You must be familiar with the word “Nutraceuticals”, if not then let me explain it to you. The word combines “nutrition” and “pharmaceuticals” to mean that food extracts can be used as preventive drugs or food supplements.
“Nutraceuticals is a marketing term but there are undoubtedly foods with active effects,” says the British Dietetics Association’s Duane Mellor. “You only have to look at coffee, with caffeine, which has a very obvious effect. There’s good evidence that stanols reduce cholesterol and you can get far more of it when it’s added to margarine than you would from food.”
Japan, where the probiotic drink Yakult was invented in 1935, is regarded as the homeland of nutraceuticals.
Clearly “nutraceuticals” can work, in some circumstances, for some people. Explaining why they work, though, is extremely difficult. Even omega-3, although generally accepted to be an important nutrient, has its limitations according to Dr Mellor. The much publicised research into its effects on children’s concentration is still heavily debated.
“There have been some successful trials but is it the omega-3 itself that has the effect?” he says. “There’s evidence that sitting down for a social meal and having a healthy diet works better.”
One reason that food is not really like medicine, then, is because there’s more to eating than just its chemical effects. “We need to go back to a traditional family meal,” says Dr Mellor. “It might not sound very exciting but we’ve lost the social aspect of food. That’s just as important. We’ve pinned too much on functional foods.”
Since there is no regulatory body for the manufacturing of nutraceuticals, it becomes difficult to assess product quality. Drugs regulated by the FDA must meet specific manufacturing standards. Nutraceuticals…not so much. Studies have shown that nutraceuticals are commonly mislabeled; may contain impurities, such as heavy metals, toxins, bacteria, molds; may have variable quantities of active ingredients; may fail to dissolve (thereby remaining ineffective). Though the label may say “X mg”, it is possible that some capsules have less (even zero) and some may have more. (By: Loren W. Noblitt, D.V.M., M.S.)
Indeed, the supplements industry has a long history of tainted products, which attracted attention in the late 1990s when the stimulant ma huang, or ephedra, was linked to organ damage and deaths and was consequently banned in 2004.
More recently, another banned substance, methylsynephrine (also called oxilofrine), has been found in supplements that did not list it on the label. Methylsynephrine is a pharmaceutical stimulant that increases blood pressure and stimulates the heart but which is not approved for use in the U.S. as either a supplement or prescription drug. It’s also listed on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s 2016 “Specified Stimulants” list, and a number of athletes who tested positive for the banned substance have claimed they unknowingly consumed methylsynephrine via contaminated sports supplements.
Both professional and amateur athletes are groups targeted by — and have paid the consequences for — adulterated supplements. Herbal remedies advertised for management of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and arthritis, or for weight management or erectile dysfunction, are also likely to be tainted. A 2016 study on the prevalence of methylsynephrine in dietary supplements analyzed 27 brands and found the substance present in 14 of them — with doses ranging from 0.0003 to 75 milligrams per cap or tablet. Researchers discovered that if consumers took the recommended dose listed on the label, they could potentially consume as much as 250 milligrams per day and experience side effects including vomiting, agitation and cardiac arrest.
But methylsynephrine is not the only unlisted additive found in supplements. In a 2014 review of supplement contamination, additives designed to intensify the claimed effects of natural supplements were found. The study indicated that synthetic ingredients were not listed on labels — including approved pharmaceuticals or ones that are no longer approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because of side effects
Why don’t we derive nutrients from food sources which is natural and healthy? The simple answer to this question is, we are “LETHARGIC” and we don’t LIKE those nutritious foods because they are either tasteless or have an irritable smell! We don’t like to step outside our homes and keep looking for those green and healthy foods. We can easily reach our table and get our nutrient supplements or took those out from our pockets whenever we need.
There are some food sources which will give you the same effect as neutraceuticals. Let us study these next.
The major phytonutrients identified to have nutraceutical properties include terpenes, phytosterole, phenols and theols.
Each of these are enumerated below:
Terpenes: Terpenes represent the largest class of phytonutrients. They are found in green foods, soya products and grains. Carotenoids and limonoids are the two major terpene subclasses. Carrots, tomatoes, parsley, orange and spinach are rich sources of carotenoids. They act as vitamin A precursor and have preventive action against many eye diseases. Limonoids act as antioxidants protecting lung tissues from free oxygen. Citrus peel can act as nutraceuticals supplying limonoids.
Phytosterols: Phytosterols form another major class of phytonutrients, which are present in all plants. The rich sources include yellow vegetables, seeds of pumpkins and yams. It facilitates the excretion of cholesterol from the body. It can also prevent the development of tumour in breast and prostate glands.
Phenols: Phenols comprise of a large group of phytonutrients with profound importance in preventive medicine. Berries, grapes and egg plants (Brinjal) are rich in phenolic content. Phenols have protective action against oxidative damage of tissues and inflammation.
Theols: Theols are a major sulphur containing class of phytonutrients. The food sources having theolic nutraceutical properties include garlic, onions, mustard, cabbage and turnip. They activate liver detoxification enzymes and can reduce tumour.
