"The concept refers to a food or part of it that provides health benefits."

Nutraceuticals aims to promote the rational use of natural substances of plant and animal origin that have been given a pharmaceutical form and whose components have proven to be beneficial for the body.

It is a relatively new concept and is a product of the natural advance of the times. How to bring nutrition and health together in the perfect alliance? It's the nutraceutical. It was born in 1989, when Dr. Stephen DeFelice, president of the Foundation for Innovation in Medicine (FIM), coined the term to define "a food or part of a food that provides medical or health benefits, including prevention and / or the treatment of diseases ".

It is a therapeutic and preventive tool available to healthcare professionals and the general population. It consists of promoting the rational use of natural substances of animal or vegetable origin that have been given a pharmaceutical form, and whose components have been shown to have nutritional value and to be beneficial for the body.

Although it is not usual, nutraceuticals must be subjected to rigorous preclinical and clinical studies to characterize their biological properties and the mechanisms of action through which they unfold their preventive and / or therapeutic action.

"In summary, we are talking about foods with beneficial health effects that have been endowed with a pharmaceutical form and that, consequently, provide clear, objective and scientifically demonstrable medicinal properties", highlights Dr. Lucía Fernández-Novoa, from the Spanish Society of Medical Nutraceuticals (SENM). And he adds: "The main objective of nutraceuticals is prevention, one of the weak points of the health system."

As they are not classified as medicines, a medical prescription is not necessary, so they can be recommended by health professionals and are also accessible to the general public, increasingly better informed and more aware of their health. They are also excellent supplements and adjuvants for general-purpose medications, contributing in many cases to the reduction of doses and side effects.

Source:

alimente.elconfidencial.com - 15 Octubre 2020