Nutraceuticals and functional foods

Nutraceutical, derived from “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical”, refers to extracts of foods with medicinal or beneficial effects on human health. The nutraceutical is usually contained in a medicinal format such as a capsule, tablet or powder in a prescribed dose.

A nutraceutical implies that the extract or food is demonstrated to have a physiological benefit or provide protection against a chronic disease.

Functional foods that are consumed as part of a usual diet have physiological benefits and/or reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond basic nutritional functions. Functional food or medicinal food can be fresh or processed food claimed to have a health-promoting and/or disease-preventing property beyond the basic nutritional function of supplying nutrients.

Examples of claims made for nutraceuticals are resveratrol from red grape products as an antioxidant. Broccoli would be a good functional food.