A REVIEW ON CURRENT ASPECTS OF NUTRACEUTICALS AND DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

Abstract

Using food products to promote health and cure disease is renowned. Currently, most of the drug molecules available in the formulations were anciently used in their crude form. Dr Stephen De Felice first coins the term Nutraceutics in 1989 to provide medical or health benefits including the prevention and treatment of diseases. Although the term "nutraceutical" is now recognized internationally as a linguistic combination of “nutrient” and “pharmaceutical”, and is accepted as “Any substance that may be considered a food or part of a food and provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease.” The greatest challenge will remain in the public policy and regulatory arenas, which will encourage research and development of products providing health benefits and permit truthful, nonmisleading communications of these products while protecting public health and maintaining public confidence. Nutraceuticals have received considerable interest because of their presumed safety and potential nutritional and therapeutic effects”. Pharmaceutical and nutritional companies are aware of the monetary success taking advantage of the more health-seeking consumers and the changing trends resulting in a proliferation of these value-added products aimed at heart health to cancer. Some popular nutraceuticals include glucosamine, ginseng, echinacea, folic acid, cod liver oil, omega-3 eggs, calcium-enriched orange juice, green tea etc. Majority of the nutraceuticals are claimed to possess multiple therapeutic benefits though substantial evidence is lacking for the benefits as well as unwanted effects. The present review has been devoted towards better understanding of the nutraceuticals based on their disease specific indications.