Abstract

NUTRACEUTICALS: AN OVERVIEW

Rupesh Borse*, Neetu Khatri, Devendra Gorle and Soniya Mane

Abstract

Nutraceuticals are the substances which are to be considered as a food or part of food which possess health benefits including prevention of diseases and promoting the health. nutraceutical is composed of two words, one is Nutrition (a nourishing food component) and other one is Pharmaceuticals (a medical drug). The principal reasons for the growth of the nutraceutical market worldwide are the current population and the health trends. Functional food provides the body with the required amount of vitamins, fats, proteins, carbohydrates, etc. needed for its healthy survival. When functional food aids in the prevention and/or treatment of disease and disorders it is called a nutraceutical. The food products used as nutraceuticals can be categorized as dietary fibers, prebiotics, probiotics, polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants and other different types of herbal/ natural foods. The ability of nutraceuticals to influence chronic diseases like diabetes, different types of cancers, etc. should be recognized as an enormous opportunity in their treatment. They will play important role in future therapeutic developments. With the advancements in the qualitative and quantitative determining parameters, the requisition of these products has been found to be amplified. Due to this, the nutraceutical market has become a million-dollar industry at a global level.

Keywords: Nutraceuticals, Functional foods, Dietary fibers, Prebiotics, Probiotics.