January 27, 2011 – Fortified foods, such as probiotic yogurts, omega-3 eggs and margarine enriched with phytosterols, are gaining popularity in Quebec. While the health benefits of functional foods are supported by a growing number of studies, they shouldn’t be seen as miracle foods that everyone should be consuming.
“Many people perceive functional foods as little miracle pills, but they must in fact be part of a set of changes to generate healthier lifestyles,” explains Benoit Lamarche, full professor in the Department of Food Sciences and nutrition at Laval University.
Benoit Lamarche
In fact, they should not be seen as an absolute need. “If a person has a healthy diet that meets all the needs for essential nutrients and compounds, they will not need to supplement themselves, unless there are specific needs,” says the one who acts as the Institute’s interim director. nutraceuticals and functional foods (INAF).
In people who have health problems (chronic diseases, allergies) or special needs, such as athletes or seniors, functional foods help prevent deficiencies thanks to the added nutrients.
Cholesterol, sterol and statins
One of these nutrients, in vogue since Health Canada authorized its addition to other foods in 2010, is plant sterol (or phytosterol), a fat found in plants that helps lower bad cholesterol levels. (LDL) in the blood.
Scientific data collected over the past 20 years shows that a daily consumption of 2 g of sterol allows an 8% to 10% reduction in bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood, one of the main cardiovascular risk factors. No adverse effects have yet been found.
But be careful, sterols should not be seen as a substitute for statins, a drug commonly used to lower cholesterol. On the one hand, beyond 3 g of sterol, there is no additional health benefit. On the other hand, it does not achieve the effectiveness of statins, the latest generation of which allows a drop in blood LDL of up to 60%, underlines Benoît Lamarche.
According to him, sterols are promising from the perspective of combined therapy with statins. “This is a concrete example where nutraceuticals and functional foods can play an interesting role in the health of individuals,” he said this week, on the sidelines of a presentation organized by Danone as part of the upcoming launch of its new product Danacol, a drinkable yogurt enriched with phytosterols.
Beware of overconsumption
While sterols, like other nutrients that can be added to foods, have certain health benefits, they are not without their drawbacks. They do not present a risk to the health of individuals strictly speaking, but they can have a perverse effect on consumption.
Indeed, given their benefits, functional foods can lead people to overconsume a product, especially if it is labeled low in fat or sugar. They can also cause some people not to change their lifestyle on the pretext that they eat healthy by consuming functional foods.
Consequently, some education must be given to consumers, especially since the supply of functional foods is set to diversify and become more complex over the next few years, says Benoit Lamarche.
Louis M. Gagné – PasseportSanté.net
