Nutraceuticals and Health: Review of Human Evidence

Although health claims for nutraceuticals range from the fantastic to the sublime, most of these claims are based on cell culture studies and have not been validated in humans, making them inadequate for public health recommendations. Focusing on human population-based research (epidemiology studies), Nutraceuticals and Health: Review of Human Evidence explores the role of nutraceuticals in human health, disease prevention, health promotion, and as an adjunct to disease treatment. The editors and their team of recognized experts deliver a comprehensive scientific review of the latest research. The book opens with a general background of nutraceuticals and human health, then covers health and disease areas such as cancer, lipidermia and cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome with obesity, diabetes and hypertension, respiratory health, the gut microbiome, and cognitive decline. It then concludes by addressing the methodological issues that must be addressed in the conduct of epidemiological research on nutraceuticals in health and disease. Although nutraceuticals hold significant promise in alleviating the suffering from disease, for this potential to be fulfilled, much more research is needed to document safety and disease risks in humans. Addressing important knowledge gaps, the book includes cutting-edge summaries that highlight both the biological and epidemiological findings of relevant studies of nutraceuticals in health and disease. Taking an unusual, yet crucial epidemiological focus, it examines whether, and what kinds of, evidence exist to support a role for nutraceuticals in disease risk, prevention, and treatment.