In a world that bombards you with pharmaceutical advertisements and an abundance of doctors’ prescriptions, you might be looking for an alternative source to boost your health. Nutraceuticals can be just that. While similar to dietary supplements, nutraceuticals go a step further by aiding in disease prevention and providing therapeutic effects. Here are some things that might help determine if they’re right for you.
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What Is a Nutraceutical?
Unlike pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals are foods that contain nutritional additives and have medicinal functions that benefit your health. They contain vitamins, minerals and bioactive phytochemicals that people have used for a multitude of medicinal purposes throughout history, and they are the basis of many modern drugs.
What Forms Do Nutraceuticals Come In?
While they originate in plant-based foods, fruits and vegetables (for example, willow bark acts as a natural pain-reliever), nutraceuticals are distributed in all shapes and sizes across the world. These include mussel powder and oil, fish bone calcium powder, freeze dried oyster meat powder, and fruit and vegetable powders. They can even be found in pet supplement treats. (Click here to explore a company that produces nutraceutical pet treats!)
How Can Nutraceuticals Help You?
Numerous studies have been conducted on the broad range of therapeutic effects and health benefits of nutraceuticals. They’re found to aid with general well-being like delaying aging, increasing life-expectancy and countering allergens. The scope of benefits goes well beyond that, however, and they’ve had positive effects on osteoarthritis, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and neurological disorders, among many others. Herbal nutraceuticals are also being explored in combating especially difficult disorders and diseases.
As the pharmaceutical industry grows ever larger and the public becomes increasingly aware of the modifications made to food, more people are turning to natural, unprocessed solutions for their medical problems. Trying nutraceuticals could be a step in the right direction if you’re aiming for a less-processed lifestyle.