Flourish Health & Wellbeing eMag - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 26
Sports foods as
functional foods
A subset of func琀椀onal foods
includes sports products—
sports drinks, protein bars,
energy gels and so on. These
are tailored to athletes,
whose carbohydrate, protein
and energy needs o昀琀en
exceed those of the general
popula琀椀on. Such products
can be a prac琀椀cal, nutrientdense way to support training,
performance and recovery.
EXAMPLES OF
FUNCTIONAL FOODS
Wholefoods
• Oats: Contain beta-glucan to help
lower cholesterol
• Berries: Rich in an琀椀oxidants to
reduce oxida琀椀ve stress
• Salmon, chia seeds, 昀氀ax seeds: High
in omega-3 fa琀琀y acids for heart and
brain health
• Probio琀椀c yoghurt: Provides
live cultures that may promote gut
health
• Green tea: Containspolyphenols, a
type of an琀椀oxidant
Fortified, enriched or
enhanced foods
• Breakfast cereals for琀椀昀椀ed with iron
or other minerals
• Vegan meal alterna琀椀ves for琀椀昀椀ed
with vitamin B12
• ‘Tanned’ mushrooms
(exposed to UV light to boost
vitamin D content)
• Enriched eggs (hens fed
omega-3-rich diets to li昀琀 egg
omega-3 levels)
A healthy, varied diet rich
in wholefoods such as
vegetables, fruit, proteins
and wholegrains is
naturally high in functional
foods. When there’s a
specific nutrient concern
or gap, adding fortified
or enriched functional
products can be a smart
way to meet your needs.
As always, aim to build
your diet around minimally
processed foods first, and
use enhanced products to
complement, not replace, a
balanced eating pattern.
