Nutraceuticals, functional foods and botanical dietary supplements; promote wellbeing and underpin public health

Abstract

With growing consumers concern on well-being there is vast public interest in health. This interest has created market demand on foods for specified health use; nutraceuticals and botanical supplements. The increase sales trend of these food categories reflects growing levels of health consciousness throughout communities. Regulatory organisations are considering ways to show scientific basis to support and validate claims for functional ingredients or foods containing them. Fortunately, credible scientific research suggests there are many clinically demonstrated and potential health benefits from these food ingredients. As such foods proliferate there is a need to collect comprehensive data and make this database systematically available to doctors, herbalists, nutritionists and health professionals.