Q&A : NUTRACEUTICALS DEBATE: WONDER DRUG OR UNNECESSARY SUPPLEMENT?

There's a new buzz word in the world of health: ``nutraceuticals.'' Broadly defined as foods that provide some medical and health benefits to the body, the value of nutraceuticals is debated widely. While supporters see promise in natural therapies, detractors argue nothing promotes health better than a well-balanced diet and exercise.

Paul Lachance is a professor of nutrition and food science, and chairman of the food science department at Rutgers University in New Jersey, where research continues on nutraceuticals. Dr. Ruth Kava is director of nutrition for the New York-based American Council on Science and Health, which monitors health issues.

Lachance, Kava and the Foundation for Innovation in Medicine - a nonprofit group devoted to advancing natural therapies, and an ardent supporter of nutraceuticals - provided the following information.

What are nutraceuticals?

They are any substance that's considered part of the agricultural community (a food, part of a food) that provides medical and health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of diseases.

What are some examples?

Green and yellow vegetables and fruits contain beta carotene, which may act as an anticarcinogenic. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils are credited widely with preventing heart disease by thinning the blood and lowering cholesterol.

When and how did nutraceuticals become part of the health-food vocabulary?

Dr. Stephen L. DeFelice, chairman of the Foundation for Innovation in Medicine, with offices in New York and New Jersey, coined the term in 1989. Nutraceuticals also are sometimes known as ``designer foods'' or ``functional foods for health.''

Why such a frenzy over nutraceuticals?

Most Americans are leery about chemicals and drugs, yet view natural options as healthful, safe and less intimidating, Lachance said. And pharmaceutical, biotech and nutritional-technology companies are tuned into America's preference for the benefits of natural foods in the form of a pill. ``We want a quick fix,'' Lachance said. ``We have companies drying vegetables down and putting them in a pill. They don't know chemistry. The marketing is way ahead of the science,'' Lachance added.

Can I get the same arguable benefits of nutraceuticals just by eating well?

Yes. Fruits and vegetables are good for you and usually cheaper than nutraceuticals. ``The best protection is to have a varied diet and not go overboard on one food group,'' Dr. Kava said.

Any drawbacks to taking nutraceuticals?

Natural doesn't equal safe, Dr. Kava said. For example, extracting compounds out of foods and concentrating them, outside their natural food environments, can be toxic. ``Toxicologists will tell you the dose makes the poison,'' she added. And Lachance said, if you're allergic to a specific food, the same rules apply for the respective nutraceutical.