What are Nutraceuticals and Why Do We Need Them?

What are Nutraceuticals and Why Do We Need Them?

The term "nutraceuticals" is a combination of the words nutrition and pharmaceutical, coined by Stephen DeFelice, a doctor and the founder of the Foundation for Innovation in Medicine (FIM) in 1989. Since then, the popularity of nutraceuticals has soared, perhaps due in part to increasing suspicions and concerns about chemically over-processed foods and their impact on society at large.

Natural Treatments

People have depended on natural treatments for centuries, using plant extracts, therapeutic massages, even long-perfected dances to heal the ills and anxieties of society. But in more recent generations, natural healing has given way to a thriving industry filled with chemically-generated drugs and laboratory-altered pills.

the effectiveness of scientifically-tested and tampered treatments is undeniable. Extended life spans are in part a testament to extraordinary effects science can have on the body. If not the core problem, then at least the side effects of myriad ailments have been alleviated by modern medicine, often allowing the sick and the suffering to lead vigorous, fulfilling lives.

In spite of modern achievements, much of the public has found fault with prescribed medications. Whether this sentiment has something to do with unusually high expectations or by the inaccessibility to overwhelmingly-expensive healthcare, the fact remains—the popularity of natural treatments has come full-circle.

Natural Herbs

Nutraceuticals

The public’s search for newer, less-expensive and more effective treatments has fueled a growing interest in nutraceuticals. Whether they come in the form of nutrients, herbs or dietary supplements, claims of nutraceuticals’ effectiveness in the prevention of various ailments have brought increased attention to these alternative forms of treatment.

Herbs

Perhaps due to their more obscure, somewhat romanticized image, people have progressively turned to herbs for their potential health benefits. Less tested than those nutraceuticals derived from household fruits and vegetables, herbs have provided the public with hopes of new and undiscovered treatments. The following botanical products, often marketed in the form of concentrates or extracts, have been commonly cited for their therapeutic effects. *

• Aloe Vera—alleviates inflammation, sooths skins
• Chamomile—alleviates inflammation, heals wounds
• Echinacea—treats symptoms of the common cold
• Ephedra- reduces appetite, narrows blood vessels (thereby increasing blood pressure)
• Garlic—inhibits growth of fungus, fights common cold, lowers cholesterol
• Ginger—decreases nausea, lowers cholesterol
• Ginkgo Biloba—improves short-term memory and attention, increases blood flow
• St. John’s Wort—decreases depression
• Willow Bark—alleviates inflammation, relieves pain

Nutraceutical Products

Nutraceuticals have been credited with curing a wide variety of ailments. From the minor to the serious, many have adamantly insisted that the nutraceuticals they tried were responsible for eliminating their health problems. While some popular nutraceuticals have been tested and approved for treatment, others, through word-of-mouth endorsement, have been informally accepted as effective in the improvement of the public’s wellbeing. The amelioration of the following problems has been attributed by some to the nutraceuticals below.

• Headache
  • Butterbur
  • Feverfew
• Backache
  • Devil's claw
  • Willow bark
• Anxiety
  • Kava
  • Lavender
• Depression
  • Sage
  • St. John's wort
• Memory
  • Ginkgo
  • Sage

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