Overview

This book accounts for various sources of nutraceuticals and dietary fibers in our diet and their systematic mechanism of actions independent of the time old components of the so called balanced diet of yesteryears. Further these nutraceuticals and dietary fibers function as agents for detoxifications, reducing blood cholesterol and preventing CHD and Cancer. Many physicians of various systems are of the opinion that diet is medicine, but only a few are able to explain the role of various nutraceuticals as immunomodulators (in a way as oral vaccines), antioxidants, antivirals, anticarcinogenics, antiatherogenics, antidiabetics, antithrombogenics, antiaging, fibrinolytic, hepatoprotective, radioprotective, and vasodilatory agents. This is the first comprehensive approach on the role of dietary fiber and nutraceuticals (nutritional medicines present in functional foods). The involvement of the six classes of nutraceuticals viz; terpenes, carotenoids, phytosterols, polyphenols, flavonoids, and theols, as essential components of a healthy diet are an armour against diseases. The compounds present in onions, garlic, cabbage, soybeans and coccinia indica are actually members of nutraceuticals and are described elaborately in this book.