How sweet it is

Although most Americans may not know what a "functional food" is, that doesn't mean they're not consuming it in great quantities and on purpose. Functional foods are those that provide "a health benefit beyond basic nutrition," the International Food Information Council Foundation (IFICF) says, More than 60 percent of Americans, according to IFICF's March 2002 survey, eat broccoli, carrots, green leafy vegetables and tomatoes precisely to help ward off specific diseases or to gain particular health benefits. There's a possible newcomer: chocolate. A growing body of evidence indicates that its flavonoids reduce blood pressure and keep the blood flowing. So chow down, chocoholics!

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