Classification of dietary supplements and release form. Groups of dietary supplements: nutraceuticals, parapharmaceuticals Dietary supplements, nutraceuticals and parapharmaceuticals

For ease of consideration, dietary supplements are divided into three groups: nutraceuticals, parapharmaceuticals, and probiotics. However, this classification of dietary supplements is somewhat arbitrary, and this is due to the versatility of most i.e. with their versatile positive effect on the body - a complex effect on organs and organ systems.

In addition, parapharmaceuticals often contain food components (nutrients), for which reason they could be classified as nutraceuticals. And nutraceuticals, like parapharmaceuticals, have a multifunctional effect on the body.

Nutraceuticals

Nutraceuticals are dietary supplements, concentrates of biologically active substances (BAS), which enrich the human diet with individual substances or complexes so that the level of their content in the diet corresponds to the physiological needs of a person.

Nutraceuticals include vitamin-like substances, amino acids or peptide complexes, dietary fiber, etc.

To a large extent, the components of nutraceuticals are well studied, and their daily requirement for different groups of the population, taking into account gender and age, has been accurately determined. The level of their content is regulated by orders of the Ministry of Health: the amount of mineral salts is not higher than six times the daily norm, the level of vitamins (except E and C) is no more than three times the norm, for vitamins E and C ten times the physiological requirement is allowed.

Functions of nutraceuticals:

  • quickly and easily cover the lack of vital nutrients;
  • make it possible to adjust the individual diet for a specific person with no illnesses, taking into account factors such as his work, gender, age, genetic factors, biorhythms, physiological characteristics (pregnancy or lactation), environmental conditions, etc.;
  • increase the resistance of the body in people by enhancing the enzymatic protection of cells to the influence of unfavorable environmental factors, especially in environmentally unfavorable areas;
  • purposefully change the metabolism in the body in order to maximally satisfy the nutritional needs of a person with diseases;
  • have immunomodulatory properties, enhance the elimination of toxic and foreign substances (radionuclides, various heavy metals) from the body.

Nutraceuticals dietary supplements are divided into the following groups:

  1. Herbal preparations (diet modifiers).
  2. Minerals (micro- and macroelements).
  3. Macroelements (calcium, phosphorus, sulfur, potassium, sodium, magnesium).
  4. Microelements (zinc, manganese, iron, chromium, selenium, copper, iodine, fluorine, cobalt).
  5. Sources of minerals.
  6. Sources of vitamins.
  7. Multivitamin preparations (complex).
  8. Monovitamin preparations.
  9. Sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).
  10. Sources of ballast substances (dietary fiber).
  11. Dietary supplement for maintaining colon microflora.

Nutraceuticals are increasingly used in medical nutrition. Currently, they are a fairly effective form of prevention and treatment of a number of diseases: atherosclerosis, obesity, cardiovascular pathologies, malignant tumors, immunodeficiency states.

Parapharmaceuticals

Parapharmaceuticals are a class of dietary supplements that are similar in appearance and action to medications (tablets, capsules, tinctures, etc.). These can be preparations based on medicinal and food plants, bee products, and seafood. Parapharmaceuticals have general health-improving and restorative properties and can be used for prevention purposes and in the complex treatment of diseases. They usually contain natural biologically active substances of mineral or plant origin.

Parapharmaceuticals include:

  1. Organic and mineral substrates - mumiyo (mountain resin).
  2. Waste products of bees and animals: plant and animal poisons, honey, bile, propolis (a resinous substance produced by bees to seal cracks in the hive), antlers (growing deer antlers).
  3. Herbal teas and herbal infusions.
  4. Plant extracts with a high content of physiologically active substances: eleutherococcus, ginseng, lemongrass, golden root - radiola, seaweed.

Main parapharmacists- activate and stimulate the work of individual organs and systems.

However, it is worth remembering and knowing that the level of many biologically active substances of parapharmaceuticals in the body has not been established. The consumption rate for a healthy adult has also not been determined.

What is the difference from medications?

  1. Most parapharmaceuticals are obtained from natural raw materials.
  2. Parapharmaceuticals are distinguished from drugs by a wider range of doses used. But the amount of the active substance in the daily dose of parapharmaceuticals should not be higher than the amount in a single therapeutic dose in the drug in its chemically pure form.
  3. Currently, parapharmaceuticals are classified as food products and are used only internally.
  4. They are sold without a prescription.
  5. A doctor's consultation is required if parapharmaceuticals are used as an additional drug.
  6. Parapharmaceuticals have a significantly lower likelihood of developing toxic and adverse events compared to drugs. Individual intolerance is possible, which is also typical for food products.

Classification of parapharmaceuticals:

  1. Immunomodulators.
  2. Adaptogens (increase the body's resistance to harmful environmental influences).
  3. Toners (have a tonic effect).
  4. Hypolipidemics (reduce the level of “bad cholesterol” - LDL).
  5. Regulators of body systems and functions.
  6. Anorexigenic drugs - regulators of hunger.
  7. Parapharmaceuticals with natural enzymes.

A separate article is devoted to the group.

Groups of dietary supplements

In accordance with regulatory documents, the following groups of dietary supplements are also distinguished.

The following groups of dietary supplements and their composition are based on the sanitary and epidemiological rules and regulations “Hygienic requirements for the safety and nutritional value of food products” of 2001.

Biologically active additives, in which certain components predominate:

  1. Amino acids, proteins and their complexes.
  2. Vegetable and animal fats: fish oil, vegetable oils, fats of animal origin and on a mixed basis.
  3. Digestible, including honey with added syrups, biologically active components, etc.
  4. Ballast substances (dietary fiber): gum, cellulose, pectin, microcrystalline cellulose, bran, chitosan, fructoligosaccharides and other polysaccharides.
  5. Pure substances (minerals, organic acids, vitamins, etc.) or their concentrates (for example, plant extracts) using various types of fillers, including dry concentrates for drinks.
  6. Natural minerals (eg zeolites), including mumiyo.
  7. Plant base: pollen, dry mixtures of medicinal plants (teas), liquid (elixirs, balms, syrups, tinctures, etc.), encapsulated, tableted, powdered, including with the addition of microorganisms - prebiotics.

Brief summary

Exists classification of dietary supplements, defining three groups of dietary supplements: nutraceuticals, parapharmaceuticals, probiotics.

Nutraceuticals are dietary supplements containing individual biologically active substances (vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, etc.) or their complexes. Nutraceuticals are well studied by science and their dosage is clearly defined. They have a wide range of actions and are divided into several groups.

Parapharmaceuticals are biologically active additives that are made from beekeeping products, seafood, food and medicinal plants. They are similar to drugs, but they are not drugs; they have a number of differences. They have general healing properties; their main goal is to stimulate the work of individual organs and systems. Unlike nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals have not been studied as much. Thus, the norm for the content in the body of many biologically active substances that are in their composition has not been established, as well as the norm for their consumption. Parapharmaceuticals are also divided into several groups.

In addition to this classification of dietary supplements, there are groups of dietary supplements, the division of which is determined by the predominant component in their composition.

A dietary supplement for weight loss is a mysterious remedy, it is not clear whether it is useful or harmful, how effective is it and is it worth using? One of the types of dietary supplements for weight loss are nutraceuticals. Nutraceuticals (damn what a word)) are meal replacements or simply ideal food.

Most often, a nutraceutical is a protein powder from which you can prepare a cocktail based on juice, milk, kefir or yogurt with fruits or berries. Sounds temptingly delicious.

Why is this the perfect food? The fact is that a meal replacement contains (at least should (!) contain) high-quality protein (protein), which is necessary for complete effective weight loss. If you haven’t read about this yet, I suggest you read the article about Proteins for weight loss, Part 1 and Part 2, where we discussed in detail why protein is needed and why.

In addition, these dietary supplements include vitamins or their precursors, macro- and microelements and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Due to their composition, nutraceuticals, saturating the body with all these beneficial substances, improve its condition. Thus, giving a signal that it contains a sufficient amount of everything necessary and you can get rid of the excess immediately.


Simply put, excess weight, or rather fat, is a disease of the body, a lack of proteins, vitamins and essential substances and an excess of sugar, dyes, pesticides, fertilizers and chemicals. By giving what is necessary, we get rid of what is unnecessary.

Another dietary supplement for weight loss or nutraceutical is a very valuable thing for very busy people, because you only need 1-2 minutes to prepare a full meal.

To lose weight, replace 1-2-3 meals a day and with a minimum of calories (specially calculated by the manufacturer, it is 200-250 calories) your body receives maximum nutritional value.

IMPORTANT: why not just take some vitamins, supplements, etc. Firstly, vitamins and microelements are absorbed with a sufficient amount of protein in the diet (when nutraceuticals are consumed, all this is balanced in one serving), otherwise they simply pass through the toilet. In addition, the nutraceutical contains the optimal amount of vitamins, protein and all substances in the required quantity. As a result, there is no need to independently calculate your diet and you can be sure of the optimal price-quality ratio.


