Nutraceuticals, food supplements and cholesterol level control.

It should be made a clear distinguo between dietary supplements and nutraceuticals. There is lack of information on the definition and use of food matrices, functional foods, probiotics, herbal products, and food derived products whichclaim beneficial health effect but is often not supported by scientific data. On the opposite, nutraceuticals efficacy must be supported by clinical evidences. Increasing interest in nutraceuticals, dietary supplements, functional foods, etc., it is related to the growing awareness that the use of drugs may have undesirable side effects that may compromise or limit a long-term use