Fulfillment or Function?

By Chelsea Lu Nov. 12, 2025

Picture a person who works out six days a week and eats five hard-boiled eggs for breakfast. Their refrigerator is completely devoid of processed foods—devoid of the joys of Hersheys and Lays—and is instead filled to the brim with protein and superfoods. For them, each meal is about optimizing their macronutrient intake rather than satisfying their tastebuds. While this lifestyle represents an extreme diet avoided by most people, attention to the health benefits of different food products is on the rise with the growth of functional foods.

Functional foods are enriched foods that provide health benefits beyond their basic nutritional level or aid in the prevention of diseases. Protein bars, probiotic yogurt and vitamin gummies all fall in the functional category, as they each contribute special health benefits. For instance, protein bars have added protein to help with muscle growth and repair, many yogurts contain extra probiotic supplements to improve digestion and balance gut health and vitamin gummies bring extra vitamins to the diet in the form of a treat. The National Library of Medicine reports that a daily

intake of these foods can lead to accumulated benefits and decreased risk of disease. For example, regular consumption of yogurt can reduce gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating and constipation, as well as decrease the chances of colon cancer, according to Harvard Health. Thus, many people choose to incorporate functional foods into their diet.

“Functional foods are a great way of encouraging healthy eating habits and lifestyles. Adding extra nutrients to the foods we are familiar with makes eating healthy a lot easier and more approachable,” Sophomore Claire Jeon said.

The functional foods craze originated in Japan in the 1980s, when the government began categorizing certain foods—such as tea, spinach and certain soy products—as “functional” to better the health of the aging population. Functional foods later spread to the European and Northern American markets, fueled by increased healthcare costs, consumer cultures, as well as a wellness boom after the COVID-19 pandemic, as stated in the study Physiologically Active Food Components: Their Role in Optimizing Health and Aging. Social media has also played a big role in the spread, with many nutrition companies using influencer endorsements to leverage engagement and sales for products with often exaggerated benefits. The videos then spread to a wide audience, often leading viewers to become hyperfixated on eating healthy. On TikTok and Instagram, health and wellness related hashtags like #wellnesstok and #healthylifestyle have amassed tens of billions of views. Now, nearly three quarters of global consumers are aware of and purchase functional foods, as reported by the Institute of Food Technologists.

Yet, claims that a food is functional may not always be true: many manufacturers use the label as a tool to boost sales. Often, these claims are backed by no scientific evidence and can be deceiving. An example is vitamin water, a beverage marketed as suitable for a healthy lifestyle with added vitamins, minerals and electrolytes. In reality, the average vitamin water contains about 5.5 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters, over half the sugar concentration found in Coca-Cola. Flavored yogurts, granola bars and many juices are also among products that are often deceptively labelled as functional, but may actually contain high amounts of sugar and fat that are detrimental if consumed

regularly.

“I drink gatorade when I play soccer, but only because it tastes good and not for the function of performing better—I do not see much of a difference in my playing. It does contain a lot of sugar though, which is probably why they taste good,” Freshman Shea Murphy said.

With this generation’s growing fixation on health, functional foods have become increasingly popular. However, while eating functional foods can be a great way to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it is important to distinguish the difference between actual nutritional value and marketing bluffs.

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About the Contributors

Chelsea Lu

entertainment & feature school editor

Chelsea Lu is a sophomore at Leland High School and the Entertainment and Feature School page editor. She likes to bake, read, and watch movies in her bed.