To most people, the term “nutraceutical” is a mystery. For those of you that have heard it but are not sure what it means, let there be light. The word, nutraceautical comes from a hybrid of both nutrition and pharmaceutical. Nutraceutical is a food or a food product that can provide a myriad of health and medical benefits.There are a wide range of products that can fall under nutraceuticals, ranging from processed foods, herbal products, dietary supplements, and even genetically engineered food. Sound delicious? Is it safe? What are the benefits to nutraceuticals? What type of nutraceuticals are on the market? Who manufactures nutraceuticals.
These are all excellent questions. Hipocrates, who is considered among many to be the the father of Western medicine said, “Let food be thy medicine”. Using food for therapeutic purposes is not a new idea. In fact, it has been in practice for centuries before the term nutraceutical came to fruition. The ancient Indian health science called, Ayurveda notes the medical benefits of food for therapeutic purposes, as does many other ancient mind, body and spirit practices.
So, why have the Indians, Egyptians, Chinese, and Sumerians been privy to evidence suggesting that nutraceuticals can prevent and treat diseases for thousands of years but we haven’t?
Insurance companies are not your best friend and in general, are less interested in your aliment and much more interested in your pocket book. So, educating ourselves and understanding products that are available over the counter and products that help in both treatment as well as illness prevention is essential. Luckily, there is little red tape and minimal regulations and the majority of nutraceutical foods and nutraceutical products are not subject to the same testing and regulation requirements as many pharmaceutical drugs. However, let me set the record straight: The American Nutraceutical Association works with the Food and Drug Administration in all consumer awareness and education.
Sohm has its own nutraceutical manufacturing unit in India. India has always been considered to be the ideal place for the natural medicines. Some of Sohm products will bring innovation in the global market.
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OTC stands for “over- the- counter”. That means that an OTC product or medicine is available without a prescription from your doctor and can be purchased at your local pharmacy or grocery store. There are many ailments that OTC medicines are used for ranging from headaches, toothaches, ointments, burns, cold and flu, athlete’s foot, and many, many more. If you have an ailment, chances are extremely high that there is a plethora of OTC medicines stocked on many a shelf, waiting to relieve your pain. With all the hype surrounding OTC products, how does the average consumer know which OTC product to buy, what they are used for, and how to determine possible side effects?
Well, let’s break it down. First and foremost you should always check with your family doctor before taking any medication. I suggest this as a way to be proactive. It’s always a good idea to know what does or doesn’t work in conjunction with any medication you may currently be taking. Equally important, is discovering if you have or have had any allergic reactions to medications in the past. Remember, every BODY is different and different medications, regardless of whether they are over the counter, need to work harmoniously to achieve maximum results.
Advertising and marketing for OTC medicine can be seen almost everywhere we look. They are in television commercials, magazines, newspapers and in almost every corner market or grocery store. Choosing the best OTC product can be exhausting and overwhelming. How do you know which one is the right one for you? Do they all work the same? Are they competitively priced?
When choosing which OTC medicine to best suit your needs, first consider your symptoms. For example, if you have a sore throat choose a product whose main focus is dealing with that particular symptom, rather than multiple symptoms. Be sure to check out the label and read what the active ingredients are and which symptoms the medicine is used for treating. Is the OTC product you are choosing recommended for daytime or night time? What are the listed side side effects? Are there specific instructions mentioned such as “at bedtime” or “with meals”? Perhaps the label informs you to avoid drinking alcohol or operating heavy machinery while using this medicine. Trust me, drinking a bottle of Ny-Quil and operating a forklift is bad idea.
There are many manufacturing companies of OTC products. Personally, I tend to go with products from corporations that are trusted in name and reputation, or one that has been recommended to me personally. There is a company in India called SOHM, who recently merged with a distributor in the United States saving the surrounding communities bundles of money. Since India has a means to mass produce OTC, generic, and pharmaceutical products for a significantly lower overhead, the savings can be significantly shared. For example, SOHM manufactured the exact same ingredients in one of their cold and sinus tablets, repackaged it, and made it available to consumers and warehouses at 40% the cost of their previous manufacturer. Yes, it helps that a company like SOHM has its own facility and manufacturing plant, however a fancier package with wont get rid of your headache any faster. Ingredients, ingredients, ingredients. The more effective the ingredients, the more effective the result.
