Effect of nutraceuticals

Finally, a particularly interesting ongoing challenge will be to understand the potential for do-it-yourself immune stimulation to have unintended consequences. There are now many herbal supplements, functional foods and other over-the-counter products that promise to boost the immune response and most are considered to be safe for use by the general public. Although there is limited published evidence of adverse immune system effects of these materials, some have been associated with autoimmunity [95,96], See chapter 11 for a detailed discussion of the beneficial and potential adverse effects of nutraceuticals and functional foods. 

Effect of Nutraceuticals on Physico-Chemical Properties of Sodium Caseinate Films Plasticized with Glycerol... 

The anti-inflammatory effects of nutraceuticals (curcumin, resveratrol, EGCG and other diaiylheptanoids) appear to be associated with their ability to inhibit NO, prosataglandins and cytokines. One of the most critical targets of these nutraceuticals involves NF-kB that regulates expression of a oIe variety of genes, such as COX-2, iNOS and proinflanunatory cytokines, responsible for inflammation (these targets are summarized in Figure 7). 

Boots AW, Haenen GRMM and Bast A. 2008. Health effects of quercetin From antioxidant to nutraceutical. 

Chapter 1 familiarizes the readers with the prospects of marine organism-derived substances in relation to medicinal value. It covers the present and future prospects of marine organisms. Chapters 2-11 describe the sources of marine bioactives. Individual chapters cover the importance and values of some frequently used marine animal species. Chapters 12-23, cover the medicinal effects of bioactives from marine animals. Chapters 24-29 discuss the value of microbes as medicinal foods. Finally, Chapters 30-32, discusses the applications of marine animals-derived materials in medicinal and nutraceutical industries in relation to human health. 

Marine organisms represent a valuable source of nutraceuticals and functional compounds. The biodiversity of the marine environment and the associated chemical diversity constitute a practically unlimited resource of novel active substances for the development of bioactive products. Recently, a great deal of interest has been expressed in marine-derived bioactive peptides because of their numerous beneficial health effects. Moreover, several studies have reported that marine bioactive peptides can be used as... 

Miyashita, K. and Hosokawa, M. (2008). Beneficial health effects of seaweed carotenoid, fucoxanthin. In "Marine Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods", (C. Barrow and... 

At the same time, it is necessary to realize, as Faulks and Southon (2008) have noted recently, that an increased intake of nutraceuticals via foods may not simply confer specific health benefits. In addition, there may be a more general effect of stimulating changes in homeostasis, which may cumulatively confer health benefits. Furthermore, some other factors, such as individual human variation, gender, age and lifestyle, must also be considered, both in relation to personalized nutrition and in order to identify requirements of specific subgroups for healthy eating . 

Pharaohs regarded food to be the bearer of both divinity and vital strength. The current interest in the positive health effects of functional foods, nutraceuticals and herbal medicines seems to be a return to the philosophy of ancient Egypt. The public seems to have an impetuous optimistic view about these natural products and so a realistic risk-benefit analysis for these products is not requested by the consumer. As a result these products are consumed without any toxicological hesitation, and concerns on the safety of these products are scarce. 

Problems with wide-scale use of nutraceuticals have been reported by U.S. poison control centers. Symptoms ranging from mild to severe have been noted in adult and pediatric cases, and associations are difficult to verify if a product has more than one ingredient, or is incompletely labeled. ° Most nutraceuticals have been involved in clinical trials, and reports of minor gastrointestinal side effects are typical. More serious side effects have also been reported. 

Interactions between nutraceuticals and prescribed medicines or even other nutraceuticals are being reported. Interactions between nutraceuticals and medicines include those experienced with melatonin, which was shown to exacerbate methamphetamine-induced neurochemical effects, again in animal studies policosanol has been shown to stimulate the antiulcer effects of... 

As nutraceuticals are not classified as medicinal products, their manufacture is often not legally regulated. Nutraceuticals are widely available for sale, and the many suppliers may formulate their products differently this leads to variations between products of different manufacturers. Products available for purchase are not necessarily of the same quality as those used in reported clinical trials. For effective and safe use, the products must contain the same active ingredient, at the same concentration, have known bioavailability per delivery system, and state detailed and correct information on packaging or patient leaflet. However, possibly due to purchase from non-pharmaceutical sources such as the Internet, there is often little information on efficacy, drug interactions, effect of long-term use, abrupt discontinuation, or potential adverse effects available to patients. 

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