Lactoserum

Lactoserum, a byproduct of cheese industry, is rich in nutrients, but it is discharged directly into the environment. It has many human applications that promise to be a complete nutraceutical for the future generations. It is of high nutritive value and its products can be used as functional ingredients in food and pharmaceutical applications and as nutrients in dietary and health foods. They contain full spectrum of amino acids including essential and branched-chain amino acids which are important in tissue growth and repair. The other biological activities of lactoserum are antibiotic, anti-cancer, anti-toxin, immune-enhancer, and prebiotic (growth enhancement of gut microflora such as bifidobacteria). Lactoserum can thus be used as nutraceutical in various products like infant formulas, food supplements, cheese spreads, sports bars, and beverages to meet a variety of health goals for people of all ages, including animal feed.

Biochemic System of Medicine

The biochemic system of medicine, also known as the inorganic cell salt therapy, pioneered by Dr. Wilhelm Heinrich Schuessler, following the footsteps of Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, is the oldest form of nutraceutical therapy approved and recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the complementary therapies. The chapter presents the fundamental ideology and concepts that underlies the promising system of biochemic medicine as concisely, simply, and to-the-point as possible. The chapter begins with a brief introduction to biochemic system, nutrition science, and concepts of nutraceuticals, followed by a brief history and literature review. It covers biochemic system of medicine and its relevant concepts before closing the chapter with a conclusion.

Nutraceutical and Functional Foods in Treatment of Anemia

WHO database mentions that the global anemia-affected population is 24.8%. To name a few conditions in which compromisation of the red blood corpuscles and hemoglobin occurs are iron deficiency anemia, gestational anemia, anemia due to malaria and parasitism, hemolytic anemia, sickle cell anemia. The line of treatment in case of anemia involves administration of iron supplements, plasmapheresis, steroids, blood transfusion at regular intervals, and lifestyle changes. The systematic approach applied for the pharmaceutical molecules should be equally inculcated in the case of nutraceuticals. The traditional system when woven carefully with the novel drug delivery system will give effective nutrient delivery. Functional foods have inherent nutritional value. Nutraceuticals and functional food cannot cure the anemic condition, but help the patient lead life almost like a normal individual.

Nutraceuticals Role in Stress, Aging, and Neurodegenerative Disorders

Nutraceuticals and functional foods have attracted considerable interest recently because of their well-known safety and potential nutritional and therapeutic effects. Nutraceuticals include food supplements, dietary supplements, value-added processed foods, as well as non-food supplements such as tablets, soft gels, and capsules etc. which are packed with bioactive components. Life expectancy continues to rise and along with a rise in the lifestyle diseases (i.e., obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders). Functional foods and nutraceuticals constitute a great promise to improve health, neurodegenerative disorders, and aging-related chronic diseases. A collective effort by the academia, industry, government, and research organization must keep on promoting nutraceutical and functional food to contain the menace of lifestyle diseases.

Clinical Role of Antioxidants in the Treatment of Diseases

Antioxidants are our first line of defense against free radical damage and are critical for maintaining optimum healthcare. Although most of the present day research is focused on the potential benefits of antioxidant nutrients or supplements, it has become clear that the best protection against oxidative stress involves a wide assortment of interrelated antioxidants and antioxidant cofactors. Additionally, the combination of several suboptimal concentrations of these kinds of detoxifying supplements may have an additive or even synergistic role to decrease the risk of some of diseases which are caused by aging. Adequate intake of fruit and vegetables have essential antioxidants like B-carotene and vitamin C, which are reported for decreasing the risk of cancer and coronary heart disease (CHD).

Nutraceutical and Functional Foods in Cancer Management and Therapy

Cancer is an insidious disease affecting mankind in every country. The progression of cancer cells from one part of the body to another (metastasis) is one of the biggest problems in curing cancer. The present study brings new hope of future therapies to fight cancer. Designing an appropriate food to maintain proper health has become a necessity worldwide. Due to this, the food industries in many countries are modifying their products as a response to consumer demands. In recent years, many of the natural products are gaining popularity as nutraceuticals.

The Protective Role of Nutraceuticals and Functional Food in Hyperlipidemia

Diets rich in fats and cholesterol are mainly responsible for the production of free radicals which contribute to the incidence of hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia. Both of these are the major factors responsible for CVDs. Hyperlipidemia is characterized by elevated level of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), and reduced level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in serum. The main role of diet is to provide ample amount of nutrients to meet the nutritional requirements of an individual. However, there are increasing scientific approaches helping the hypothesis that some food ingredients have beneficial effects over and above the provision of the basic nutrients. So in this chapter, the main focus is food categorized under nutraceutical and functional food and their various protective roles in the case of hyperlipidemia.

Roles of Nutraceuticals and Functional Food in Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

The chapter provides an overview of cardiovascular disease, a major cause of mortality worldwide. It relates economic and social impacts to the disease, especially in developing countries. One of the approaches to addressing this challenge is increasing awareness within society, through implementation of education programs. It is important for society to understand the types and roles of the risk factors leading to cardiovascular disease. Emphasis is on the role of functional food and nutraceuticals as dietary sources that could prevent development of cardiovascular disease. The chapter highlights roles of nutraceuticals and functional food sources from medical plants, seeds, berries, and tropical fruits in lowering risk factors. Key findings from trials conducted in Asia, China, Europe, and America provide supporting evidence for the importance of functional food to health, and its potential for modifying the level of risk factors related to cardiovascular diseases.

Recent Trends in Functional Foods for Obesity Management

Obesity is a medical condition caused by the accumulation of excess fat in the body. The main causes of obesity are lifestyle, less physical activity, and increased health problems. Overweight and obesity have increased over the past 20 years in many regions of the world, particularly the prevalence of obesity in childhood. It is not only a problem of developed countries but also becoming a growing burden for the developing countries. Functional foods might play important role in prevention or treatment of overweight. Functional foods for obesity influences the energy balance equation regulated by the control of energy intake or of energy dissipated as heat (thermogenesis).

Impact of Probiotics in Human Health and Disease Treatment

Probiotics have become the major breakthrough in therapeutic applications due to their various health promoting effects in humans by maintaining the homeostasis of the intestine and prevent microbial imbalance (dysbiosis) without any side effects. Dysbiosis in the microbial population is the major cause for several diseases in humans. Treatment of diseases using antibiotics is not recommended due to high cost, side effects, and the loss of intestinal friendly bacteria. Probiotics work in symbiotic association with the intestine and produce several metabolites which not only regulate the growth of pathogenic bacteria but also provide vital nutrients which contribute to human health. The present chapter highlights about the role of probiotics in treatment and prevention of different human diseases.