Omega-3-infused cranberries, green tea-augmented coffee, probiotic-boosted candy: Welcome to the age of functional foods. Not that enhancing foods with nutrients is new. As far back as the 1920s, manufacturers were adding iodine to salt to counter goiter. Later, our government mandated adding vitamin D to milk to stave off rickets and folic acid to whole grains to prevent birth defects. Today we buy iron-fortified cereal and calcium-enriched orange juice. Although fortifying foods was once more malady specific, recent developments in food engineering, a plethora of new ingredients, and a growing awareness of nutrition's role in health have given fresh reason to explore the “functional” category, explains Lisa Marshall in “What's Fortifying Your Food?” (page 20). In fact, the Nutrition Business Journal recently estimated that functional foods generated 76 percent of total sales in the $10 billion healthy kids' market in 2008.

In particular, nutritionally pumped foods may help if you're on a restricted diet, as dictated by conditions such as food allergies or diabetes — or if your body simply has a genetic disposition toward certain nutrients. Nutrigenomics, an emerging field of nutrition science, can help you find out (see “Food and Your Genes,” page 46). Developed by Jeffrey Bland, PhD, CNS, this technique combines information about your DNA with insight on how your body processes the foods you eat — for instance, whether it utilizes folic acid or overresponds to cholesterol — to pinpoint whether you might benefit from supplements, specific fortified foods, or other dietary adjustments.

Of course, while functional foods have their place, experts agree that for most of us the best way to obtain vitamins and minerals is to eat whole foods — natural and organic, unprocessed foods. And you have no excuse not to in July, when the bounty is plentiful! Whether you're a raw foodie or not, you'll be wowed by raw-food guru Ani Phyo's recipes in “Classy Raw Cuisine,” page 26. These meals taste so wonderfully fresh and satisfying that I suggest not telling your dinner guests the meal is raw, and see if they notice.

WHAT’S IN YOUR FOOD?

Omega-3 essential fatty acids

What are they Polyunsaturated fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). EPA and DHA are found in fatty fish and algae, ALA in walnuts, ground flaxseed, hemp, soybean, and canola.

Recommended amount: 1 gram daily.

Which foods do they fortify? Orange juice, pasta, bread, dairy products, eggs, margarine spreads, baby formula.

Why are they good for you? The strongest health claims relate to heart health, with dozens of studies showing omega-3s’ anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting effects, and that omega-3s can lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels and slow the thickening of artery walls. One landmark study of 11,324 heart attack patients found those given 1 gram daily of omega-3s had up to a 20 percent reduction in risk of having another heart attack. New research has linked omega-3s to a lower risk of certain cancers, neurological disorders, and depression, and to healthy cognitive development in infants.

Consider: Most research has focused on DHA and EPA, so look for fish- or algae-derived forms, says University of Maine Food Science and Nutrition Professor Mary Ellen Camire, PhD. Only about 5 percent of ALA can be converted to DHA or EPA, and ALA’s overall health benefits are unclear. If you are taking blood thinners, use omega-3s in moderation, since they also thin blood. And if you take weight control products or fiber, eat omega 3s separately, since both may interfere with absorption.