Nutraceuticals: The Meeting Between Food And Health

We often hear about nutraceutical products, but what is it, and above all, what are the differences with a classic supplement? “we are what we eat,” With this simple phrase, he underlined the importance of nutrition within everyone’s life, not only as a source of sustenance but as a fundamental basis for the health and well-being of the human organism. Hence the rationale that led to the birth of nutraceutical products in 1989. Nutraceuticals differ from the joint supplements we are used to knowing and buying in pharmacies or online. We try to answer the most frequently asked questions about nutraceuticals.

1. What is meant by nutraceutical?
2. What are nutraceuticals different from food supplements?
3. What are the most famous nutraceuticals? (Based on annual apple and based on beta-glucans)

What Is Meant By Nutraceutical?

The term “Nutraceutical” comes from the fusion of the words “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical” to indicate the discipline that studies all the components or bioactive principles present in food matrices. Does this mean that we can treat diseases and prevent others by eating an apple, a kiwi, or a bowl of cherries? This is not quite the case. Although a healthy and varied diet that includes fruit, vegetables, and vegetables is the basis for a healthy body, it is not enough to treat specific problems. If we analyze a single food, this will be made up of many molecules essential for the body. Still, they are almost all present in minimal concentrations ranging from milligrams to micrograms. Isolate one of these bioactive molecules, equipped with a specific action on the human body, and bring it to pharmacological concentration levels, is the basis for creating a nutraceutical product.

What Are Nutraceuticals Different From Food Supplements?

The main difference between these two classes of health products can be found precisely in the function they cover. While food or nutraceutical products aim to prevent and treat diseases, promoting human well-being, food supplements tend to support the daily diet, ensuring the intake of nutrients necessary for the proper functioning of the organism. Often, on the package leaflets of the supplements, you can read: “to be taken in case of low dietary intake or increased need. The difference may also be evident in terms of use, but it is not as clear from a legal point of view. 

Nutraceuticals are placed in a gray area between the world of drugs and foods with nutritional purposes. Not being defined by any lawful provision either at the Indian or international level, categorizing these products is particularly complex and gives rise to ambiguity. Some consider them closer to functional foods and those to actual drugs, and the truth is that it is an assisting category that is taking hold almost everywhere. In conclusion, in India, nutraceutical products are marketed as food supplements,

What Are The Most Famous Nutraceuticals?

The molecule from which the first studies started is Carnitine. Still, today many products are labeled as nutraceuticals, sometimes even in an entirely improper way due to the legislative hole described above. We want to tell you about just some of these products, which certainly fall into the category of “nutraceuticals.”

Nutraceuticals Based On Annual Apple

The nutraceutical sciences have spread as well as in pharmacies, even in research laboratories and universities. In one of the latter, the studies concerning the extracts obtained from the Annual Campana apple are refined and helpful in treating various body problems. We are talking about the Federico II University of Naples, which focused on the health properties of the Campania fruit, which in 2006 acquired the IGP brand(Protected Geographical Indication). “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” must have been the motto of the research group that conducted the studies on this food matrix which is quite beneficial for the body. The bioactive molecules responsible for this action are procyanidins. Flavonoids in the Annurca apple are found in a concentration of about four times greater than the other fruits of the same species. Scientific data showed that more than 250 subjects under investigation after constantly taking this product, showed:

1. The 8% reduction in total cholesterol, a sworn enemy of vessels and arteries;
2. The 14% increase in HDL cholesterol, defined as “good” cholesterol, favors the deposition of lipid particles in the tissues (especially hepatic), reducing their concentration in the blood.

Therefore, these substances are used in formulations such as Nutraceutical & Drugs Annurmets Hdl + 30 capsules, helpful in dealing with, preventing, and resolving hypercholesterolemia, which can cause severe damage in the long run to the cardio-vascular system. To enhance the hypo-cholesterol-lowering action, extracts obtained from fermented red rice (contained, for example, in Rottapharm Armolipid Plus Tablets ) are also helpful in lowering blood cholesterol levels.

There is also a series of procyanidins called B-2, which have a particular tropism for the hair and bulb. The molecule present in this type of PGI apple is active in reducing hair loss, favoring the increase in the diameter of the stem and strengthening its structure. Products such as Nutraceutical & Drugs Annurmets Hair Capsule have shown excellent results in combating hair loss and making hair fiber healthier and more resistant.

Read Also: What Is The Quantity Of Iodine Needed To Keep Body Healthy?