A portmanteau of “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical.” Nutraceuticals are defined as nutrient-rich ingredients and food products with scientifically proven physiological effects on health and disease. They are prepared from foods rather than medicinal plants (phytopharmaceuticals), and they are not enriched with additives. Unlike phytopharmaceuticals and food additives, nutraceuticals are produced and prepared at home in the kitchen. In addition to herbs (anise, chamomile, fennel), spices, and vegetables, microalgae, for example, are also classified as nutraceuticals. See the list of nutraceuticals and preparation methods under “Notes.” See also “Phytochemicals.”
Nutraceuticals are used for the prevention of diseases, as well as for treatment and to reduce side effects, such as those caused by chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
To distinguish between dietary supplements and nutraceuticals: Dietary supplements compensate for deficiencies in micro- or macronutrients, while nutraceuticals, based on sound evidence, are used for the prevention and, where appropriate, the treatment of diseases; this has been demonstrated in studies, for example, in chronic osteoarthritis (Coletti A et al. 2021). Phytopharmaceuticals, on the other hand, are regulated drugs. In the list of substances maintained by the federal government and the states, plants are classified either as food or, if a pharmacologically active dose is achieved, as traditional herbal medicinal substances .
Furthermore, they are used for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension—often as a supplement to standard medication—as well as for reducing side effects associated with radiation therapy or chemotherapy.