Speaking of quality. Before you start using this or that product, read reviews, certificates, and make sure the quality of the product. On my own behalf, I can add that the leading manufacturer of dietary supplements for weight loss around the world is the Herbalife company, which produces products for weight control and weight loss. Undoubtedly, a dietary supplement for weight loss - a nutraceutical - is a useful and convenient thing. But what will happen if you stop using it, will you really gain weight???

Indeed, this method of losing weight is for those who want to get excellent results in the shortest possible time, with benefits for the body, without diets and fasting. It must be remembered that after you finish using the product, you take responsibility for the quality of your diet (I’ll tell you a secret that it’s almost impossible to ensure such quality on your own, because there will be either a shortage of nutrients, or too much calories and quantity). Therefore, if funds allow, make such an investment in your health - this is a profitable investment.

uroki-pitaniya.ru

Biologically active food supplements (BAA) are specially designed to help our body. At the same time, dietary supplements are not a cure for diseases or excess weight, but one of the ways to supplement the daily diet with a complex of useful and nutritious substances, most of which the body does not synthesize on its own, but can only obtain from food.


Dietary supplements are traditionally divided into nutraceuticals and parapharmaceuticals. However, at present, such a division can be considered conditional, since most products are complex drugs, that is, they act as nutraceuticals and parapharmaceuticals at the same time.

Nutraceuticals– irreplaceable (essential) nutritional components that protect the body from external and internal risk factors. These are proteins, amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, phospholipids, carbohydrates, dietary fiber.

Nutraceuticals are unique in that they can be used daily for an unlimited amount of time along with the products we consume, improving their digestibility and maintaining our health at the highest level. Nutraceuticals are effective means of preventing “diseases of civilization” - diabetes, obesity, immunodeficiency states, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system, and the musculoskeletal system.


Nutraceuticals are an essential part of food, which do not require special indications for use and have no contraindications. They are used by both sick and healthy people.

Nutraceuticals Company Coral Club– Ultimate, Apricotabs, Children's delicious vitamins, Omega 3/60, Protiviti, Colostrum (FirstFoot), Selenium, Zinc, etc.

The use of nutraceuticals in the daily diet of different population groups (children, young and elderly people, athletes, people with poor health) allows:

– compensate for the lack of essential nutrients in children and adults;

– take into account in the nutrition of each individual person his individual needs, which depend not only on gender, age, but also on the genetically determined characteristics of the metabolism of an individual organism, its biorhythms, environmental living conditions, physiological conditions (emotional stress, physical activity, etc. .);

– ensure that the sick person’s need for nutritional nutrients is maximized;

– increase the body’s protective response from the effects of adverse environmental factors;

– influence enzyme systems, accelerate and enhance the removal and binding of toxins and foreign substances from the body.

Parapharmaceuticals– these are natural remedies that have a targeted physiological effect and are used to prevent various diseases. Composition of parapharmaceuticals– complexes of bioactive substances isolated from plants: glycosides, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, enzymes, organic acids, phytoncides, saponins, essential oils, terpenoids, flavonoids, tannins, etc.


The vast majority of parapharmaceuticals are safe to use. Compared to medications, they have a beneficial healing effect on the functions of individual organs and systems of the body, with a significantly lower likelihood of side and toxic effects.

In large doses, these dietary supplements are already considered medicines.

Advantages of parapharmaceuticals over drugs:

1. Obtained from medicinal or food plants of an ecological niche;

2. They contain natural water- and fat-soluble complexes of biologically active natural components;

Action parapharmacists carried out in the following areas:

– systems that participate in the development of adaptive reactions of the body are activated;

– the functional activity of individual organs and systems is regulated;

– stimulates the activity of the nervous system, physical and mental performance;

– metabolism is regulated, as well as the motor-evacuation function of the gastrointestinal tract.

Parapharmaceuticals Company Coral Club– Diosin, Ant tree bark, Cat's claw, Herbal sets, Alfalfa, Black walnut leaves, Eyebright, Echinacea, etc.

Complex products – Microhydrin, Bioshape, spirulina products, Fito-Si, Enduro-max, etc.

coralvada.com

Story

Humanity has always faced seasonal and endemic food deficiencies (not taking into account starvation as such), and since ancient times empirical attempts have been made to cope with their consequences. Observations of animals were useful, and some traditions and ritual actions, when viewed from the perspective of nutritionology, look reasonable and not at all barbaric, such as drinking the blood of killed animals, still practiced in the far north. With the growth of the cultural level, man lost and suppressed some of the fundamental protective mechanisms, in return acquiring labor skills and intelligence, the rudiments of the economy to the detriment of biological expediency.

Man expanded his habitat without fundamentally changing the basic principle of solving the food program - accumulation, concentration, storage; the survival of the clan was paramount, and there was no talk about the variety and adequacy of nutrition, which in general terms has remained to this day.


The first written descriptions of strange diseases, as well as attempts to combat them, date back to the period of great conquests and long campaigns, when, for example, the captain was forced to load the ship with gunpowder, or even gold, at the expense of food, or an expedition that remained for the winter or was waiting for passing transport for several months she suddenly found herself stricken with an unknown disease that is not observed among the locals, or, even more remarkable, is called “alien disease.” Bleeding gums in combination with anemia and brittleness, deformed nails, called scurvy, was observed in those who were forced to give up fresh plant food, but lemon and wild bulbs, traditionally used by the aborigines for food, turned out to be a salvation; from the characteristic pain and convulsive syndrome (beriberi), common among European sailors who explored the coastal waters of Indochina, he was tired of yeast leaven; A characteristic skeletal deformation in children (rickets) was observed in families forced to economize on animal products, and a proven means of prevention was a steam extract of fat from the liver of cod or whale - fish oil.

Currently, experimental and hygienic research to substantiate the feasibility of using dietary supplements is an important area of ​​activity for many medical institutes.

Professor V.A. Dadali (Head of the Department of Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education, St. Petersburg State Medical Academy named after I.I. Mechnikov) advocates the active use of dietary supplements in the nutrition of the Russian population.

Several dietary supplement classification systems

Generations of dietary supplements by degree of technological modification of the product

  • natural concentrates of nutrients that are used as independent food products and food additives, as well as a factor in physiotherapy, etc.; for example: mineral spring water, salt deposits of marine and thermal origin, bee products, mumiyo, algae, fish caviar and liver (first generation);
  • food concentrates, food additives, herbs and their mixtures for making teas, traditional for the cuisine of many nations and suitable for long-term storage (usually by drying) (not to be confused with medicinal preparations, whose place is in herbal medicine); example: dried fruits, pickles, fermentation products (alcoholic and lactic acid);
  • extracts, extracts, tinctures (similar to herbal preparations); mixtures of extracts in the form of syrups, pastes, lozenges, briquettes, balms;
  • highly concentrated and pure extracts, artificial and synthetic vitamin preparations, phospholipid, polypeptide and glycoprotein complex preparations, which are widely used in pharmacology; the emergence and popularization of the above-mentioned means is the merit of researchers and the established medical industry;

  • preparations combining the advantages of all of the above, fortified food products enriched with “elite” strains of lactic acid bacteria, kefir and yogurt, the emergence of the term “dietary supplement”; the period was marked by the emergence of the dietary supplement industry itself, conflicts against the backdrop of competition;
  • a product involving high technologies - bioengineering, information; focused on maximum proximity to individual and immediate needs (in the process of formation);

By origin of the main components

  • plant extracts, whole plant parts
  • bee products
  • seafood
  • animal hoods
  • mineral components
  • fermentation products
  • biotechnology products
  • synthetic analogues of natural nutrients

Nutraceuticals, parapharmaceuticals and eubiotics

Dietary supplements are also conventionally divided into three groups:

Nutraceuticals are biologically active food additives used to correct the chemical composition of human food (additional sources of nutrients: protein, amino acids, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber). The functional role of nutraceuticals is aimed at:

  • replenishment of the deficiency of essential nutrients;
  • targeted changes in the metabolism of substances;
  • increasing the body’s non-specific resistance to the effects of unfavorable environmental factors;
  • immunomodulatory effect;
  • binding and excretion of xenobiotics;
  • therapeutic nutrition.

The ultimate goal of using nutraceuticals is to improve a person's nutritional status, promote health, and prevent a number of diseases.

Parapharmaceuticals are biologically active food additives used for prevention, auxiliary therapy and support within the physiological boundaries of the functional activity of organs and systems. The daily dose of a parapharmaceutical or, in the case of a composition, the daily dose of the active principle of a parapharmaceutical, should not exceed a single therapeutic dose determined when using these substances as medicines, provided that the dietary supplement is taken at least twice a day. All plants included in parapharmaceuticals must be checked according to domestic and international regulatory documentation in terms of permission for their use in the food industry, as well as in medicinal teas and infusions in accordance with the requirements of: Russian Pharmacopoeia; foreign Pharmacopoeia; Methodological guidelines on the procedure for preclinical and clinical study of drugs of natural origin and homeopathic medicines (Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of the Russian Federation 04/08/94); Flavoring substance sand natural sources of flavourings, 111 ed, Council of Europe, 1981; Flavors and Fragrance Materials. A Worldwide reference list of materials used in compounding flavors and fragrances with sources of supply, 1993.

