Nutraceuticals are are foods which provide healthy benefits beyond basic nutrition. A nutraceutical is demonstrated to have a physiological benefit or provide protection against chronic disease. They can provided physical and mental well being and which can reduce the risk of disease. The concept of foods that were developed specifically to promote health or reduce the risk of….

The founder and chairman of the Foundation of Innovation in Medicine, Dr. Stephen DeFelice, coined the term “Nutraceuticals” in 1989 and defined it as “food, or part of food, that provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease.” 

Hippocrates “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”

Considered to be one of the most influential figures in the history of medicine and healing, Hippocrates was ahead of his time when, around the year 400 B.C, he advised people to prevent and treat diseases first and foremost by eating a nutrient-dense diet.

Many traditional systems of healing have been practiced throughout history, including Ayurvedic Medicine as well as  Traditional Chinese Medicine have taught for thousands of years that food is medicine and a healthy diet is a powerful tool for protecting one’s health. In humans nutrient deficiencies and toxicity from a poor diet have been directly linked to nearly all modern health conditions.

If we are literally what we eat its easy to understand that many of issues our dogs face are most likely directed related to what they eat in their diet. John Hopkins University reports that some 80 percent of cancer patients are believed to be malnourished, thats a huge number and very eye opening.

Therefore nutraceuticals can be used to improve health, prevent chronic diseases, delay the aging process (and in turn increase our dogs life expectancy), or just support healthy functions and cellular integrity in our dogs body. They can be used for many if not all issues as the go to healthy sources for prevention of diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, eye issues,autoimmune disorders, renal and gastrointestinal disorders. A wide range of nutraceuticals have been shown to impose crucial roles in immune status and susceptibility to certain disease states. To continue learning why nutraceuticals are the the key to healthy longer lives for many of our pets click on the link to our next article describing just a few of the super foods we use to super charge Aim pets! Part 2: Super charging your dogs diet with superfoods