Facts on Fortified Foods

1. Fortified Foods Lurk in the Strangest Places

You'll find calcium in the strangest places now days. You'll find the touted prevention of bone loss in orange juice of all things. Actually, the reason for this is the fact that the vitamin C naturally found in OJ increases calcium absorption. This is why it might be good to drink a glass of juice with your milk or throw some oranges on top of your spinach salad, which not only is high in calcium but also is high in iron and other micronutrients.

2. Too Much of a Good Thing is Bad

Getting more than your body needs of some nutrients, like vitamin A, is detrimental to your health. Anytime your body overloads with calcium, it finds a way to dispose of it as well. Things like kidney stones could indicate your body is getting too much of a good thing. If your stones are determined to be calcium stones be sure to cut the amount of processed meats such as hot dogs, bologna and salami that you consume, which are full of fillers that can cause such stones.

3. Better to Get Them

Want to increase the iron and calcium in a dish? Just chop up some ready washed spinach into tiny pieces and add to any rice or side dish and you've boosted the nutrient content without relying on chemically processed additions to those fortified foods. Getting these nutrients directly from the source has great benefits, some that modern medical science has yet to discover. Consider the discovery of the connection of lycopene and prostate cancer. Whole foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, have tons of these micronutrients in them that help our bodies function better. Sneak the real, whole, unprocessed foods into the menu when you can and you and your family are sure to reap the benefits.

4. Jump on the Bandwagon

The International Food Information Council Foundation did a survey of 1,000 adults and found that about 83 percent of them want to learn more about healthy food options beyond those discussed in the food pyramid. So you are not alone, in fact half of Americans are trying to incorporate the good omega 3 fatty acids in their diet and three quarters are passing up white bread in favor of whole and multi-grain options. Fortified foods may make some of these healthy foods more appealing to the American consumer, but they must know that choosing healthy whole food options is still the best option.

5. Always Check the Label

Always take the time to read the food label of any fortified foods you buy. This is important because you do not want to exceed the upper limit of the vitamin or mineral and you also want to know what form of that vitamin the food is fortified with. For instance, beta carotene, one form of Vitamin A, is safe in higher amounts, but other forms of vitamin A are not.