Eubiotics are biologically active food additives that contain live microorganisms and (or) their metabolites that have a normalizing effect on the composition and biological activity of microflora and motility of the digestive tract; Eubiotics sometimes include a substrate that promotes the growth of friendly flora, but is not absorbed by the human body. Probiotics are an accepted synonym for the concept of “eubiotics,” however, products that do not contain living flora completely fall under this category. The mentioned means are also generalized under the category of “microecological therapy means”.

The main differences between dietary supplements - parapharmaceuticals and drugs

  1. Dietary supplements - parapharmaceuticals in most cases are sources of natural food components that do not have nutritional value, but are classified as essential nutritional factors - organic components of food and medicinal plants, seafood and animal tissue components. Less commonly, the active ingredients of dietary supplements - parapharmaceuticals can be obtained by biotechnological or chemical methods. Dietary supplements - parapharmaceuticals also include products prepared on the basis of compositions of microorganisms intended to normalize and maintain intestinal microbiocenosis (eubiotics/probiotics).
    The active principles of dietary supplements - parapharmaceuticals specifically support or regulate, within physiological limits, the functions of individual organs and systems. They are used exclusively “per os”. They are sold freely both through special departments of grocery stores and through the over-the-counter departments of pharmacies. When using dietary supplements - parapharmaceuticals as aids in the diet therapy of human diseases or as specific preventive agents, consultation with a specialist doctor is necessary before using them.
  2. The effect of dietary supplements - parapharmaceuticals is realized by initiating universal mechanisms of adaptive reactions of the body to the influence of irritants of a very different nature.
  3. Quantitative changes in the functioning parameters of the body's systems and organs are within the limits of their physiological norm.
  4. A wide (much more than that of drugs) range of doses used at which dietary supplements - parapharmaceuticals have a normalizing and corrective effect on the functions of individual organs and systems of the human body in the absence of toxic and side effects.

Legislative regulation

Terminology in Russia

According to Russian legislation - Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation No. 117 dated April 15, 1997 “On the procedure for examination and hygienic certification of biologically active food additives” introduces the following terminology:

  • Biologically active food additives (nutraceuticals and parapharmaceuticals) are concentrates of natural or natural-identical biologically active substances intended for direct intake or introduction into food products in order to enrich the human diet with individual biologically active substances or their complexes.
  • Biologically active food additives (BAA) are obtained from plant, animal or mineral raw materials, chemical or biotechnological methods. These include enzyme and bacterial preparations (eubiotics), which have a regulating effect on the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract.

Registration requirements in Russia

To obtain legal status on the territory of the Russian Federation, each specific name of dietary supplement is subject to state registration with the issuance of an appropriate certificate. The issuance and cancellation of certificates is carried out by the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare.

On August 10, 1998, the Russian Government approved the concept of state policy in the field of healthy nutrition, in which dietary supplements play a significant role. Professor V. Knyazhev, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology of Russia, wrote on this occasion: “The implementation of the concept of state policy... provides for the development of domestic industry:... the production of biologically active food additives (BAA), which make it possible to quite easily and quickly compensate for the deficiency of essential nutrients. The use of dietary supplements increases the body’s nonspecific resistance to unfavorable environmental factors, opens up a safe, non-drug way to regulate and support the functions of individual organs and systems of the body, thereby reducing morbidity, improving health, and prolonging life...”

According to the legislation currently existing in Russia, dietary supplements, before their introduction to the mass consumer, undergo careful and comprehensive control at the Certification Center of the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision of the Russian Federation, and long-term clinical studies confirming their effectiveness. That is why only research institutes and companies with high scientific and technical potential have the opportunity to develop dietary supplements.

Features of the development and control of dietary supplements

The basis for recommendations for the use of dietary supplements are clinical trials. Moreover, the requirements for conducting such studies are quite stringent and require the mandatory inclusion of a whole range of modern methods, available only in large research and clinical institutions. Moreover, clinical trials can only be conducted in medical institutions accredited to conduct such studies in the manner established by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. A list of such institutions has been approved.

Before conducting clinical trials, laboratory tests of new products are carried out. For example, to experimentally study the immunomodulatory effect of dietary supplements, a set of studies using laboratory animals is recommended to determine the following indicators:

  • the effect of dietary supplements on nonspecific resistance of mice to bacterial infection;
  • the level of antibodies in the blood serum of mice to the corpuscular thymus-dependent antigen, as well as to the soluble thymus-dependent antigen;
  • polyclonal activity of B lymphocytes;
  • delayed type hypersensitivity to sheep red blood cells;
  • phagocytic activity of macrophages;
  • production of soluble mediators of immunogenesis - cytokines tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-2;
  • T-lymphocyte proliferation in cyclosporine-induced immunosuppression; humoral immune response.

When conducting clinical trials of dietary supplements that have, for example, choleretic and hepatoprotective properties, the mandatory research methods include:

  • study of the biliary function of the hepatobiliary system using duodenal intubation;
  • ultrasound examination of the gallbladder and liver;
  • determination of such biochemical blood parameters as cholesterol, bilirubin, enzymes alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and amylase;
  • as well as carrying out thymol and sublimate tests.

Application

Biologically active food additives are used:

  • to replenish insufficient dietary intake of protein and individual essential amino acids, lipids and individual fatty acids (in particular, polyunsaturated higher fatty acids), carbohydrates and sugars, vitamins and vitamin-like substances, macro- and microelements, dietary fiber, organic acids, bioflavonoids, essential oils, extractives, etc.;
  • to reduce calorie intake, regulate (decrease or increase) appetite and body weight;
  • to increase non-specific resistance of the body, reduce the risk of developing diseases and metabolic disorders;
  • to carry out the regulation of body functions within physiological boundaries;
  • for binding in the gastrointestinal tract and removing foreign substances;
  • to maintain the normal composition and functional activity of intestinal microflora.

Initially, dietary supplements were considered as a compensatory supplement to the diet of people who have increased requirements for any (missing) components of normal nutrition (for example, athletes). Later, dietary supplements began to be considered a means of disease prevention, which naturally leads to the question of individualizing the prescription of dietary supplements and the development of “individual dietary supplements” (see metabonomics).

Currently, the following areas are considered separately from dietary supplements:

  • Sports nutrition
  • Functional nutrition
  • Diet food
  • Preventive nutrition (in enterprises)
  • Government programs for the introduction of additives of certain substances into food products for the population (for example, iodides or periodates in salt (“Iodized salt”) in regions of natural geological depression of iodine in the environment).

Features of selling dietary supplements in Russia

Unlike medicines, Russia does not provide mandatory certification or declaration (quality testing by independent laboratories) of each batch of dietary supplements.

The quality of dietary supplements is checked almost exclusively during production, which is often taken advantage of by unscrupulous manufacturers, violating technology and recipes. In addition, clinical studies of the use and effect of dietary supplements are not mandatory. All of the above, combined with unreliable (and often aggressive) advertising, creates fertile ground for fraud and deception in the production and sales of dietary supplements.

In the Russian Federation, examination of documentation, medical and biological assessment, sanitary-chemical, microbiological and other necessary studies of dietary supplements, as well as, if necessary, making a decision on their clinical testing, are entrusted to the Center for Hygienic Certification of Food Products of the Department of Sanitary and Epidemiological Surveillance of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation , which is located on the basis of the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. In some cases, this work is carried out jointly with other authorized institutions.

On dietary supplements that have passed state registration in accordance with the Decree of the Chief State Doctor of the Russian Federation “On state registration of biologically active food additives” No. 21 of September 15, 1997. A federal register of biologically active additives (BAA) is maintained. The main document giving the right to trade dietary supplements in the Russian Federation is the registration certificate. The reliability of the latter is checked according to the Register on the official website of Rospotrebnadzor http://fp.crc.ru. The certificate contains information about the name of the dietary supplement, the manufacturer and recipient of the certificate for the dietary supplement, their addresses, the certificate number and the date of its issue, the scope of application of the dietary supplement, the composition and hygienic characteristics of the dietary supplement.

The production, circulation and sale of dietary supplements in the Russian Federation is regulated by SanPiN 2.3.2.1290-03. The right to produce, use, sell dietary supplements on the territory of the Russian Federation, as well as import dietary supplements, is given by the Certificate of State Registration (SGR). The list of dietary supplements that have passed state registration is contained in Federal Register of dietary supplements, for which Rospotrebnadzor is responsible. Information about dietary supplements, agreed with Rospotrebnadzor, is open and kept up to date on its Search server. The SGR is valid for the entire period of production of dietary supplements, i.e. is actually an indefinite document. Before the introduction of the state registration procedure, dietary supplements underwent a sanitary and epidemiological examination, the results of which were included in the sanitary and epidemiological report (SEZ) or registration certificate (RU). These documents were valid for 3-5 years, after which a re-examination was necessary. All SEZs and RUs, the validity of which has not yet expired, continue to be valid together with the SGR for newer dietary supplements. Information about the majority of existing SEZs and RUs is also included in the database of the Rospotrebnadzor Search Server.

