Nutraceuticals: Emerging Trend in Public Health Promotion

Abstract

Neuraceuticals are the biologically active materials of known medicinal uses generally accepted to supply substantially to the therapeutic activity of the drug [1]. Nutraceutical was the term first defined by Dr. Stephen L. Later on, the meaning of nutraceutical term has been modified by Health Canada as a substance extracted, separated and or purified from foods, and sold in the form of drug and claimed to have a therapeutic activity [2]. Long ago Hippocrates, father of modern medicine emphasized as food must be medicine and medicine must be our food. Hence, the food we consume is suffering with lack of nutricinals and it necessitates us to provide the essential nutrients. As the nutraceuticals are recognized to play an important role in the public health promotion increased the worldwide awareness on these products. Nutraceuticals are considered as food or part of food gives therapeutic benefits and claimed to prevention and treatment of disease. These products include isolated nutrients, dietary supplements, herbal products and processed foods. Presently over 500 such products are available with renowned health benefits [3]. In future also there is a lot of scope in India for further growth of nutraceutical market. The scientific validation of nutraceutical products is also the area where are lacking behind.