Nutraceutical

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /njuːtɹəˈsuːtɪkəl/

Definitions

1. A health-promoting product obtained from food sources that supports well-being and can assist in disease prevention and management
2. A beneficial compound derived from foods that enhances health and may play a role in preventing or treating illnesses
3. A product derived from food that provides health benefits and may assist in disease prevention or improve overall wellness

Etymology: Stephen DeFelice coined "nutraceutical" in 1989, deliberately fusing two existing words. The first half, "nutrient," comes from Latin "nutrire," meaning "to nourish," while the second half, "pharmaceutical," points to the drug industry. The blend was meant to suggest a product that sits between food and medicine: something you eat that does more than fill you up. The term arose at a time when the line between diet and treatment was attracting commercial and scientific interest, and the blend packaged that idea into a single marketable word. Its meaning follows the same middle ground. It describes foods or food-derived products credited with health benefits, such as supporting wellness or helping to prevent disease, without being classed as drugs.

Synonyms: dietary supplement, functional food, nutritional supplement, health product, wellness product