Nutraceuticals, Nutrition Supplements: Challenges
Nutraceutical is a combination of two words “nutrient” and “pharmaceutical.” Nutraceuticals and nutritional supplements are collectively referred to as “dietary supplements,” intended to be taken orally. The discovery, development and marketing of nutraceuticals and related products are currently the fastest growing segments. This trend is driven by several factors, mainly due to the current consumer perceptions: the first and dominant being 'Natural is good', and other secondary, such as the increasing cost of many pharmaceuticals and their negative secondary effects, the insistent marketing campaign, the increasing perception of the need of a healthy diet and its importance in the health and homeostasis organism conditions. The use of supplements is suggested to (but may not claim to) diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent diseases. Often, background information suggests that they are intended to affect the structure or function of the body. However, they do not und...