June 15, 2009: 10:24 AM EST
Fortified foods are increasingly popular, and they’ve been on the scene since at least 1924. But do they deliver on their promises? "Nutritionally enhanced foods are essentially just a different way of getting some of the benefits of a vitamin supplement. Studies show both do the job," says Sheldon Hendler, M.D., Ph.D, co-author of "The Physician's Desk Reference for Nutritional Supplements." Marion Nestle, author and professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, says "Processing destroys nutrients, and the more processing there is, the more destruction you get. Fortification adds back some nutrients, so overall you're better off with a processed fortified food than a processed unfortified one. But a whole food is always going to be superior." Many fortified foods actually deliver very small amounts of the nutrients, and Ms. Nestle recommends taking a multivitamin instead.
Sara Reistad-Long, "Fortified Foods: How Healthy Are They? ", Wall Street Journal, June 15, 2009, © Dow Jones & Company, Inc
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