Flynn Matthews 
Today, with the advance of science and biotechnology, we achieve or create things that we could not have imagined before. This way, we get to intervene in every aspect of our lives in pursuit of improvement. The same thing happens with food.
Many companies in the world, as if they were scientific laboratories, are innovating in the creation of adequate foods that help us improve our quality of life.
Throughout the time, we were adopting food to our diet to trial and error, to then improve harvesting techniques to reach the cultivation, livestock and complex prepared foods.
Today, the food industry with the help of food science offers us many innovations, especially in functional foods that are created to supply some specific deficiency or provide some benefit to the body.
Different people with different needs, whether for lifestyle or medical conditions, need to adapt their diet to improve their health. The diet of a young baseball player, who aims to be an MLB future pick, will not be the same as that of an aspiring swimmer, doctor or airplane pilot.
Among these groups, we can find those intolerant to gluten, lactose or nuts. Others should take care of sugar, salt or fat, for example.
Below we will show you some products that are at the forefront of intelligent designs.
Custom Milk
As we know, milk is part of the fundamental nutriment in our diet. It not only serves to mix it with cereals or a coffee, but it is an ingredient for countless recipes.
Thanks to scientific advances in the field of food, now each person has a type of milk that suits their needs. In addition to the traditional whole milk that we usually consume, there are also:
- Lactose-free milk, for people intolerant to lactose.
- Cero or low-fat milk for people who want to take care of their silhouette and health by lowering their cholesterol intake.
- Digestive milk, which stimulates the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
These and other varieties of milk also provide calcium, minerals, vitamins, etc., as well as the traditional benefits of it.
Functional Drinks
In addition to milk drinks enriched with probiotics, which strengthen the immune system and help maintain our digestive health, there are fruit drinks with specific, nutritive, antioxidant and metabolic properties, which provide extra benefits according to different needs.
Similarly, there are drinks designed for athletes or people who have a somewhat caloric expenditure. Being hydrating and non-energizing drinks (which do not overstimulate), they contain a combination of ingredients that improve performance. They provide a mixture of sugars and carbohydrates to supply enough energy for physical activity and mineral salts necessary for hydration.
Beverages with Non-caloric Sweeteners
Sucralose and stevia are plants native to South America that have become substitutes for sugar. There are even soft drinks sweetened with stevia.
Drinks such as juices or nectars contain more and more fruits or natural extracts of aloe, tea, and natural antioxidants are an alternative to cool down. This is because sugar-sweetened drinks, with the help of science and nature, have been evolving and finding substitutes that allow reducing the caloric intake without losing its flavor.
Foods With More…
We can say that it is necessary for industry and science to design more foods enriched in deficient nutrients.
Currently, there are products with a higher content of protein, vitamins, fiber, minerals, beneficial fatty acids such as Omega 3, contribute to the solution of food and nutrition problems that afflict not only some people, but also entire communities.
An example of these foods is pasta added with essential nutrients to mitigate food deficiencies, among many others.
Food with Less, or, Free Of…
Scientific advances have led us to develop more and more “smart foods”. There is an infinity of free foods of some components or substances for each type of consumer. The search for a balanced diet without sacrificing taste is not easy but not impossible.
We can say that, in recent years and in terms of public health, the reduction of trans fats, cholesterol, sugars, saturated fats, sodium and the replacement of artificial additives by natural ones stands out.
There is a huge range of foods, for example gluten-free, fat-free, trans-fat-free, lactose-free, sugar-free, etc., that allows people suffering from disease or are intolerant to dozens of ingredients, make an intelligent consumption depending on your requirements. They can also help you lose weight and belly fat.
To sum up, remember that not all foods are harmful. Even the FAO now recommends eating insects or jellyfish thanks to its large nutritional contributions.
Leave prejudices and eat intelligently. Remember, “we are what we eat”.