The sale of dietary supplements is not allowed:

  • have not passed state registration;
  • without a certificate of quality and safety;
  • not meeting sanitary rules and standards;
  • expired;
  • in the absence of appropriate conditions for implementation;
  • without a label, as well as in the case when the information on the label does not correspond to that agreed upon during state registration;
  • in the absence of information on the label in accordance with the requirements of current legislation.

In accordance with SanPiN 2.3.2.1290-03“Hygienic requirements for the organization of production and circulation of biologically active food additives (BAA)” retail trade of dietary supplements can only be carried out through pharmacies (pharmacies, pharmacy stores, pharmacy kiosks and others), specialized stores selling dietary products, food stores (special departments , sections, kiosks).

see also

  • Vitamins
  • Dietetics
  • Nutritionology
  • Cosmeceuticals
  • Dietary supplements
  • Nutritional supplements
  • Artlife
  • UES Register of dietary supplements

Notes

  1. http://www.mechnik.spb.ru/podrazdel_academy/faculty/kaf/kafedra_gigieny_pitaniya_i_dietologii_s_kursom_gigieny_detei_i_podrostkov/index.php
  2. http://www.mechnik.spb.ru/podrazdel_academy/faculty/kaf/kafedra_tradicionnoi_mediciny_i_gomeopathy/index.php
  3. http://vision.rambler.ru/users/best4link/1/1/
  4. Guidelines MUK 2.3.2.721-98
  5. http://www.golkom.ru/book/31_7.html
  6. see above

dic.academic.ru

Let's figure out what it is

"What is it?" - you will probably ask, and we will have an answer. Nutraceuticals are a special type of dietary supplements (biologically active additives), the main task of which is to replenish the reserves of vitamins, minerals and other biologically active substances that are necessary for normal human life. If we get some of the nutrients that cannot be synthesized in our body from consumed foods, then nutraceuticals should make up the rest. The very concept of “nutraceuticals” is a synthesis of the words “Nutrition” and “Pharmaceutical”. In other words, it is a way of eating that simultaneously has medicinal potential for the prevention and prevention of disease.
The most well-known and understandable example of nutraceuticals is sports nutrition. After all, this is a protein powder that not only contains the ideal dose of protein for our body, but also helps replace meals. That is why nutraceuticals are called ideal nutrition - they bring the content of nutrients in the human body to the level at which a person’s daily needs are.
What effects can nutraceuticals have on the human body:
they replenish the reserves of essential nutrients in the human body;
allow you to individualize nutrition;
increase immunity;
remove toxins;
speed up metabolism (and therefore promote weight loss);
improve performance;
help prevent the development of obesity, cancer, osteoporosis.

Depending on the set of nutrients, certain types of nutraceuticals are distinguished:
vitamin-mineral complexes (these are the usual combinations of vitamins and minerals);
antioxidant complexes (vitamins A, C, as well as enzymes and bioflavonoids);
preparations with polyunsaturated fatty acids (for example, omega-3 and omega-6);
preparations with substances that are sources of phospholipids (for example, licentine);
preparations that contain dietary fiber (pectin, chitin, etc.).

Homeopathic remedies

Characteristics of main nutrients

Currently in Russia there is a difficult situation with people’s health, which requires urgent measures to solve it. An important factor in the increase in morbidity among the population is the negative impact of various environmental factors on the human body, which include environmental degradation, decreased immunity due to stressful situations, and unhealthy diet.

Even ancient healers pointed out the important role of the therapeutic effect of nutrients of plant, animal and mineral origin.

Thanks to biochemical analysis, the following main nutritional substances are isolated in food products:

    Macronutrients:

    Carbohydrates

    Micronutrients:

    Prebiotics

    Probiotics

    Enzymes

    Parapharmaceuticals

    Polypeptides

    Vitamins

    Macronutrients

    Microelements

    Amino acids

Macronutrients – This is a class of main nutrients, which include proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. They are present in food in large quantities and are the main sources of energy.

Micronutrients – This is a class of minor nutrients present in food in minimal concentrations. They provide most of the therapeutic and prophylactic effects of food.

Vitamins, vitamin-like substances, micro- and macroelements, amino acids, polypeptides, enzymes have been known for a long time, but a significant part of micronutrients began to be studied relatively recently. This:

    lipids– micronutrients of lipid nature, which include polyunsaturated fatty acids, gamma-linolenic acid, phospholipids and phytosterols;

    prebiotics– these are micronutrients of carbohydrate nature, incl. dietary fiber, indigestible oligosaccharides, polysaccharide adjuvants;

    probiotics– live intestinal microorganisms;

    parapharmaceuticals – glycosides, alkaloids, indoles, allyls, phytoestrogens, saponins, terpenes, etc. There are about a thousand of them in total.

Currently, a whole class has been quite well studied and clinically tested. biologically active components foods that have a physiological effect adequate to the effect of known pharmacological drugs. Technologies have been created for isolating them from natural sources, as a result of which a new class of therapeutic and prophylactic drugs has emerged, called biologically active food additives (BAA) or biologically active food additives.

Dietary supplements: definition, characteristics

dietary supplement – These are compositions of natural or natural-identical biologically active substances intended for direct intake with food or introduction into food products in order to enrich the diet with individual dietary supplements from plant, animal or mineral raw materials, as well as chemical or biologically active substances and their complexes.

Dietary supplements are divided into 2 groups.

Nutraceutical dietary supplements are biologically active food additives used to correct the chemical composition of human food.

Nutraceutical dietary supplements compensate for the deficiency of essential nutrients, improve metabolism, strengthen the immune system, and promote an adaptogenic effect to adverse environmental factors.

Parapharmaceutical dietary supplements– these are biologically active food additives used for prevention, auxiliary therapy and support within the physiological boundaries of the functional activity of organs and systems.

You should know that the physiological need for them in an adult is not yet known, and many dietary supplements have no identified active ingredients at all. In this regard, the use of parapharmaceutical dietary supplements can lead to inadequate reactions of the human body.

Parapharmaceuticals contain components of plant, animal, mineral or other origin that can have a regulatory effect on the functions of individual organs and systems of the human body (organic acids, glycosides, alkaloids, tannins, bioflivinoids, etc.).

The main physiological functions of dietary supplements include regulation of fat, carbohydrate, protein and mineral metabolism, activation of enzyme systems, antioxidant protection, provision of cellular respiration processes, maintenance of electrolyte balance and acid-base balance, regulation of reproductive function and immune activity, blood clotting, myocardial excitability and vascular tone, nervous activity and biotransformation of xenobiotics, etc.

Regulation of various aspects of dietary supplements is carried out in accordance with Methodological guidelines “Determining the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements”(No. 2.3.2.721-98, entered into force on January 1, 1999).

Dietary supplements should not contain potent, narcotic or toxic substances, as well as plant materials not used in medical practice or used in nutrition. In addition, it is not allowed to use plant raw materials and livestock products obtained using genetic engineering in the production of dietary supplements.

Dietary supplements are produced in the form of extracts, infusions, balms, isolates, powders of dry and liquid concentrates, syrups, tablets, capsules and other forms.

The Russian dietary supplement market is currently estimated at approximately 1 billion rubles. According to experts, its further growth and development is expected, since approximately a thousand different dietary supplements are registered annually.

(or simply biologically active substances added to the diet) are necessary to compensate for the deficiency of substances needed by the body.

The functioning of our body depends on proper and balanced nutrition. The balance of useful vitamins and microelements allows us to obtain all the necessary resources for normal life. The body synthesizes some vitamins in small quantities on its own (for example, vitamin D). And some useful substances are not synthesized in our body and can only reach us from the outside, along with food. These are amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and fatty acids. They received a common name - nutraceuticals.

The value of healthy and proper nutrition is determined by the quality of products, and not by their excess quantity. Very often our digestive tract suffers from the fact that food contains an excess of sugar and fat. This tires and overloads the digestive system. Another reason for poor nutrition is excessive thermal and chemical processing of foods, which deprives them of important vitamins and microelements.

A lack of vitamins in such doses is not critical, but it still gradually weakens your body and makes it more vulnerable to diseases.

Micronutrients must come from outside into the body, because they are not synthesized in the body. However, their intake into our body along with food is not the best option for eliminating the deficiency. This is because rapid advances in technology and science in the twentieth century have affected the diet. Intensive, continuous exploitation of the land in agriculture has led to the depletion of its mineral reserves. Over the past quarter century, cabbage has lost more than 85% of calcium and 80% of iron; apples have lost 40 - 50% of iron and 40% of vitamin A, as well as 40% of vitamin C.

