Is There a Nutritional Niche for Functional Foods?
With new brands of protein bars and energy drinks muscling in every week, supermarkets may soon need to fortify their shelves to hold them all.
Products that promise health benefits are part of the new science of functional foods, in which foods are evaluated on more than their nutritional components. Scientists are studying spinach and corn, for instance, for the role lutein in the foods may play in maintaining healthy vision. They're looking at the beta glucan in oatmeal for its potential to reduce heart disease.
The American Dietetic Association considers that functional foods, including whole foods, "have a potentially beneficial effect on health when consumed as part of a varied diet on a regular basis, at effective levels."
Assess the Need
But beyond whole foods, parents are confronted by a bulging grocery cart of fortified, enriched or enhanced foods. Do children really need protein bars? Must they have energy drinks after every soccer match? "I think a protein bar is fine as an energy snack between activities, in the mid-morning or mid-afternoon," says Philip Lichtenstein, MD, pediatrician with HealthPoint Family Care in Covington, Kentucky.
"But a protein bar doesn't add much more than would munching on a piece of fruit or cold vegetable sticks – carrots, celery or red peppers. I'd rather see a child have those nutrients as part of meeting the requirements of the food pyramid.
Check the Source
"And, if you look at the label, most of the energy is coming from carbohydrates, not protein. Children are never lacking for energy if they're eating regular meals. That feeling of exhaustion might be because they're mildly dehydrated."
After vigorous exercise, such as dancing, gymnastics, swimming, soccer or playing hard in the backyard, children need water to replenish their bodily fluids. Dozens of energy drinks claim to do a better job than water or juice, but, "A sports drink's advantage is pretty marginal unless a child has lost five percent of his body weight in exercise," Dr. Lichtenstein says.
Some drinks are designed to replace the electrolytes lost during hard exercise, especially in hot, humid weather, and may play a role in some sports training. Dr. Lichtenstein advises parents to check labels, to be sure the calories are at or below the level of most fruit drinks, 12 to 14 calories per ounce.
Unintended Consequences
The extra calories of drinks and bars may be a concern for children whose body mass index indicates they are overweight. "These could serve as unnecessary sources of calories," he cautions.
Dr. Lichtenstein also sees a problem for families who substitute processed functional foods for staples of the diet.
"A protein bar can get in the way of more healthful meals. If a child will eat cereal with fruit, or eggs made with milk at breakfast, that's much better nutrition than a protein bar.
"And you need to look at the cost. Protein bars and sports drinks are unnecessarily expensive compared to equally nutritious foods."
