If you are eager to explore the health benefits of “functional foods” but not quite sure just what the term means, take heart; the American Dietetic Association has published new guidelines that explain what functional foods are and why they are important.

The association’s position paper on functional foods is published in the April issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

“Of course, all foods are functional at some physiological level,” said Clare M. Hasler, executive director of UC Davis’ Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, who co-authored the paper with Amy C. Brown, an associate professor of complementary and alternative medicine at the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine.

“The term functional foods, however, specifically applies to conventional foods and to fortified, enriched or enhanced foods that have a potentially beneficial effect on the health of people who regularly consume them as part of a varied diet,” Hasler said. “These are foods that not only provide necessary calories but also may reduce the risk of chronic disease or promote optimal health.”

She noted that “functional foods” is a marketing term, rather than a legal definition, and has slightly different meanings in different countries.

Broccoli, nuts and tomatoes are examples of conventional foods with functional properties. Modified foods include calcium-enhanced orange juice, folate-enriched breads and foods formulated with bioactive ingredients like fish oils.

Medical functional foods include formulas that are free of phenylalanine for infants who are unable to metabolize that particular protein. And functional foods for special dietary uses include gluten-free products for people who cannot digest gluten, found in wheat and related grains, and lactose-free foods for individuals who can’t tolerate the lactose sugar found in dairy products.

The complete functional foods position paper, as well as other nutritional information, is available at the American Dietetic Association Web site at: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/media.html.