Functional Foods -- Hype or H... Health Article

Can you prevent heart disease by eating fish, prevent cancer with tomato sauce or keep your memory sharp with gingko biloba?

Many Americans would answer yes. According to the Nutrition Business Journal, they're betting that these "functional" foods—also called herbs, supplements, nutraceuticals, or phytochemicals—can do all this and more. Whether they get what they pay for—or more than they bargained for— is an issue that concerns some experts.

"Consumers are confused. They get so many health messages and claims about foods and their reported benefits. They want to know what's true, what's not, and what will work for them," says Wahida Karmally, M.S., R.D., a national spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

The International Food Information Council defines functional foods as those that have biologically active components that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition, such as promoting health, or preventing or curing disease. These include foods in which the beneficial substances occur naturally; for example, fruits and vegetables naturally contain antioxidants. They also include foods in which active substances are added as supplements; for example, orange juice is often fortified with calcium. Neutraceuticals are also found in herbal and dietary supplements.

Better—or not?

As Americans have taken more responsibility for their health and the cost of health care rises, they've created a demand for these reportedly beneficial materials, and the marketplace has been eager to fill it.

As a result, shelves in grocery and health-food stores bulge with hundreds of products that manufacturers claim to be beneficial. But consumer safeguards haven't kept up with the demand.

Only a small percentage of active chemicals in plants have been thoroughly tested for their potential roles in preventing disease and promoting health. Federal regulations keep a tight rein on health claims made on food labels, but the rules aren't perfect, and they're not always enforced correctly. So many substances marketed as dietary supplements have unproven or doubtful benefits, claim critics.

"Foods with unknown or untested additives could even be dangerous," says Leslie Bonci, M.PH., R.D., a sports nutrition specialist in Pittsburgh.

These are some of the potential problems:

• Possible interactions with physical conditions or medications. Kava, for example, is an herb that's supposed to promote relaxation, but it has been linked to serious liver damage, including hepatitis, cirrhosis and liver failure, according to the FDA. Anyone who has liver problems or takes medication that can affect the liver should check with his or her doctor before taking kava.

• Overdoses. You may not know how much of a substance you're getting, or how much you need. Even if an additive is known to be useful, such as folic acid, you may consume more than you need if you use more than one product that contains it.

• Purity. Herbal supplements are largely unregulated, so you may not know their purity and strength. Several studies have shown that frequently the ingredient listed is not actually in the product or that the ingredient has been substituted with another that may or may not be active. One recent study, for example, showed that several samples of black cohosh contained Asian cohosh but no black cohosh.

• Side effects. Without accurate strength or dosing information, the effect of an additive may surprise you.

• Adulteration. Substances may be added to the supplement or nutraceutical that are illegal, poisonous or should be by prescription only. A hospital in Toronto, for example, found that sildenafil (Viagra) was present in two of seven nonprescription herbal erection pill medications. Because sildenafil does not occur naturally, the remedies were clearly adulterated. Some herbal medications from China, South America, and Mexico have been found to contain high levels of mercury and lead.

Balance is best

For most people, "the wisest and most healthful course is still to eat a well-balanced, low-fat diet, with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole-grains," says Karmally. To consume more disease-fighting antioxidants, "look for beautiful, colorful foods— tomatoes and carrots and spinach."

Here's what to do before you try foods touted to promote health:

• Read the label. "It's not enough to know that an ingredient is natural. You have to know what the ingredient does," warns Bonci.

• Check the research. Find out what has been reported about the active ingredient in peer-reviewed medical literature.

• Look at your diet. How does the food fit into your own healthy-eating plan?

If you eat a healthy diet, "you may find foods that make extra claims are a luxury you don't need," says Bonci. "In that case, save your money and buy a really nice papaya or kiwi."