The popular rephrased proverb ‘An apple a day keeps the disease away’ is more relevant today. Immunity and wellness products are the modern day ‘apple’. They provide food nutrients every day, in required adequate quantities, to the body cells and make them function optimally. Because fit body cells, healthy body cells, mean fit and healthy body.
Scientific study estimates 226 types of body cells accumulating to appx. 37.2 trillion cells. Different type of body cells performs different functions. Based on the cellular structure of the human body the nutrient need for each type of cell is also different and hence the need for products that provide the nutrient need for different types of body cells to reduce risk of discomfort, disorder, disease, and disability. There is also a heightened preference for nutraceutical products that aim to remove the
‘dis’ from discomfort and provide comfort
‘dis’ from disorder and bring order
‘dis’ from disease and bring ease to body
‘dis’ from disability and bring in ability
Nutraceutical food products are not pharmaceutical medicines and are packaged as tablets, capsule, syrups for easy administration and convenience of consumers. Just pop the anytime pill and you have charged yourself with required nutrients, so convenient, hygienic, and time saving. They bring a physiological benefit to the human body, promoting health and fitness.
Father of modern medicine, Hippocrates also believed and advocated ‘Let Food Be Thy Medicine and Medicine Be Thy Food’. Hippocrates believed and advocate nutrient rich diet to prevent diseases. However, over the years extensive marketing has pitched drugs, medicines, pharmaceuticals as the only saviour to health and fitness and the “food as medicine” philosophy of Hippocrates has been largely neglected. That is now changing.
As per WHO there are over 2 billion people who suffer from diseases due to nutrient deficiencies. We call this condition ‘Nutrient Malnutrition’. Both rich and poor suffer from nutrient malnutrition. The increase in number of people who are calorie sufficient and consume more than 2000 Kcal per day but are nutrient malnourished is significant. This increase in number of people who are well to do, calorie nourished but nutrient malnourished is due to the new lifestyle that is a big compromise on nutrient content of food. These nutrient deficiencies emerge as symptoms of discomfort, escalate to disorder, escalate to disease and disability. Nutrient deficiencies are silent killers.
The evolving lifestyle has been a cause of rise in incidence of disease due to micronutrient deficiency and that has contributed to unwanted extra load of these diseases on the fragile healthcare system and economies. Nutraceutical products are nutrient rich and help to reduce micronutrient deficiency and provide nutrients in specific, safe concentrations that have medicinal effects and help prevent, cure, and reverse a disease.
Dr Minto Purshotam Gupta, Chairman & Managing Director, Deccan Healthcare