Defining 'nutraceuticals': neither nutritious nor pharmaceutical.

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Food Science
• Health Policy

Background:

• Widespread inconsistencies and contradictions exist in published definitions of nutraceuticals and functional foods.
• There is significant uncertainty regarding the actual meaning and application of these terms.
• The inventor of the term 'nutraceutical' has publicly stated that nutraceuticals do not work and research into their disease-preventive capabilities has ceased.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically explore the definitions of 'nutraceuticals' and related terms.
• To address the lack of internationally agreed-upon definitions for nutraceuticals, functional foods, health foods, and herbal products.
• To advocate for the abandonment of vague terms in favor of more precise scientific language.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review and analysis of existing literature and definitions.
• Comparison of terms like 'nutraceuticals', 'functional foods', 'dietary supplements', and 'fortified foods'.
• Examination of the etymology and historical usage of the term 'nutraceutical'.

Main Results:

• No internationally agreed definitions for 'nutraceuticals' and 'functional foods' were found.
• Existing definitions are vague, nondiscriminatory, and unhelpful, leading to confusion.
• Terms like 'dietary supplement' and 'fortified foods' have more specific applications, while 'food' and 'medicinal products' are well-defined.

Conclusions:

• The terms 'nutraceuticals' and 'functional foods' should be abandoned due to their ambiguity.
• More precise terminology is needed to accurately describe food products with health benefits.
• Well-defined terms such as 'fortified foods' and 'dietary regimens' offer clearer communication in nutrition and health.