Nutraceuticals

Introduction:
The term Nutraceuticals was coined in 1979 by Stephen DeFellce, founder and chairman of the foundation for innovation in medicine located in Cranford, New Jersey. Dr Stephen DeFelice coined the term "Nutraceutical" from "Nutrition and "Pharmaceutical" in1989. It was defined as a food or part of food, that provides medical or health benefits including the prevention and treatment of disease. Eg. Lycopene, beta carotene. Nutraceuticals are found in a mosaic of products emerging from (a) the food industry (b) the herbal and dietary supplement market (c) Pharmaceutical industry and (d) the newly merged pharmaceutical/ agribusiness/ nutrition conglomerates. Most popular amongst these supplements are :

(a) Nutraceuticals, which are defined by Schaafsma and Fcord as supplements containing essential nutrient like vitamins and minerals whose bioactivity is not in doubt. (b) Nutraceuticals whose activities in the human body still need to be unequivocally demonstrated. FOOD AS MEDICINE Hippocrates, considered by some to be the father of Western medicine, said that people should Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 defined generally what constitutes a dietary supplement. A dietary supplement is a product taken by mouth that contains a "dietary ingredient" intended to supplement the diet. The "dietary ingredients" in these products may include: vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, glandulars, and metabolites. Dietary supplements can also be extracts or concentrates, and may be found in many forms such as tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, liquids, or powders.

Nutraceuticals are non- specific biological therapies used to promote wellness, prevent malignant processes and control symptoms. These can be grouped into the following three broad categories Substances with established nutritional functions such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids and fatty acids- Nutrients Herbs or botanical products as concentrates and extract- Herbals. Reagents derived from other sources e.g Pyruvate, Chondrotin sulphate, steroid hormones, precursors) serving specific functions such as sports nutrition- dietary supplements.

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Some common Examples for nutraceuticals: are orange, turmeric, lycopene FOOD AS NUTRACEUTICALS: It commonly includes Antioxidants Polyunsaturated fatty acids(PUFA) Dietary fibres Prebiotics and probiotics

Nutraceuticals and diseases

Evidences indicate that the mechanistic actions of natural compounds involve a wide array of biological processes, including activation of antioxidant defenses, signal transduction pathways, cell survival-associated gene expression, cell proliferation and differentiation and preservation of mitochondrial integrity. It appears that these properties play a crucial role in the protection against the pathologies of numerous age-related or chronic disease.

ADVANTAGES OF NUTRACEUTICALS Nutraceuticals are currently receiving recognition as being beneficial in coronary heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis and other chronic and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Improve health Helps in delaying age It increases life expectancy Reduced side effects with desirable outcomes Holistic approach.

LIMITATIONS : Not subjected to same testing and regulations as pharmaceuticals. Majority of them are not regulated by FDA in USA. Companies creating unregulated products to create a widw profit margin. There is no regulatory definition. Bioavailability of nutrients is lower. Effect may be attributed to that of a placebo.

FUNCTIONAL FOODS:
Often used to refer nutraceuticals, but not same but closely related. Legally defined as Foods for Specified Health Use( FOSHU), concept was introduced by japan in 1991. Functional foods are designed to allow consumers to eat enriched foods close to their natural state, rather than by taking dietary supplements manufactured in liquid or capsule form. Functional foods have been either enriched or fortified, a process called nutrification. This practice restores the nutrient content in a food back to similar levels from before the food was processed. Sometimes, additional complementary nutrients are added, such as vitamin D to milk.

Conclusion
Food which is being prepared with scientific intelligence is called functional food. When functional food aids in prevention or treatment of diseases other than anaemia it is called a nutraceuticals. A Functional food for one consumer can act as a nutraceutical for another.