA released a position statement on functional foods that said foods that are fortified, enriched or enhanced and benefit a person's health when consumed as part of a varied diet fell into this marketing category. The criteria used to determine if a food is functional emphasizes the addition of health benefits.
Functional Food Criteria
- Must be nutritious.
- Must offer distinct health benefits.
- Must provide additional quantities of essential nutrients and/or other biologically active components.
- Must promote healthy body functions.
Why Yogurt Made the List
Yogurt is a hands down winner as a truly functional food with good sources of protein, calcium, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, potassium and magnesium but gets in the top 5 due to probiotics. This good bacteria aids digestion, supports the immune system and is an overall health booster with its ability to fight infections and diseases including cancers and heart disease.
The New York State Dietetic Association recently voted on the Top 5 Functional Foods with the following results.
- Salmon At the top of many lists, salmon gets the top functional food vote for it omega-3 fatty acids contain. Omega-3 fatty acids raise good HDL cholesterol and lowers bad LDL cholesterol for heart health.
- Oats Functional food oats got the vote for their high fiber content. Research indicates that fiber aids digestion, decreases cholesterol and can lower the effects of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. You should strive to eat 30 grams of fiber every day. Most of us only get about 15 grams. Two cups of oats have 30 grams of fiber.
- Blueberries Once again the little blues are on the list. High in antioxidants, blueberries are stanch fighters of those free radicals in order to keep us looking and feeling ageless.
- Low-Fat Milk Like mom always said drink your milk but this one comes as a bit of surprise. It was voted in for its high calcium and vitamin D content and ability to lower high blood pressure.
- Low-Fat Yogurt It's a big step forward that the American Dietetic Association and a lot of other groups and individuals are finally recognizing the benefits of probiotics. This live food really deserves to be at the top of the list but yogurt lovers aren't complaining.
Get the highest level of functional food yogurt by making it at home without the preservatives or high sugar content of commercial brands.
Read why yogurt was Number 1 in the Top Ten Foods as named by Health News Digest.
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