Greek physician HIPPOCRATES
KNOWN AS
FATHER OF MEDICINES
SAID
“LET FOOD
BE THE MEDICINES”
The term “Nutraceutical” was coined from “Nutrition”
& “Pharmaceutical” in 1989 by Stephen De Felice,MD, Founder and
Chairman of the Foundation for Innovation in Medicine (FIM).
A food or part of
food or nutrient, that provides health benefits, including the prevention and
treatment of a disease.”
According to dietary supplement, health and education act
(DSHEA) dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet that
bears or contains one or more of the following dietary ingredients: a vitamin,
a mineral, an herb or other botanical, an amino acid, a dietary substance for
use by man to supplement the diet by increasing the total daily intake, or a
concentrate, metabolite, constituent, extract, or combinations of these
ingredients
Nutraceuticals is a
term used to describe any product derived from food sources that provides extra
health benefits in addition to the basic nutritional value found in foods.
Products typically claim to prevent chronic diseases, improve health, delay the
aging process, and increase life expectancy.
Why nutraceuticals……………?
The regular
consumption of synthetic drug may cause organ failure and so many other after
effects.
Numerous
epidemiological studies suggest that the risks for many chronic diseases are diet related and
could be decreased significantly through the change of dietary habits.
TYPES
Probiotics:-These
are living microorganisms, improve intestinal microbial balance, and also
involves functioning of large Intestine ex., Lactobacillus species
Prebiotics :-These are nutraceuticals which promote the
flourishing of probioics.bedore reaching the colonic region,ex.,Inulin it also
acts as Dietary fiber
Dietary
fibers:-Fibers are non- digestible polysaccharides found in
plant cell wlls,fibers which we eat in diet are called dietary fibers,
insufficient intake of fibers cause Constipation, Colorectal cancer etc..
Omega 3 fatty
acids (Poly unsaturated Fatty Acids PUFA):present
in various vegetable and marine animals,ex.,mustarad oil, cod liver, fish liver
oil, they helps in prevention of cholesterol formation/deposition.(EPA,DHA)
Antioxidants
:-Most
importantly reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other free radicals.These
species are continuously produced during physiological cellular metabolism. To
counteract the harmful effects of ROS, Vitamin C. Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
antioxidant system to maintain equilibrium between the pro-oxidants, or
damaging agents,
FUNCTIONS OF VITAMINS
Fat
Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin
A: Acts as
antioxidant, essential for growth and development, maintains healthy vision, skin and mucous membranes,
Vitamin
D: Essential for
formation of bones and teeth, helps the body to absorb and use calcium
Vitamin
E: Antioxidant,
helps to form blood cells, boosts immune system
Vitamin
K: Essential for
blood clotting
Water
Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin
C: Antioxidant,
necessary for healthy bones, gums, teeth and skin. Helps in wound healing,
prevent from common cold
Vitamin
B 1: Helps in
carbohydrate metabolism, essential for neurological function.
Vitamin
B 2: Energy
metabolism, maintain healthy eye, skin and nerve function.
Vitamin
B 3: Energy
metabolism, brain function
Vitamin
B 6: Helps to
produce essential proteins, convert proteins to energy
Vitamin
B 12: Help in
producing genetic material, formation of RBC, maintenance of CNS, synthesis of
amino acids, involved in metabolism of protein, fat and carbohydrate.
Folic
acid: Helps in RBC
formation, formation of genetic material of cell, very much essential during
pregnancy
Pantothenic
acid: Aids in
synthesis of cholesterol, steroids, and fatty acids, crucial for intra neuronal
synthesis of acetylcholine.
Herbals:
Aloe vera: Anti-inflammatory, emollient, wound healing,
Evening Primrose oil: Dietary supplement of linoleic acid, treatment of
atopic eczema,
Garlic: Antibacterial, antifungal, antithrombotic, antiinflammatory,
Ginger: carminative, antiemetic, treatment of dizziness
Ginseng: Adaptogen,
Green tea: Antioxidant, reduces risk of CVD, enhances humoral and cell mediated
Immunity,
Vegetables, fruits, whole grain, herbs, nuts and
various seeds contain an abundance of phenolic compounds, terpenoids, sulphur
compounds, pigments etc.
