Nutraceuticals History Classification and Market Demand

Abstract

Nutraceuticals are foods or parts of foods that provide health benefits, including the prevention or treatment of diseases. In simple terms, they are natural substances—often from plants—that are used as dietary supplements but are regulated as foods.
Plant-based nutraceuticals are especially popular because they are considered safe and have many nutritional and therapeutic effects. They help protect the body from both short-term and long-term diet-related diseases, supporting good health and longer life.
The use of herbal and dietary supplements is growing quickly, with the global market valued at over 100 billion USD. Common examples of plant-derived nutraceuticals include curcumin from turmeric, glucosamine from ginseng, and omega-3 fatty acids from linseed.This chapter gives an overview of nutraceuticals, the herbs used in them, how they are regulated, and their global market trends.