Medicine-whether in the form of natural supplements or pharmaceuticals-is big business indeed. With profit margins which are nearly four times the common of any business, the pharmaceutical industry enjoys a high position being amongst probably the most profitable businesses in the world.
The nutraceutical industry is not far behind offering stiff competition to pharmaceutical counterparts. Research is booming and science-based studies have given successful impetus to the plant-based health supplement industry. A number of the very popular botanicals like as Echinacea, gingko biloba, ginseng, garlic, and St. John’s Wort are seeing sales that put them in the exact same league with many prescription drugs. In fact, so popular is the health supplement industry that pharmaceutical giants like Bayer, American Home Products, Johnson and Johnson and Boeheringer-Ingelheim have all begun to market supplements!
What’s the Difference?
There is little of a difference between nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals except for the way in which they are regulated in the United States although both are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration. Major differences include:
* Pharmaceuticals which are based on plant proteins for vaccines and medical treatments are not the same as nutraceuticals. The major difference is that pharmaceuticals are designed especially for medical use under a physician’s supervision, and are susceptible to Food And Drugs Administration approval.
Supplements do not need medical supervision, nor Food And Drugs Administration approval.
* Pharmaceuticals need prescription from an avowed doctor for purchase. The option of a natural supplements is up to the individual. Supplements can be purchased without restrictions at health food stores, grocery stores, drug stores, national discount chains, mail-order and Internet.
* You will find no strict regulating laws governing health supplements. Nearly anyone can come up with a product, notify the Food And Drugs Administration , vitamins and supplements and use it in the market. In stark contrast, it will take between 8-12 years for a fresh drug to be approved by the Food And Drugs Administration.Pharmaceuticals undergo intense regulatory reviews by the Food And Drugs Administration.
* Because of stricter regulations, pharmaceuticals have greater proof of efficacy and safety. Whereas natural supplements derive from tradition with insufficient proof of safety and efficacy. However, this really is changing as new research builds up to support the health great things about a number of the accepted nutrients. Eg omega 3 fatty acids.
* Pharmaceuticals are patented. Herbs and natural supplements aren’t patented and therefore the profits are limited with stiff competition from a myriad of health supplement manufacturers.
* Pharmaceuticals spend an incredible number of dollars for research and paperwork for a fresh therapeutic claim of an established drug all to satisfy Food And Drugs Administration requirements. Food And Drugs Administration requirements for natural supplements are not at all stringent apart from barring them from making any false health claims about their product and adding a disclaimer: “This statement hasn’t been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”
* Pharmaceuticals come with various side effects. Known negative effects are expected to be disclosed on the label. While natural supplements do not demand a listing of negative effects, there is commonly fewer cases of negative effects associated with the usage of health supplements.
Complaining concerning the high cost of traditional medicine and negative effects, many folks are embracing alternative medicine in the form of health supplements. A written report by the Hartman Group, a respected market research firm called, “The Wellness Trends in 2002” discovered that Americans are beginning to place the household and a healthy body above the daily routines of life. Among those interviewed many expressed frustration with U.S. healthcare system and wanted more control over their very own health. The report said, “Dietary supplements … (allow) them a method of self-managing their very own health … giving them a feeling of empowerment,” the report states. This really is an advantage over pharmaceuticals.According to the Nutrition Business Journal fast growth in the nutraceutical market sometimes appears in weight-loss products.
The demand for such products is growing as you think about the a lot more than 120 million overweight Americans and 17 million diabetics who are seeking supplements that increase metabolism, suppress or satiate appetite, and control blood sugar. Such sectors in the health supplement industry have gained footage over pharmaceuticals.In America, 60% of the consumers take some type of food supplement and 30 to 40% take herbal supplements. Supplements are gaining such credibility that many physicians are recommending them for their patients before prescribing riskier pharmaceuticals. Of the health supplement users 95% are content with supplements.In the meanwhile, research remains booming in both industries! Health supplement manufacturers continue steadily to unveil groundbreaking products as new evidence supporting the health great things about nutraceuticals emerges.