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There is a new form of nutraceutical product available now through physicians’ offices. Designated as “medical foods,” they are an all-natural complement for – or even an alternative to – standard pharmaceutical agents. Through extensive medical research, scientists now know which proteins, amino acids, and neurotransmitters are lacking in specific disease states. These products offer nutritionally based amino acid combinations that provide, in concentrated, oral form, the building blocks for correcting these cellular deficiencies. By providing these basic chemical building blocks, the body’s cells and nerves can better communicate with each other. And because these products are derived from natural foodstuffs, they do not produce side effects, nor do they create problematic drug interactions as is commonly seen with traditional pharmaceuticals.
The main problems associated with nutritional supplements in general are that: 1) they lack proven effectiveness, 2) are unregulated, and, as a result, are often of questionable quality and consistency, and 3) they are expensive. Because “nutritional supplements” are considered natural products to help make a healthy person healthier, they are not regulated by the FDA, and are not covered by most health insurance plans. This means that patients must purchase these products through commercial, non-medical suppliers, and must finance this aspect of wellness themselves. Medical foods, on the other hand, are different. Since their effectiveness has been demonstrated in medical research studies, and they are designed to treat specific medical conditions – for example, high blood pressure, arthritis, or insomnia – the FDA does clear them regarding quality and safety, and most health insurance carriers cover their use. This makes wellness both safe and affordable.
At present, numerous medical food agents are available to physicians. Individually, they are used to treat the specific condition for which they were designed. In more complicated conditions, such as fibromyalgia, chronic pain, or anxiety/depression, these nutraceuticals can be used in combination, boosting their effectiveness and providing longer lasting relief.
Medical foods truly do introduce a new frontier in the nutraceutical treatment of the human condition. The upside is that these amino acid based treatments are safe, proven effective, and are well-tolerated in long-term use. They present a minimal side effects profile, and can be taken in conjunction with traditional pharmaceutical drugs. Since they do not cross-react with these pharmaceutical agents, there is no concern about the all-too-common problem of drug-interactions.
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The rising cost of healthcare is truly the elephant in any room. People are not treating their illnesses, and not filling prescriptions because of the overwhelming cost to the consumer. For instance, according to a survey from the American Consumer Reports, results now show that 45 percent of any person under the age of 65, who does not have insurance, has not filled a prescription drug in the last year due to the cost of the drug. Furthermore, 84 percent of all people polled claimed they had taken some serious action, such as forgoing groceries, to pay for their prescription medications.
Generic drugs, however, save healthcare providers billions of dollars a year. This does not even account for the financial and medical benefits to the consumer. Clearly, generic drugs are the wave of the future. According to The US Food and Drug Administration: (FDA) considers a generic drug to be “identical, or bio equivalent, to a brand name drug in dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics and intended use.”
SOHM was on the leading edge of realizing, not only the need, but also the benefit of generic drugs. What SOHM recognized very early on, was that people both in developed, and impoverished countries around the world, cannot currently afford the price of their prescription drugs. Simply taking the brand name off of the same basic medical components would make medications for all kinds of ailments affordable to all kinds of people, worldwide.
We at SOHM understand that the term generic, simply offers up the opportunity to offer the same, or perhaps a better product, at a more affordable price. SOHM has therefore made it their mission to offer many of these affordable, generic options to the consumer for a price that is fair. We’ll leave off the brand name, if it will help you manage your health.
Generic drugs will never minimize the level of your desired treatment, since they are required to undergo clinical trials in order to prove their efficacy, as well as their safety. Also, because generic drugs are required to provide a “bio-equivalent effect, they are as safe, and supported by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), as well as other health Administrative equivalents around the world, as are prescriptions of the same class.
SOHM considers it a privilege to produce an excellent product, at a lower price. Their laboratories in India allow production at the most competitive price, in one of the world’s leading hubs for generics manufacturing. This has set SOHM in a unique position for globalization of their products.
Since SOHM’s focus is always on response to their customers needs, our portfolio is constantly growing and expanding. SOHM is not only present in America, but we also maintain a leading position in the generic pharmaceutical markets of Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and any other area where we see that our consumer’s needs may be met.
The SOHM family is committed to giving its consumer a competitive product, at an affordable price. Proudly generic, Proudly pocket friendly, but most importantly, we are proud to be the equivalent of any of our counterpart prescription drugs.
