What Are Nutraceuticals?
The term nutraceutical is the combination of the words ‘nutrition’ and ‘pharmaceuticals’ and it encompasses products which are sourced from foods and also believed to offer extra health benefits beyond the simple macronutrient calories. They include dietary supplements, functional foods or fortified foods. Nutraceuticals are meant to have preventive and health-enhancing benefits in the context of chronic diseases. They may be Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, probiotics, herbs and other biologically active substances.
The Industry: Nutraceuticals in India
The nutraceutical industry is growing in India with enhanced health concerns, increase in the per-capital income, and changing life styles towards preventive health care. Potential sources of inspiration have also comes to the light from India’s diverse bio geographical zones. India is in the foremost line of the growth curve in nutraceutical business that was USD 4 billion in the year 2017 and is expected to reached up to 20 billion in 2025 due to increasing requirement of dietary supplements among upper and middle class. (Courtesy: Indian Govt)
Market Growth and Potential
The Indian nutraceutical market growth is attributed to several factors:
- Increasing Health Consciousness: The awareness level of health consciousness pertains to the fact that consumers are gradually shifting from diseases curative cures to preventive measures in the form of nutraceuticals.
- Aging Population: The world is ageing and often with health problems hence the need for dietary supplements and functional foods.
- Urbanization and Lifestyle Changes: A rise in the rate of urbanization and changes in the human diet have forced people to embrace processed foods most of which provide little or no nutrients to the body. Nutraceuticals present a middle ground to meeting these nutritional deficiencies.
- Rising Disposable Income: The general enhancement in the consumers’ disposable income meant that they are spending more on health and wellness products such as the nutraceuticals.
- Technological Advancements: New technologies in food science and bio science are widening the opportunities and increase effectiveness in the products in the nutraceutical sector.
- Government Initiatives: The nutraceutical industry is further backed up by some policies and regulations made by the Indian government.
Regulatory Landscape
In India, nutraceuticals sector is under the regulation of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). That is why FSSAI has defined and regulates the Nutraceuticals as a ‘health supplement’ and ‘Nutraceuticals’ that have to comply with the safety and quality standards.
Trends and Innovations
- Personalized Nutrition: Personalized nutrition denotes specific choices that is gradually becoming the popular thing to do. A new trend is emerging whereby firms are locating on peoples’ specific health requirements in offering nutraceutical products.
- Natural and Organic Products: The consumption of natural and organic nutraceuticals has increased, the main reason being increase in concern among the consumers about synthetic additives and environment friendly production and processing.
Nutra Companies in Delhi NCR
Over the past several years, the nutraceutical industry has been steadily growing in Delhi NCR; in an effort to produce the best rated nutraceutical products for the market, the following are some of the leading nutraceutical companies: –
1. Pinnacle BioLabs
- Overview: Nutraceutical and diet supplements are some of the specialties of Pinnacle BioLabs that has uniqueness to it. It stresses on creating high quality products with the support of research and development.
- Products: Vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbal extracts and specialty products.
2. Herbalife India
- Overview: Herbalife as a company in nutraceutical industry is prevalent in many countries of the world and especially in the Delhi NCR. A number of dietary supplements and weight products are available from the firm.
- Products: Protein shake, vitamin and mineral, and herbal products.
Another other big names in these region are Nutrazeal Health Solutions, Alpspure Nutra, Dabur India Ltd, Amway India Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. etc.
Conclusion
The nutraceutical market has bright prospects in India due to the factors like growing health awareness, rising elderly people population and inclination towards the wellness approach to patient health care. The evolution of the sector corresponds to the trends for integrative health solutions that embrace nutritive qualities and therapy. Given the growing market and consumer awareness, firms in Delhi NCR and other parts of the country are likely to chart the next course of nutraceuticals in the country.
