Nutraceuticals: is there good science behind the hype?

The term 'nutraceuticals' was originally coined in the late 1980s [1] and has since been used to describe a wide variety of non-pharmaceutical compounds that may have an impact on health and disease states, general well-being and performance.The term is poorly defined and has been used by consumers,producers and even healthcare professionals to refer to many different types of compounds, including (semi-)purified substances from natural sources, plant extracts, dietary supplements, vitamins and minerals, phytonutrients, various products with combinations of functional ingredients and even (modified) whole foods.