That is why the problem of lack of micronutrients is most rationally solved with the help of biologically active vitamin and mineral supplements to food.

Most biologically active additives (BAAs) in their properties relate to natural food components and have pronounced pharmacological and physiological properties that affect the course of basic metabolic and regulatory processes in the body.

Micronutrientology deals with the synthesis of new types of dietary supplements by identifying the role of biologically active substances and studying the pharmacological properties inherent in food.

The use of dietary supplements very often causes conflicting rumors. This is because various unscrupulous commercial companies began to produce additives, producing additives in a handicraft manner, without conducting any pharmacological research. These companies have significantly damaged the reputation of dietary supplements. This is why serious misconceptions and mistrust of supplements have begun to spread among supplement users.
Nevertheless, official medicine has recognized the benefits of dietary supplements.

Background of Nutraceuticals

Since ancient times, people have used those products and substances that were eaten as medicine. Fruits, bark, roots, stems and leaves of plants, minerals and soil, organs and body parts of various animals (even those that were generally considered inedible) - all this was used in attempts to find a cure for diseases.

Ancient Eastern medicine has brought to our time information about the healing and healing effects of nutrients. All components that were then included in the medicines were of exclusively natural origin.

The twentieth century was marked by breakthroughs in pharmacology - the discovery of penicillin, for example, was one of the greatest medical achievements. The widespread use of pharmacological agents has influenced the occurrence of allergic and toxic complications. In this regard, manufacturers of modern pharmacological agents had to return to ancient recipes of oriental medicine. As one of the consequences of this combined approach in pharmacology, the widespread use of dietary supplements began.

People have been faced with food deficiency (not related to starvation), seasonal or endemic, since ancient times. And then there were attempts to compensate for the consequences of such a nutritional deficiency, but the limited knowledge and capabilities of people at that time did not allow them to cope with this completely.

What substances and foods contain micronutrients?

  • Plant parts, plant extracts.
  • Animal hoods.
  • Fermentation products.
  • Bee products.
  • Mineral components.
  • Seafood.

Nutraceuticals

There is a conditional classification of dietary supplements into three groups. The first group is nutraceuticals, the second group is parapharmaceuticals, the third group is eubiotics.

Nutraceuticals are used to adjust the chemical structure of food. Long-term use of these substances improves nutritional status and improves health.

Some of the nutraceuticals are plant based, others are animal based.

The range of their use is wide, since a deficiency of these substances of vital importance can lead to complex disorders of the body (impaired immunity, insomnia, nervousness, loss of concentration of memory and attention, fatigue, hair loss, excess weight, poor digestion).

The combination of biologically active substances intended for oral administration with food or for introduction into a high-quality food composition is considered one of the most effective ways to eliminate vitamin deficiencies, provided that the vitamin content in dietary supplements is balanced and meets the body's needs.

Parapharmaceuticals are used for preventive purposes; to support health; as an adjuvant therapy. Plants, parts of which are included in parapharmaceuticals, must undergo testing to obtain permission for their use in the food industry.

Eubiotics contain a certain amount of living microorganisms, as well as their metabolites.

Parapharmaceuticals have a more pronounced effect than nutraceuticals. They are closer to medicines, although they contain a lower daily dose of active substances. Parapharmaceuticals have some contraindications. Some of them are not combined with medications (which can be prescribed as the main therapy), as well as with non-drug therapies. If a doctor recommends you take parapharmaceuticals, he must have considerable knowledge in the field of phytopharmacology so as not to do any harm with his recommendations.

Nutraceuticals are significant chemical elements whose function is to selectively supply energy to those tissues and cells that become active when injured or sick. They increase the human body's resistance to infection. Nutraceuticals were developed to increase the content of nutrients, eliminate nutritional deficiencies, and satisfy the individual needs of organs and tissues for specific nutrients.

For example, in case of gastrointestinal diseases, it is extremely necessary to fully provide the body with nutrients. In this case, it is often assumed to use a number of methods that differ from the usual food intake: along with oral nutrition - enteral nutrition, carried out through a tube.

Supporting the body with nutrients is aimed at preserving the biological balance during metabolic processes, and at preserving the functions of systems and organs.

The main nutraceuticals that exhibit a stimulating and metabolic effect on the intestines are arginine, glutamine, some fatty acids, and amino acids.

Glutamine

Glutamine is considered a conditionally essential amino acid, present in large quantities in the body. When released from skeletal muscles, where glutamine is synthesized, it is distributed throughout the body. Subsequently, glutamine is used by almost all organs. It plays an important role in nitrogen metabolism, being a nitrogen donor and acceptor.

Without glutamine, the synthesis of pyrimidines and purines is impossible. It is an important component of deoxyribonucleic acids and ribonucleic acids, which are involved in protein synthesis. Glutamine is necessary for the process of cell division of the pancreas, gastrointestinal tract cells, and leukocytes, being an energy substrate for them.

If the metabolic demands for the absorption of glutamine increase, then a large amount of it is released from skeletal muscles, and accordingly, its concentration in the blood decreases. The resulting deficiency leads to various disorders: progressive intestinal atrophy, impaired fermentation, bacterial invasion, flattening and regression of the intestinal mucosa.

Enteral and parenteral administration of glutamine can prevent atrophy of the small intestine and reduce the manifestations of intestinal disorders.

Arginine


It is considered a conditionally essential amino acid. It is an intermediate metabolite in the ornithine-urea cycle. Just like glutamine, it is a source of energy; has a protective effect for the body during ammonia intoxication. Another important function of arginine is to stimulate the secretion of hormones: glucagon, insulin and growth hormone.


Arginine is used to treat inflammatory bowel diseases, sepsis; in the postoperative period.

What is the difference between medications and dietary supplements?


Dietary supplements must meet safety standards and be effective. The Ministry of Health is responsible for determining the effectiveness and safety of supplements. In this regard, various regulations on dietary supplements have been created and are currently being constantly refined and improved.

  1. The substances that make up dietary supplements are essential nutritional factors. They relate to the organic composition of medicinal and food plants, components of animal tissues, and seafood products. Some dietary supplements (eubiotics) contain microorganisms to support microbiocenosis.
  2. The active substances of dietary supplements regulate the functions of individual organ systems within the boundaries of physiological norms. They are used exclusively by the “per os” method (i.e., through the mouth).
  3. The range of applied dosages of dietary supplements is much wider than that of drugs. At the same time, dietary supplements do not have any side or toxic effects. They exhibit only a corrective and normalizing effect on the organs.
  4. Dietary supplements are a method of auxiliary therapy, while medications are specific means for primary therapy, with the exception of some.
  5. Medicines are used according to indications, dietary supplements are recommended.
  6. Medicines contain therapeutic doses of active substances, and dietary supplements contain a physiological dose that does not exceed the therapeutic one.
  7. Dietary supplements are produced in the most bioavailable form - in liquid and solid form. These can be suspensions, syrups, emulsions, tablets, capsules.
The advantage of dietary supplements can be considered a minimum of contraindications and over-the-counter availability.

The basis for recommendations for the use of dietary supplements are clinically reliable tests of their effectiveness. Moreover, the regulatory requirements for the protocol for conducting such studies are quite strict. The requirements necessarily require the inclusion in the study of a whole range of the most proven diagnostic techniques. Tests are carried out exclusively in medical institutions that have accreditation that allows such studies to be carried out in the manner established by the Ministry of Health.

An example of an experimental study of the immunomodulatory effect of dietary supplements, in which complex studies are carried out involving laboratory animals.

The experiment consists of determining the following indicators:

  • The effect of dietary supplements on nonspecific resistance to bacterial infection in mice (how resistant they are to infection).
  • Study of antibody levels in mouse serum.
  • Phagocytic activity of cells - macrophages.
  • Study of hypersensitivity reaction.
If a clinical trial of a dietary supplement with hepatoprotective and choleretic properties is being carried out, then the mandatory research methods will be:
  • Study of the functioning of the hepatobiliary system and biliary function. This study uses the duodenal intubation technique.
  • Ultrasound of the liver and gall bladder.
  • Blood biochemistry (cholesterol, various enzymes, bilirubin, amylase, phosphatase).
Nutraceuticals are used:
  • To reduce caloric intake, as well as to regulate appetite (for anorexia - increased appetite; for obesity - decreased).
  • To compensate for the lack of protein, lipids, essential amino acids, bioflavonoids, carbohydrates and sugars, vitamins, vitamin-like substances, dietary fiber, various extractives, essential oils.
  • For the connection and removal of various foreign substances from the gastrointestinal tract.
  • To support the normal functional activity of the intestinal microbiocenosis.
Initially, dietary supplements were considered as a compensatory additive to the diet of people who, by the nature of their activities, work in difficult conditions requiring enhanced and improved nutrition (for example, athletes).

