After the Real Food Therapy Guide received recognition and a request by Whole Foods Market for sales in the fall of 2012, several people have asked me questions about fortified foods.  As you probably know, many of today’s foods are fortified, enriched, enhanced, etc. with hopes of providing added benefits to our health.  But are these foods worth buying?

Let’s explore some popular ones:

Heart Healthy Orange Juice

Orange juice that gets fortified with at least 400 milligrams per serving of plant sterols.

According to the FDA, plant sterols are natural substances in fruit and vegetables that may help reduce the risk of heart disease.  Heart Healthy OJ might help your heart if it’s consumed twice daily with meals.  To get the benefit, the requirement is to drink eight ounces of orange juice a day.

True Health Unlimited’s Take:

Drink up.  Just confirm the label shows at least 400 mg of plant sterols per serving.

High-Fiber Cereals

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showed that a high-fiber diet can help you maintain a healthy weight. The U.S. Guideline recommends that adults get about 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed.  A bran cereal often provides 10 percent of the daily fiber requirement per serving and is considered a good source of fiber, one that offers 20 percent of more is an excellent source of fiber.

True Health Unlimited’s Take:

Grab a bowl.  Bran cereals providing at least 10 percent of the daily amount of fiber support a healthy diet and make an excellent snack or convenient small meal.

Omega-3 Enriched Eggs

Mitch Kanter, Ph.D., executive director of the Egg Nutrition Center says that the diet of a typical laying hen results in a small amount of omega-3 fatty acids residing in the yolks.  While egg producers who make claims like “Now with 50 mg of omega-3 fatty acids” are feeding hens feed that is higher in omega-3s, Kanter believes that one egg might not be enough to make a difference, but as part of a regular diet, eggs are a good, natural way to fortify your die with omega-3s.

True Health Unlimited’s Take:

Crack these eggs and enjoy.  Omega-3s provide many types of health benefits and if you need a little extra in your diet, these eggs make a good buy.  In fact, fish oil, is the most commonly taken dietary supplement in the US and the primary reason is because of the health benefits associated with its omega-3 fatty acids.

Ref: Consumer Reports