Nutrition Research at the Leading Edge

Nutraceuticals are established food components widely consumed as supplements to the diet, either as formulated products or for fortification of foods, particularly functional foods. Over the last two decades there has been a steady growth in research into the possible health benefits. Both the general public and the media have become increasingly interested, and this has coincided with a general interest in health issues. This has resulted in increasing usage of commercially available products, as well as their food sources. It is now well understood that modern pharmaceuticals cannot successfully treat all diseases, coupled with their lack of effectiveness in certain disease states, and the possibility of marked side effects. There is logical use of a number of nutraceuticals which are endogenous nutrients from a range of food sources, as many diseases maybe caused by deficiency states.