Role of nutraceuticals in neurocognition and beyond

As people live longer, dysfunction of the brain is becoming a predominant issue for the health care system. Cognitive decline, particularly in elderly people, often derives from the interaction between age-related changes and age-related diseases, and covers a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, from intact cognition through to mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Many natural products used in traditional medicine have long been known to exert beneficial actions on diverse brain functions, and often the active principles have been identified. The prospect of future success in the field of neuro(nutra)ceuticals continues to capture the imagination of many neuroscientists and is entering the developmental drug pipeline. The nonpharmacological approaches (nutraceutical) can be beneficial for the individual's well-being and mental health, particularly in neurocognition, in maintenance of or convergence to physiological or even psychological homeostasis.