Nutraceuticals: The Medicines of the Future?

Michael is a typical 9 to 5 employee who works for a construction firm. This means his work consists of heavy weightlifting and manual labor. Lately his right knee has been aching and all the lifting is not making the condition any better either. If the conditions persist, he might have to look for a job that is more sedentary and less strenuous. Regardless, he goes in for a visit to his physician. Diagnosis reveals that he has arthritis. The physician suggests that the only possible solution is going for surgery. Not having medical coverage on such a procedure, Michael cannot afford such an expensive procedure given his modest income. His friend suggests using glucosamine, a daily supplement that promotes healthy joints. A couple of months later the pain completely dissipates and he is lifting weights at full strength. His physician is confused as to what improved Michael’s condition. But the physician is worried too: if all his patients start taking glucosamine and experience the same success like Michael, he will soon be out of business since no one will require ankle surgery! Michael’s story is typical of the increasing number of people who are discovering the tremendous benefits of powerful health supplements everyday that are classed in a category called nutraceuticals.

So what are nutraceuticals anyway? There are many loose definitions of nutraceuticals since it is a new emerging field but an article in articlebase.com gives the best definition:

The nutraceutical industry is concerned with nutraceuticals, that is food or part of a food that offers medical and/or health benefits including prevention or treatment of disease.

The health benefits of food are packaged in higher concentrations and offered in capsules and other supplements so that they are effective in fighting diseases and maintaining an optimum state of health. I guess popping pills are not a bad idea afterall but sadly we have been taking the ‘wrong’ type of pills. Dr. Mercola runs the number one health site in the world. The majority of his product sales come from nutraceuticals. Click here to check out the various types of nutraceuticals that are available in the market today. Currently, the nutraceutical industry is growing at a rate of 6% with annual sales projected to reach 15.5 billions dollars by 2010 according to a report by The Freedonia Group. Although growth and sales might be due to aggressive marketing campaigns, it is still an indicator that nutraceuticals are gaining rapid acceptance as people are starting to realize its health benefits.