Nutraceuticals vs Pharmaceuticals

Nutraceuticals have shown significant promise in the promotion of human health and disease prevention. This is achieved through the natural means of nutraceuticals and plant-based phytochemicals that serve as alternatives to artificially synthesized medicine. While nutraceuticals can be used long-term for disease prevention, the same cannot hold true for pharmaceuticals due to their inherent nature of being chemically composed.

In essence, nutraceuticals aim at preventive care; by strengthening the innate physiological processes of our system to perform better and fight off unwanted foreign substances with greater resilience. They serve as an alternative to relying on pharmaceuticals which quite often employ symptomatic treatments, only curing the macroscopic, unwanted conditions superficially – leaving the underlying cause hidden – which may further lead to serious consequences later in life. Nutraceuticals provide the opportunity to maintain healthy lifestyles and incorporate essential nutrients into our diet which makes us self-sufficient.

One of the many disadvantages of pharmaceuticals includes the fact that they come coupled with unwanted side effects, by default. This is because the active ingredients in pharmaceuticals are artificial and the body must adjust to their presence. That can initiate an immune response which exhibits as a side effect. 

Pharmaceuticals are human-made or imitations of natural substances that the body needs to manufacture or utilize to maintain health or fight diseases. Drugs are manufactured in laboratories and as soon as they begin to lose their natural essence, complications begin. The severity of this increases just as they react and crossbreed with other chemicals, ultimately posing a threat to our health. Yet, some medical breakthroughs have helped us fight diseases when a natural cure is not available or in times of an emergency.

Nutraceuticals possess an edge over pharmaceutical drugs as they are sourced from natural, plant-based products, and this fact enables nutraceuticals to serve as health beneficiaries without unwanted side effects. They are an epitome of the discoveries in health sciences – nutrients brought together with the efficacy of modern technology. They offer a protective shield against a vast multitude of diseases and fortify your body with nutrients while simultaneously enhancing your body’s immunity. The human body uses these nutrients to create the chemicals it needs to function. If our body does not receive them through dietary intake, then diseases can take over our susceptible bodies.

Pharmaceuticals almost always need a prescription from a doctor along with medical supervision for administering required dosages while nutraceuticals do not. With pharmaceuticals, consumers expect that these drugs will simply treat the disease or health issue, not prevent it. Nutraceuticals help address health issues before the disease is manifested, thus providing people with the opportunity to be proactive about their health. Nutraceuticals are much more affordable and, because they do not require a prescription, they are available to more consumers and often at a lower price than pharmaceuticals.

Does a person need a pharmaceutical to cure those diseases or a nutraceutical to correct a lifestyle choice? The answer for many consumers is that they need both. They need the pharmaceutical cure a disease in times of urgency and the nutraceutical to prevent and help the body to recover from a disease.

Written by: Jahnabee Adhikari
Jahnabee is a part-time blogger, full-time dog lover. She believes that writing actually possesses the potential to change the world. She can be often found fantasizing about poetry or buried nose-deep in a Sudha Murthy novel.