Nutraceuticals: One more step towards good health

Abstract

The term "nutraceutical" is used to describe any food, or part of a food supplements, that offers a medical or health benefit beyond simple nutrition. They play significant role in modifying and maintaining normal physiological function that is required for today’s busy and stressful life style. The principal reasons for the growth of the nutraceutical market worldwide are the current population and their health trends. The food products used as nutraceuticals can be categorized as dietary fibre, prebiotics, probiotics, polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants and other different types of herbal/ natural or functional foods. These nutraceuticals help in countering some of the serious health problems such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes, atherosclerosis etc. Thus, nutraceutical has lead to the new era of health protector in which the food and pharmaceutical industries has become a research oriented sector.