Abstract:

Neutraceutical, is a food or part of a food that supposedly provide medicinal or health benefits, including the prevention or treatment of the disease by acting on the root cause of the disease or problem. The word “nutraceutical” consolidates two words – “nutrient”, which is health-giving, beneficial dietary constituent and “pharmaceutical”, which means medicinal remedy. At specific time in the past, traditional Indian homemade food played a pivotal role on immunity, inflammation, brain function and people were healthy. Now, the scenario across the globe has changed and India has also become a part of it. Increasing health awareness, drift in population disease demographics, where younger people are furthermore affected, lifestyle alterations, escalated purchasers opulence and elevated life expectancy are responsible for increasing market for nutraceuticals in India. Wide range of nutraceuticals are targeted right from the birth in the form of formula milk, dietary supplements, protein health drinks to meet one’s need. People presume that these supplements are thoroughly safe as they are natural and vended over the counter. The use of processed and pre-packed food, lack of standardization and awareness of effective dose and its safety, excessive pricing, marketing and distribution is questionable and controversial. The need, scope, and importance of this article is to give an overview of inappropriate use of nutraceuticals and valiant challenges for government to impose stringent guidelines and regulations over the active ingredients, identity, purity and bioavailability for the rationale use of nutraceuticals and to strengthen nutrivigilance in India.