A food or part of a food tat provides a medical or health benefits, including the prevention and/or treatment of a disease.
Nutraceuticals are bioactive chemicals derived from foods but taken as supplements at much higher concentrations than
diet alone could provide. Antioxidants from fruits and vegetables, fatty
acids and disease fighting compounds from spices and condiments. They are consumed as part of a usual diet but are demonstrated to have physiological
benefits and reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond basic nutritional functions. They can be a single nutrient or a dietary supplement like multiple
vitamins or
minerals combined together. Nutraceuticals can be used when normal food does not give all the nutrition needed for the situation. He main categories of nutraceuticals include: vitamins, Amino acids and proteins, fibres and prebiotics, Carotenoids, Probiotics, Fatty acids, Polyphenols and flavonoids, Minerals and trace elements, Sterols and stanols.
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