Dietary Supplements Downloaded from pubs.acs.org by 46.148.120.25 on 09/29/18. For personal use only.
Preface Dietary supplements are used by 50-60% of the American population, and more than 300 million people worldwide. Today, dietary supplements are 'mainstream' and can be purchased not only via the Internet, pharmacies, grocery stores and specialty shops, but in virtually all major supermarkets, drug stores and national outlets. Dietary supplements are occupying increased shelf space in these stores largely due to consumer demand and this has lead in part to an increasing number of dietary supplemental products available that are marketed to address a wider range of health and nutritional applications. Besides traditional multivitamins and minerals, dietary supplements are used to boost energy, to maintain health of the digestive system, to aid in weight loss, reduce anxiety and stress, enhance our immune system, and in support of most health and nutritionally related conditions or issues. Factor in the significant increase of American that turn to and proactively seek and visit Alternative and Complimentary Medicine practitioners and therapist as a routine part of their families medical, nutritional and health counsel the use and reliance on dietary supplements will continue to increase as will the expectations of their efficacy. In recent years, the most rapid growing portion of dietary supplements is in natural botanical supplements. However, due to the complexity of chemical components in plant extracts, our scientific understanding of the efficacy of these botanical supplements remains very limited. We are challenged not only by the complexity of the natural products that may be found in a single plant, but in the common mixtures and blends that contain many botanical ingredients. We are challenged in the quality control and standardization of product preparations and in our basic understanding as to the products actual bioavailability, and chemical fate after consumption, such that the
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identification of the compound(s) responsible and the underlying mechanism of how it may work are elusive. Coupled to issues of safety and toxicity, product stability and even adulteration, it is clear that there is significant work to be researched as we improve our understanding of botanicals used as dietary supplements. The breadth of scientific research in this continuing emerging field continues to bridge the gap from purported uses to one of evidence-based. The aim of this book is to provide some of the latest findings and perspectives related to dietary supplements (Chapters 1-3), phytochemistry of botanical dietary supplements and newer products (Chapters 4-8), as well as bioactive compounds of teas and fruits (Chapters 9-16). Finally, the safety and bioactivity of selected dietary supplements are discussed (Chapters 17-21). The book will serve as a useful reference for research workers and students in a variety of disciplines, including food science, nutrition, chemistry and biochemistry, as well as for health professionals. Researchers in the universities, industry, and government laboratories will find the book of particular interest as it provides the most recent findings in this evergrowing area. We are indebted to all authors who contributed to this book and shared their vast knowledge in preparing a state-of-the-art information package for those interested in the area of dietary supplements.
Chi-Tang Ho
James E. Simon
Department of Food Science Rutgers University 65 Dudley Road New Brunswick, N J 08901
New Use Agriculture and Natural Plant Products Program, Department of Plant Biology & Plant Pathology Rutgers University 59 Dudley Road New Brunswick, N J 08901
Fereidoon Shahidi
Yu Shao
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Department of Biochemistry Memorial University of Newfoundland 1500 Littleton Road Parsippany, N J 07054 St. John's, NL Canada A 1 B 3X9
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Dietary Supplements
