Nutraceutical products were once considered alternative medicine. For many years dietary supplements were not given serious credence by the medical community. New studies by food scientists have shown there to be more to food science than we thought just a couple decades ago. Until just recently, analysis of food was limited to the flavor of food and its nutritional value. However, there is growing evidence that other components of food may play an integral role in the link between food and health.

The word nutraceuticals was originally created by a man named Dr. Stephen L. DeFelice and is formed by combining the words "nutrition" and "pharmaceutical". The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines nutraceutical as "A food stuff (as a fortified food or a dietary supplement) that provides health benefits." Essentially, nutraceuticals are foods or food products that have beneficial influence on health, including the prevention and treatment of disease. Dietary supplements can be found in many forms like tablets, liquids, capsules, gel-caps, or powders. Among the ingredients in these products can consist of: vitamins, amino acids, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, and metabolites.

Such products are also classified as functional foods, signifying they and their components do more for our health than just providing basic nutrition. They may range from isolated nutrients, dietary supplements and genetically engineered foods to specific diets, herbal products, and processed foods. Recent breakthroughs by researchers and medical practitioners have allowed for the integration of information from clinical studies into effective treatments and therapies in medical practice.

Some examples include fruits and vegetables as well as fortified or enhanced foods. Even though all foods are functional in that they contain nutrients, nutraceuticals contain health-promoting ingredients and natural components that have a possible health benefit for the body.

Nutraceutical products are extremely popular among consumers in the U.S. and other nations. American sales of nutraceuticals have been greater than $30 billion per year for the past few years. Nutraceuticals are among the fastest-growing segments of the food industry. The new interest in the relationship between diet and health has lifted the demand for nutraceuticals info. Advances in science and technology, skyrocketing costs of health care, changes in food laws affecting labels, an aging population and rising interest in increased wellness through diet are among the factors fanning interest in nutraceuticals.

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