Currently, there are several highly specialized areas separate from dietary supplements:

  • Functional nutrition (refers to therapeutic and preventive or dietary nutrition).
  • Preventive nutrition.
  • Diet food.
  • Sports nutrition.
  • State programs to support regions where there is iodine deficiency (industrial production of iodized salt).
The main physiological functions of the nutrients included in dietary supplements:
  • Regulation of carbohydrate, fat, mineral and protein metabolism.
  • Influence on the activity of enzyme systems.
  • Providing and regulating cellular respiration.
  • Antioxidant activity.
  • Supports acid-base balance and electrolyte balance.
  • Hormone-like effects on structures, organs and tissues.
  • Regulation of embryogenesis processes and reproductive function in general.
  • Regulation of the immune system.
  • Stimulation of hematopoiesis and regulation of coagulation processes.
  • Regulation of the nervous system.
  • Stimulation of connective tissue production.
  • Regulation of the processes of excitability of vascular tone and myocardium.
  • Carrying out the detoxification process in the body.
  • Support of microbiocenosis in the body.
  • Providing support for the musculoskeletal system.
The main reason why there is unconstructive criticism of dietary supplements among health workers is the lack of experience and knowledge in the field of micronutrientology. There is no proper coverage of this topic in medical institutes and in advanced training and retraining courses for doctors. There is no special literature on the basics of micronutrientology, or it differs in the surface of judgments.

Very often there is a dominance of unfair advertising in the media. Some companies actively promote dietary supplements and attribute to them “miraculous” properties that are not inherent to them.

These same companies produce low-quality products - the food additives they offer contain only a certain percentage of the total part of the declared micronutrients.

However, the activities of such companies are monitored and suppressed by the service for monitoring the implementation of consumer rights. Therefore, every year there are fewer such unscrupulous entrepreneurs. The same services check the conditions for the sale of additives and compliance with the information on the label and the requirements of current legislation.

If a nutritional supplement is referred to as a drug, it is a deception.

Sometimes another group of drugs is considered to be food additives - probiotics.

Probiotics are products containing microorganisms that help restore the imbalanced balance of intestinal microflora.

The general classification of dietary supplements also includes enterosorbents. Their distinctive features are resistance to digestion in the gastrointestinal tract and the ability to combine and remove toxic substances from the body.

Food enterosorbents include plant dietary fibers (which are elements of plant cell walls). They regulate digestion, this is their main function. Most dietary fiber with the help of microorganisms is digested and broken down by the intestines into simple carbohydrates and other metabolites, and only in this form is absorbed into the blood.

Another type of dietary supplement is cosmeceuticals. They were created by introducing active additives into the structure of cosmetic preparations. That is, cosmeceuticals is a direction that was formed at the intersection of pharmacology and cosmetology. Cosmeceuticals are used for purely cosmetic purposes. It is worth considering that the skin on which we apply biologically active substances is a permeable protective barrier of our body, and it is capable of not only removing toxic substances, but can also facilitate the penetration of active substances into the body by the transdermal method. Useful active substances, when applied to the skin, contribute to the healing of the skin and improvement of intracellular metabolic processes.

Thus, cosmetic preparations containing biologically active substances - cosmeceuticals - along with the gastrointestinal tract, are an effective channel for introducing these substances into the internal environment.

It is believed that the term “cosmeceuticals” was proposed in 1980 by A. Kligman as a combination of parts of the words “cosmetics” and “pharmaceuticals”. However, he just popularized the word.

The main issue in cosmeceuticals at this time is the formation of adequate regulation at the legislative level of cosmeceutical products. The production of cosmeceuticals itself does not require clinical trials. The main criterion for the quality of these products is their freedom from contamination by various microorganisms.

In the vast expanses of the former USSR, cosmeceuticals are sold under the name “medicinal cosmetics”. Medicinal cosmetics are cosmetics that contain medications.

In the United States, there are regulations that clearly indicate which product can be considered cosmetic and which can be considered cosmeceutical. For example, shampoos are classified as cosmetics because they cleanse hair of dirt. But anti-dandruff shampoos are both cosmetic and medicinal products.

Nutricosmetics

Nutricosmetics are biologically active food additives that improve the condition of hair and nails. Nutricosmetics differ from drugs in that they have a lower concentration of active substances and practically do not cause adverse reactions. But what distinguishes it from cosmetic products is the method of application.

History of nutricosmetics

In the 60s Japanese scientists are talking about creating “beauty pills” that save the skin from age-related changes. Soon such tablets were developed in France. The first place in the number of nutricosmetics sold today belongs to France. Second place is shared between Japan and America.

Types of nutricosmetic preparations

Nutricosmetics are divided into several groups according to their action:
  • Products for improving the condition of hair and nails.
  • Products for reducing age-related skin changes.
  • Means that help normalize metabolic processes and lose weight.
  • Anti-cellulite products.
  • Decongestants.
  • Tanning products.

Scope of application of nutricosmetics

Nutricosmetics have become widespread in the field of cosmetology because they have a targeted and very beneficial effect.

Cosmetic preparations, cosmetic procedures and dietary supplements are closely related. Using exclusively external means and procedures does not always give the desired effect. And if you reinforce their action by influencing the body from the inside, then the active substances go straight into the bloodstream and act from the inside, which leads to great positive changes.

If there is no effect from the use of nutricosmetics, this may be closely related to various gastroenterological problems. If the absorption of active ingredients in the intestinal tract is impaired, then in this case there will be no positive changes after taking dietary supplements.

Composition of nutricosmetics preparations

These preparations contain the necessary micro- and macroelements that have a targeted effect. These are natural substances that supply our body with vital substances that cannot be taken from our diet. It has been proven that a rationally selected and balanced diet is not able to supply the body with absolutely all the necessary elements. An example is coenzyme Q10, a substance that strengthens the body and slows down the aging process. It is used for preventive and therapeutic purposes. The heart muscle urgently needs coenzyme - otherwise its functioning will be impaired. So, to give the body a daily dose of this natural antioxidant, you need to eat 2 kilograms of beef, or as much as 7 kilograms of broccoli. Naturally, not a single daily diet contains 7 kg of cabbage - a person simply cannot bear to eat it. Therefore, only additional food additives can supply the body with coenzyme Q10.

Components used to create nutricosmetic preparations:

  • B vitamins - they protect the skin and are involved in the process of protein synthesis.
  • Vitamin A - affects cell renewal, is a catalyst for collagen synthesis.
  • Vitamin C - reduces vascular permeability, stimulates blood circulation, participates in tissue regeneration and carbon metabolism.
  • Coenzyme Q10 slows down age-related changes, improves skin tone and elasticity, and reduces the depth of existing wrinkles.
  • Vitamin E protects the skin from ultraviolet radiation, improves cellular nutrition, prevents blood clots and helps resolve existing blood clots.
  • Zinc - promotes hair growth.
  • Fatty acids - promote skin elasticity.
Before using a nutricosmetic product, it would be a good idea to consult a doctor, and if necessary, you will need to undergo a comprehensive examination of the entire body.

Please read the annotation carefully and pay attention to the length of the course.

When taking nutricosmetic products, you should not give up regular beauty products, since the skin needs to be supported from the outside, and not just from the inside!

For some diseases (atherosclerosis, hypertension), as well as during pregnancy, the use of nutricosmetics is limited and is subject to constant medical supervision.

Safety when taking nutricosmetics


Most of all “beauty pills” can be used from the age of 18. However, each individual case may have its own contraindications. For example, dietary supplements with the addition of phytoestrogens or ginseng are not advisable for girls; these drugs are indicated for women after 30 years of age. It is better not to take dietary supplements with added vitamin A in the summer, as they increase sensitivity to ultraviolet rays.
If your skin is prone to hyperpigmentation, then taking these pills in the summer, you will harm yourself. But in winter it is very useful to take them; it is at this time of year that vitamin deficiency occurs.

You should not try to enhance the effect of nutricosmetics with other vitamin complexes, otherwise there is a high probability of overdose. It is important to strictly adhere to the recommendations for the duration of use of supplements.

Some supplements may cause you to be individually intolerant, so be prepared to stop taking this dietary supplement in this case.

Nutricosmetics, like other vitamin complexes, should be taken either during or immediately after meals. If a person is hungry, then beneficial substances simply cannot be absorbed. If you forgot to take a tablet yesterday, then you should not take two at once today - each tablet contains the required daily amount of microelements and vitamins. Interrupting the course does not pose any consequences for your health. If for any reason you have not taken your pills for several days, simply resume taking them.

Dietary supplements and longevity

A popular book by the American doctor D. Wallock entitled “Dead Doctors Don’t Lie” claims that people and animals die because their diet is not saturated with useful substances. That is, their diet is deficient in nutrients. The author's assumption was confirmed by biochemical and chemical analyses. In his opinion, a person has a genetic potential for a life expectancy of 120 or even 140 years. As an example, he cites data on long-livers in Tibet and the Caucasus.

