Developing New
Functional Food and
Nutraceutical Products

Nutraceuticals and functional foods are becoming increasingly popular worldwide.
The “Ayurvedic Medicine” from India and the Chinese Traditional Medicine have
demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy of a number of botanical or herbal medicines
for thousands of years. The Unani (or Yunani) system of medicine is a Persian Arabic traditional medicine practiced in India (1526–1707 AD) and South-Central Asia,
which was based on the teachings of the Greek physician Hippocrates. In recent
years, there have been significant advances in the development of pharmaceuticals
and drugs aimed at treating a variety of disease conditions. However, most of these
pharmaceuticals or drugs are expensive and are associated with a number of adverse
side effects. More recently, a significant number of nutraceuticals and functional/
medical foods have been introduced to the worldwide marketplace, backed by broadbased safety and efficacy studies. These natural products are often less expensive,
and are available as over-the-counter products and have therefore gained popularity. To keep up with these changes medical and allied-health schools are training
physicians and health-care professionals on the use and benefits of alternative and
complementary medicine.