If the rest of the nutrition profile is trash, the “function” is just a costume.
Insight of the Week: Functional Foods — Health Revolution or Just Expensive Junk?
Every grocery aisle now screams functional:
- “Immune-boosting” yogurt
- “Gut-friendly” sodas
- “Mood-balancing” snacks
- “Protein-packed” desserts
It sounds like a wellness utopia. But…is any of it real?
1. The “Function” is Often Just Marketing
Most functional claims — probiotics, antioxidants, adaptogens — aren’t tightly regulated. If a brand can sprinkle in a trendy ingredient (and slap it on the label), they can sell the “better for you” story without proving meaningful impact.
Example: A “prebiotic” cookie with 15g of sugar. Sure, it’s got chicory root — but your gut isn’t thanking you.
2. The Health Halo Problem
Functional foods feed what nutritionists call the “health halo” — the idea that if something has one good quality, the rest doesn’t matter. That’s how you get protein bars with more saturated fat than a candy bar, or kombuchas that rival soda in sugar content.
3. Actual Benefits? Sometimes — but Context Matters
Some functional products do have credible science:
- Probiotic yogurts can support gut health — if they contain active cultures in effective amounts.
-
Omega-3 fortified products can be helpful — if the dose matches research-backed levels.
The catch? You have to consume them regularly and in the right quantity. And most people don’t track that closely.
4. Are We Buying Health or the Idea of Health?
According to surveys, shoppers believe they’re making healthier choices with functional foods — but the same shoppers still over-index on ultra-processed products. The functional category is booming (+8% YoY in the U.S.), but actual health markers in the population aren’t improving at the same pace.
5. The Bottom Line
Functional foods can be real — but in the U.S. market, they’re just as likely to be sugar-coated wellness theater.
If the rest of the nutrition profile is trash, the “function” is just a costume.
For marketers, that means this: The biggest growth isn’t in inventing the next turmeric gummy — it’s in creating products that are genuinely better all the way through, then proving it with transparent sourcing and measurable outcomes.