One example of longevity was the story of Dr. Wallock's countrywoman, who died at 115 from complications after a fall. And this condition can be regarded as a lack of calcium in the body, which is why osteoporosis has developed. If there had been no calcium deficiency, the woman would have easily suffered the fracture. Or maybe she wouldn't even get it. So death due to complications after a fall is caused precisely by calcium deficiency.

When Wallock was asked, “What do you need to eat to live long?” - he calculated that for a full, long and healthy life a person needs 60 minerals, 90 food additives, 12 essential amino acids, 16 essential vitamins, 3 fatty acids.

The lack of certain microelements is directly related to the development of various diseases. Eg:

The reason for the popularity of dietary supplements

Medical statistics over the past several centuries have meticulously recorded the symptoms of various diseases, treatment tactics and the success of doctors in treatment. When doctors analyzed the statistics, they noticed that in the second half of the 20th century, diseases that were previously rare became more common. These are hypertension, ulcers, atherosclerosis. They came to the conclusion that overpopulation of the Earth and environmental disasters were to blame for the fact that people began to get sick more.

But the aborigines of New Guinea or the Amazon, for example, do not suffer from “civilized” diseases at all. Over the past centuries, there have been no changes in their way of life or diet.

And residents of megacities began to consume a lot of fatty, sweet, and canned foods. All this does not contain useful substances or contains them in very small quantities. This is what causes diseases. Medicines against them eliminate the consequences of the disease, but not the cause itself.

Invented pharmacological agents, having multiple side effects, often themselves provoked the emergence of new diseases. If treatment with such means could still be justified by the predominance of benefit over harm, then such means were not suitable for the prevention of diseases. Gradually, doctors came to the conclusion that a massive attack with pharmacological agents does not lead to a cure, but to a worsening of the disease. Soon the idea arose to attack not the disease itself, but its cause. To achieve this, pharmacists began studying the problem of restoring the normal balance of nutrients in the body. Achieving homeostasis will lead to the body being able to cope with the disease itself. Or maybe there won’t even be an illness. And the risk of getting sick will be minimized. It was with these arguments that the history of dietary supplements began. Since for some time thoughts about the need to saturate the body with useful substances arose among completely different medical figures, gradually clinical trials of various pharmacological agents began in different institutes and laboratories. Since dietary supplements are natural, natural substances that bring only benefit and no harm, more and more doctors are becoming their supporters.

  1. Even in ancient times, in Egypt, Tibet, and China, extracts from animal tissues and mineral raw materials were used to prevent or treat diseases. At the same time, the lack of knowledge of physiology and anatomy forced them to an intuitive search for treatments. People watched animals and noticed that a sick animal, refusing to eat, could chew certain grass. And gradually he feels better. Ancient doctors came to the conclusion that this plant had some beneficial properties and began experimenting with its use.
  2. The Russian scientist N. Lunin discovered vitamins at the end of the 19th century. He was able to prove through his research that the human body, in addition to fats, carbohydrates and proteins, requires certain substances that are present in food, but in very small doses.
  3. Casimir Funk, a Polish biochemist, put forward the theory that people who suffer from rickets and scurvy suffer from malnutrition due to a lack of some substances needed by the body. He subsequently isolated a vitamin that cured beriberi disease. This disease is caused by a lack of vitamin B1. Its consequences are terrible: the nervous system suffers, the brain is affected. Today, this disease is extremely rare, because a sufficient amount of this vitamin comes to us in our normal diet.
  4. Half a century ago, the daily dose of vitamin C “fit” in one orange. And today you need to eat almost 2 kg of citrus fruits to get the required amount of vitamin C. This phenomenon can be explained by depletion of the soil; accordingly, food products also become poorer, and the content of nutrients in them decreases.
  5. In 1994, a special act was adopted in America, which emphasized the role of dietary supplements in improving health. The production of these supplements has been called one of the most important areas in the health sector.
  6. Nutritionists, when studying the diet of the average person, found that the required amount of nutrients can be obtained by eating food per day, the total calorie content of which ranges from 3,500 to 7,000 kilocalories, instead of 2,500. If you consume 7,000 kcal, then obesity will become inevitable. This is why supplements are needed to get all the necessary microelements without having to increase the amount of food you eat.
  7. WHO statistics show that human health depends on several factors: on the level of medicine in the country (10%), on genetically determined predisposition (15%), on the state of the environment (20%) and, most importantly, on lifestyle and nutrition (as many as 55 %).

The history of the beginning of the production of special pharmacological forms for the treatment of human diseases dates back to approximately 130-200. AD, when K. Galen first developed technological methods for making medicines (infusions, extracts, powders) from natural raw materials. However, the outstanding achievements of chemistry at the end of the 19th and 20th centuries of the current century, especially in the field of organic synthesis, made it possible to obtain such highly effective medicines that many medical scientists began to abandon previous phytotherapeutic agents. At that time, scientists believed that this was the path that would most effectively combat diseases. It seemed that the unlimited possibilities of organic chemistry in obtaining pure chemical compounds with a known structure and specified pharmacological properties, their high efficiency and the possibility of precise dosing, narrow focus of action - these were quite convincing arguments that until recently did not allow making any optimistic forecasts in the field of so-called traditional medicine. However, this kind of view turned out to be erroneous.

Recent years have been characterized by the rapid development of a new field of knowledge, bordering between the science of nutrition and pharmacology, which can be called pharmaconutritiology. Outstanding domestic scientist A.A. Pokrovsky in his book “Metabolic Aspects of Pharmacology and Toxicology of Food” (Moscow: Medicine, 1979) noted that “food is a much more capacious definition than is commonly imagined. It is a complex of many hundreds of thousands (and perhaps millions) of substances, each of which has a certain measure of biological activity... Many of the biologically active substances are found in food in equal and sometimes higher doses than they are used in the pharmacopoeia ... Food should be considered not only as a source of energy and plastic substances, but also as a very complex pharmacological complex.”

The use of biologically active food additives in the daily diet of sick and healthy people allows:

it is quite easy and quick to compensate for the deficiency of essential nutrients, primarily micronutrients;

to a certain extent, directionally change the metabolism of individual substances, in particular toxicants;

increase the body’s nonspecific resistance to the effects of adverse environmental factors;

obtain a mechanism for a non-drug, safe way to regulate and support the function of individual organs and systems of the human body, thereby ensuring an increase in the level of health, a decrease in morbidity, and an extension of human life

There is no doubt that the creation of a sufficient assortment and variety of dietary supplements for food, including special purposes, seems to be an extremely important and the only reliable means of improving the nutritional structure and achieving an optimal balance of the diet of the population of economically developed countries in general, as well as the population living in environmentally unfavorable areas. zones

An analysis of numerous literature data from both domestic and foreign authors in recent years allows us to conclude that the proposed solution to the problem under discussion can be a serious tool for preventing the negative effects of radiation factors on the human body, reducing the risk of developing cancer, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal , metabolic and other types of the most common human diseases.

With a certain degree of convention, dietary supplements can be divided into nutraceuticals and parapharmaceuticals.

Nutraceuticals are essential nutrients or their close precursors (for example, beta-carotene and other carotenoids, omega-3 and other polyunsaturated fatty acids, some microelements - selenium, iron, fluorine, zinc, iodine, macroelements - calcium and magnesium, certain essential amino acids and their complexes, some mono- and disaccharides, dietary fiber, etc.).

Dietary supplements as additional sources of vitamins have long been well known and are very widely used in everyday and medical practice. Currently, the range of vitamin-containing dietary supplements, both domestic and especially foreign, is presented in Russia in an exceptionally wide range. The reason for this is:

a universally detected significant deficiency of vitamins in the diet of children and adults, often bordering on clinical manifestations of hypovitaminosis (established thanks to epidemiological studies of unprecedented scale within the framework of the State Committee for Science and Technology in the 80-90s);

the recently increased level of education of the population in the prevention of hypovitaminosis and the importance of vitamins in preserving and maintaining health, which, in turn, contributes to increased demand for these types of dietary supplements;

real successes of vitaminology, on the one hand, and the vitamin, food and pharmaceutical industries, on the other, which made it possible to create a wide range of vitamin preparations, fortified drinks and products designed to meet the needs for these micronutrients of any category of healthy and sick people - for children of all age groups , elderly people, pregnant and lactating women, women at different periods of the life cycle, for men, for various professional groups of the population, athletes, for the population living in areas contaminated with elements and chemical compounds harmful to humans, etc. It is noteworthy that that, despite the abundance of forms of drugs and companies producing them, the main substances (i.e., chemically pure forms of individual vitamins, raw materials for the production of vitamins) are manufactured by a very limited number of companies, the leader among which, of course, is the Hoffmann La Roche company (Austria). This, to a certain extent, guarantees the safety and high quality of most vitamin-containing dietary supplements known in Russia.

It must be emphasized that one of the most effective forms of dietary supplements are dry fortified drinks, which ensure good preservation of vitamins, minimization of their losses during production and storage, their precise dosage and ease of use. An example of such a drink is the currently very popular “Golden Ball”, which covers in one serving (glass) from 30 to 50% of an adult’s daily requirement for 12 vitamins. This drink is produced with the inclusion of sucrose or fructose, and additional calcium or iron.

