Nutraceuticals in Human Health: Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food (Books for the Concerned Citizen)

Have you noticed how quickly advertisements of immunity boosters have mushroomed recently? Turmeric latte, tulsi, amla, ginger, . . . the list goes on. Whether such supplements really work or whether the effect is purely psychological is a different matter—but Nutraceuticals in Human Health goes a long way in helping you to make sense of what nutraceuticals are, to examine the oft exaggerated claims of their benefits, and to separate marketing gimmicks from truth.Whereas marked changes in the lifestyles of Indians, particularly those living in cities, have greatly increased the incidence of such lifestyle-related disorders as diabetes and hypertension and in diseases of the heart, the covid-19 pandemic has made people greatly conscious of their health and well-being. That consciousness has also fuelled the demand for ‘nutraceuticals’, a term that the Oxford dictionary offers as a synonym for ‘functional food’, defining it simply as “a food containing health-giving additives.” However, there is much more to nutraceuticals than that.Starting from some explanation of how the changing work pattern of urban Indians – more sedentary, more stressful, and less predictable – affects their health, Nutraceuticals in Human Health shows what nutraceuticals are made up of, how they differ from pharmaceuticals (drug), and why the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has stepped in to regulate the industry. This little book even shows you how to read the label pasted on a bottle of medicine and answers a number of frequently asked questions on consuming nutraceuticals.Going beyond the individual citizen, the author, an accomplished researcher in the field, then goes on to describe the current scenario in terms of the expanding market, global trends that drive the industry at present, and the challenges it faces. The concluding section returns to the individual with some remarks on an individual-centric approach to nutraceuticals.Contents: ForewordPrefaceFood is medicine: introducing nutraceuticalsFunction of food nutrients: the balanced dietIndian diet and changes in lifestyleVarious definitions of nutraceuticalsNutraceuticals: an umbrella termSome terms under the Food Safety and Standards ActSources of nutraceuticalsWhat is in our food supplementsConsumer awareness and regulationLabelling categories and claimsHow to read a labelRegulations and false claimsMarketing gimmicks versus realitiesPharmaceuticals versus nutraceuticalsCurrent market space for nutraceuticalsGlobal trends in a nutshellIndian scenarioMajor growth drivers of nutraceuticals marketRestorative concluding remarksConsuming nutraceuticals: frequently asked questionsHonest Abe’s valuable adviceChallenges for nutraceuticalsFinal remarks: individual-centric approach to nutraceuticalsBibliographySome useful websitesAudience: Adults who are concerned about topical issues but lack the understanding to make sense of what they read or watch in the mass mediaShelving:Food Engineering and Technology, Food Science and Technology, Biotechnology, Life Sciences Read more