Recent Trends in Functional and Nutraceutical Foods

Abstract

A growing trend of health products, concept of food as medicine, associated public interest and consumers demand leads to a progressive research interest in functional foods and nutraceuticals development. While nutraceuticals and functional foods are becoming an alternative affordable system to reduce the risk of disease through prevention in spite of high tech therapies and costly medicines. Nutraceutical, Dietary Supplements and Functional foods are seems to be a thin line difference terms which are often used interchangeably. Still, at present there is no clear definition of nutraceutical and functional foods and most of them are provided by professional or regulatory organizations. While, these bioactives were finally used to develop health promoting functional foods and nutraceuticals. Nutraceutical, Dietary Supplements and Functional foods are seems to be a thin line difference terms which are often used interchangeably. Nutraceutical is a hybrid term of ‘nutrition’ and ‘pharmaceutical’.