In recent years, the world's leading companies producing vitamin preparations have been producing an increasing number of complex complex vitamin-mineral dietary supplements, which, along with vitamins, include many essential minerals and trace elements in highly digestible (in particular, biotransformed) forms. This approach is absolutely justified and very convenient for the consumer. It should be noted that with the accumulation of scientific facts about the biological role of individual elements and the levels of provision of the population with them, the number of microelements included in complex dietary supplements is constantly increasing. One of the latest microelements to be included in such dietary supplements is selenium.

Parapharmaceuticals are, as a rule, products containing minor food components - organic acids, bioflavonoids, tannins, phenolic compounds, glycosides, caffeine, biogenic amines, organic acids, regulatory dipeptides and oligopeptides, some oligosaccharides and many other so-called natural products. Their action is aimed at activating and stimulating the function of individual organs and systems within physiological boundaries (for example, stimulation of the secretory, motor-evacuation function of the intestine with dietary fiber, stimulation of mental and physical performance with adaptogens, regulation of lipid-cholesterol metabolism, central nervous system function, cardiovascular system, etc. d) (diagram 9.2). However, it should be borne in mind that the physiological level of the active principles of many parapharmaceuticals in the cells and tissues of the body is unknown (for example, biogenic amines, oligopeptides, glycosides, organic acids, saponins, etc.), as well as the physiological need for them in an adult healthy person is unknown . Moreover, a fairly large number of parapharmaceuticals have no active components identified at all, i.e. active beginnings. An example of such compounds are extracts obtained from complex complexes of food and medicinal plants and other types of natural raw materials or mixtures of dry medicinal herbs. The absence of norms for the quantitative content of active substances of parapharmaceuticals in the body, as well as the physiological need for them in some cases, predetermines the need to study their effect on the body as a whole or its individual systems and organs, i.e. The task arises of studying the functional activity (efficacy) of parapharmaceuticals.

It should be remembered that the use of parapharmaceuticals consisting of medicinal plants or their components, without clearly established doses and knowledge of the mechanisms of their action, in many cases requires extreme caution, since in some individuals it can lead to the fact that the compensatory and adaptive reactions of their body to taking parapharmaceuticals may turn out to be inadequate: stronger than necessary, or weakened, or perverted. This can cause the development of pathological changes in the body. Thus, if, during the general adaptation syndrome, the secretion of glucocorticoids turns out to be excessive, they will inhibit the development of immune, nonspecific protective reactions (inflammation), and then the risk of developing a huge number of diseases associated with insufficient functional activity of the immune system sharply increases (V.I. Pytsky, 1994 ). For this reason, some types of parapharmaceuticals, especially those containing little-known medicinal plants or plants containing biologically active substances with high, highly targeted activity, are subjected to preclinical and clinical trials to determine their effectiveness only in medical institutions (research institutes, large clinics). One of the universal approaches to such research is to determine the influence of parapharmaceuticals on the performance of systems involved in the mechanisms of development of compensatory-adaptive reactions of the body, on the basis of which one could ultimately judge the effectiveness of these products, which in most cases consists of their preventive (in regarding the development of pathological processes) or a general strengthening effect (Lebedev V.V., Tutelyan A.V., 1998).

Parapharmaceuticals are not drugs and cannot replace them. Their main difference from drugs is as follows:

  • 1. the amount of the active principle in a daily dose of a parapharmaceutical should not exceed a single therapeutic dose of this substance if it is used in chemically pure form as a medicine (Order of the Ministry of Health of Russia No. 117 of April 15, 1997). If it is impossible to isolate such an active principle from a medicinal plant or their complex in a specific type of dietary supplement, the calculation is carried out based on the content of each medicinal plant. Moreover, their daily dose in dietary supplements should not exceed the amount of the medicinal plant that is used for medicinal purposes as a single dose in traditional medicine;
  • 2. Parapharmaceuticals in most cases are sources of natural food components, most often without nutritional value, however, due to the fact that they are able to gently regulate the functions of individual organs and systems, they are also considered as essential nutritional factors. Less commonly, the active principles of parapharmaceuticals can be obtained by biotechnological or chemical methods. Parapharmaceuticals also include products prepared on the basis of compositions of microorganisms intended to normalize and maintain intestinal microbiocenosis (eubiotics/probiotics). Parapharmaceuticals are used exclusively internally. Currently classified as food products. They are sold freely both through special departments of grocery stores and through the over-the-counter departments of pharmacies or in any other way not prohibited by the law of the Russian Federation. When using parapharmaceuticals as adjuncts in the treatment of human diseases or as specific preventive agents, in most cases it is necessary to consult a specialist before using them;
  • 3. the effect of parapharmaceuticals is most often realized by initiating universal mechanisms of adaptive reactions of the body to the influence of stimuli of a very different nature;
  • 4quantitative changes in the functioning parameters of body systems and organs when using parapharmaceuticals are within the limits of their physiological norm;
  • 5. a wide (more than drugs) range of doses used, at which parapharmaceuticals exert their normalizing or corrective effect on the functions of individual organs and systems of the human body with a significantly lower probability of toxic and side effects compared to drugs. When using parapharmaceuticals, the phenomenon of individual intolerance by the recipient to their individual components cannot be excluded, which is typical for some food products and even more so for medicines. These phenomena can be more often observed in people with various chronic diseases.

Parapharmaceuticals are similar to drugs in that they are produced in the form of tablets or encapsulated forms, in the form of dry extracts, infusions, tinctures, powders, syrups, etc. The basis of the medicine may be the same active substances as in parapharmaceuticals, but their doses in parapharmaceuticals are significantly lower than in the dosage form.

When discussing the problem of using dietary supplements to regulate the physiological functions of the body, it is advisable to return again to the characteristics of the nutrition of ancient man. With a high degree of probability, it can be assumed that ancient man, with a huge amount of varied plant food, also received a significant amount of biologically active components inherent in plants, such as glycosides, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, biogenic amines, etc., which either directly or after activation of cytochrome P-450-containing and other enzyme systems for the metabolism of xenobiotics, or through endogenous regulation systems, interacted with cells and target organs, thereby carrying out exogenous regulation of their functional activity. Changes in the nutritional structure and the “achievements” of the food industry have almost completely cut off the flow of exogenous regulators and deprived humans of this apparently quite effective form of symbiosis with nature. Why not assume that the widespread use of parapharmaceutical dietary supplements is an attempt by man, at a new turn of the development spiral, to again come to harmony with nature and significantly expand his adaptive capabilities in the conditions of constantly increasing man-made physical, chemical and emotional stress. There is every reason to believe that in world medical practice, attention and interest in dietary supplements will progressively increase. This is supported by the almost inexhaustible possibilities of the Earth's biological resources as potential sources of biologically active substances.

The range of domestic and especially imported biologically active food additives is quite diverse and is constantly expanding.

The material accumulated to date makes it possible, albeit very conditionally, to divide this group of over-the-counter nutritional and preventive products into the following subgroups:

Food supplements used to correct human nutrition (additional sources of nutrients - proteins, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, mineral elements, etc.);

Dietary supplements that affect the functional activity of individual organs and systems (gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular, central nervous, excretory, detoxifying systems, etc.);

Dietary supplements that increase food digestibility (containing proteolytic and other enzymes that stimulate the secretory activity of the digestive glands);

Dietary supplements probiotics (eubiotics) - regulating intestinal microbiocenosis;

Dietary supplements that promote the removal of foreign and toxic substances and metabolic products from the body;

Dietary supplements that increase the body’s overall resistance to environmental factors (general strengthening, tonic, adaptogenic, etc.);

Dietary supplements that regulate the function of specific organs and systems.

This classification is very conditional. Each group contains components that are different in composition and mechanism of action, and can simultaneously combine several groups of dietary supplements. For example, a dietary supplement containing dietary fiber - regulators of motor-secretory and evacuation functions of the intestines, appetite, a detoxifying component, regulators of intestinal microbiocenosis, vitamins and mineral elements (nutriparapharmaceuticals).

Experimental study of the functional activity of parapharmaceuticals

The physiological level of the active principles of many parapharmaceuticals in the cells and tissues of the body is not known (for example, biogenic amines, oligopeptides, glycosides, organic acids, saponins, etc.), just as the physiological need for them in an adult healthy person is not known. Moreover, a fairly large number of such dietary supplements have no identified active components at all, i.e. active beginnings. An example of such compounds are extracts obtained from complex complexes of food and medicinal plants and other types of natural raw materials. The absence of norms for the quantitative content of active substances of parapharmaceuticals in the body, as well as the physiological need for them in some cases, necessitates an assessment of their effect on the body as a whole or its individual systems and organs, i.e. The task arises of studying the functional activity of parapharmaceuticals.

Prescribing parapharmaceuticals consisting of high-level medicinal plants.

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