Nutraceuticals and Suboptimal Health: The Relationship and Significance

As per World Health Organization, “health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. Balanced and healthy nutrition is important for the optimization of health status and overall quality of life. Suboptimal health status is the intermediate health state between disease and health, is a subclinical and reversible stage of chronic disease, refers to a medically undiagnosed or functional somatic syndromes, and has been a major global public health damage. The early identification of Suboptimal Health Status creates a window opportunity for personalized, predictive and preventive medicine in diseases. However, both the etiology and mechanisms associated with suboptimal health status are still unclear. Dietary nutrients are major constituents, essential in maintaining the health, and acting against several disease conditions, thus promoting the quality of life and status of suboptimal health. Quality of dietary products and nutrition are significant in promoting and maintaining health till eternity and are inclusive among the multiple determinants of chronic diseases. These agents occupy a prominent spot in the promotion of health and the prevention of disease. When combined with other modifiable risk factors, such as tobacco or physical activity, nutrition and diet may have a multiplier or additive effect on an array of the chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, and dental diseases. Improving diet quality is essential in maintaining suboptimal health and achieving good long-term health. This chapter reviewed the relationship between suboptimal health and essential dietary nutrients viz. carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, vitamins etc. in an interesting manner to understand the inter-relation between healthy to diseased state and vice-versa for effective management of metabolic and functional efficiencies.