Home > Role of Nutraceuticals in Modern Healthcare

Preventive healthcare gained immense importance during the pandemic, providing a boost to nutraceuticals. Looking at the evergrowing market of nutraceuticals and health supplements in recent years, we can say these products are positively influencing the health of people while generating impressive revenue for their makers.

In India, the use of nutraceuticals increased manifold during the pandemic. Even the government was seen to be taking certain positive approaches towards traditional medicines and nutraceuticals in order to safeguard the population from the virus. Medical practitioners are increasingly prescribing health supplements and nutraceuticals for the post-covid recovery of the patient. Moreover, growing awareness about immune health during pandemic resulted in increasing acceptance of such nature-based products.

With the pandemic teaching us the importance of overall nutrition, people are getting more flexible toward nutraceuticals. Increased research and the rise in innovative nutraceutical products have also provided a leg up to growth of the sector. Undoubtedly, nutraceuticals helped a lot during the pandemic and will continue to provide health benefits in the future through innovative approaches.

Three Focus Areas

Following are the three major areas where nutraceuticals made their presence felt during the time of the pandemic:

Improving innate immunity:

As mentioned earlier, immune health is one of the topmost priorities in the fight against the virus. The pandemic scenario was filled with awareness programs about preventive health through different platforms which created an irreplaceable role for nutraceuticals in people’s minds. Nutraceutical innovators are making unique approaches in the field. In today’s scenario, various nutraceuticals are available in a variety of dosage forms like gummies, bars, etc, which is further increasing the acceptance of such products.

Immunity boosting nutraceuticals are the talk of the town in today’s scenario. Herb-based nutraceuticals are very popular among Indians. Hence, supplements containing Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia), Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Shilajit (Asphaltum punja-bianum), Amla (Emblica officinalis), Curcumin, etc. were produced and launched at greater pace during pandemic in India. Such supplements are going to stay for longer in the market irrespective of the presence of the pandemic.

Moreover, Vitamin C and Zinc containing nutraceuticals and supplements gained tremendous attention during pandemic owing to their immunity boosting potential. Such ingredients, rich in antioxidants and micronutrients, stimulate the working of the immune system and strengthen the preventive health of individuals. 

Strengthening mental functioning:

Stress, anxiety, depression and many more mental conditions were seen frequently in the population during the lockdown. Lockdown-induced changes in the lifestyle, eating and sleeping patterns further propelled this concern about mental health. Nutraceuticals were launched to tap this market as well.

Various nutraceutical ingredients like anthocyanins, vitamin B12, trans-resveratrol, alpha lipoic acids, acetylcholine, gamma aminobutyric acid, etc. covered the brain-health market during lockdown. Nutraceuticals containing herbs like Bacopa monniera, Ginkoba biloba and ginseng are also excellent brain boosters.

Moreover, selenium, omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid containing supplements are popular brain supplements in the market today. Such nutraceuticals are very helpful in resisting neurodegenerative processes and sustaining cognitive capacities in humans.

Brain boosters are also essential for elderly people to fight age-related cognition loss, parkinson’s and other brain disorders.

Overall need of nutritional elements for health and wellbeing:

Rising health consciousness among the population is resulting in increased consumption of health foods and supplements in recent times.

Nutraceuticals, being the source of natural active constituents boosting overall health, are part of everybody’s life to a lesser or greater degree. In today’s busy lifestyle, when nobody has the time to cook healthy food, nutraceuticals can play an important role in ensuring wholesome nutrition.

Currently, vitamins and mineral supplements producers are driving innovation and increased value in their nutraceutical formulations. Vitamin D, dietary minerals such as iron, selenium, zinc, amino acids such as arginine, glutamine are common elements of the health supplements nowadays as people are increasingly adding such health products in their lifestyle.

Finally, the benefits of prebiotics and probiotics are widely accepted and new technological advancements in the field will further drive the markets.

Influence of Nutraceuticals on current healthcare:

The current healthcare system has shifted its focus from cure to care. Owing to this, the use of nutraceuticals along with pharmaceuticals is rising in today’s scenario.

Nutraceuticals and natural health supplements are getting their well-deserved attention in the current system of healthcare. As physicians explore the integrative approach for treating patients, the presence of nutraceuticals in a patient’s regimen is on the rise. For faster recovery and rehabilitation during Covid, a number of medical practitioners are receptive towards using health supplements and nutraceuticals.

In addition to this, proactive patient care is also seen frequently in today’s healthcare. Early diagnosis and detection are employed in healthcare practices as prevention approaches are increasingly being prioritized. The use of nutraceuticals, traditional medicines and natural health supplements is one of the essential parts of such disease prevention approaches. Along with classic nutraceuticals, innovations in ‘natural immunity boosters’ are increasingly being accepted by healthcare professionals.

As the digitization of healthcare is underway, new technological headways are making their entrance into the healthcare system, including telehealth. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are also establishing their presence in current healthcare facilities which is making healthcare tasks easier and precise than earlier.

Way forward with Nutraceuticals:

As people are increasingly accepting the fact that supplementary nutrition through nutraceuticals and health supplements is a need of the hour, many are looking for evidence-based products with transparency at every step of product development. New generation consumers are not only health conscious but also have essential knowledge about the things they are consuming. There are a number of controversies associated with health supplements, which consumers are aware of. Moreover, an increasing penetration of social media keeps people updated and aware about correct nutrition and fraudulent products.

Product transparency, regulatory compliance and sincere business practices are essential in today’s scenario where nutraceuticals have competition at every point in the market. Although healthcare systems are quite favorable for nutraceuticals right, for greater acceptance, patient-centric and evidence-based approaches with advanced and sophisticated research outcomes are mandatory.

Finally, when it comes to the import of nutraceuticals, the regulatory framework has to be more conscious. Cases have come to light such as import of products which are banned or restricted in India, such as cannabis and its derivatives. Such products are also sold through e-commerce platforms, which requires regulatory interventions. Hence, strengthening the regulatory framework for nutraceuticals and health products is essential in this evolving health scenario.

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