GUWAHATI, Oct 25 - Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, in collaboration with the Society for Nutraceuticals and Chronic Diseases, the Society for Translational Cancer Research, the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Guwahati, and the DBT-AIST International Centre for Translational and Environmental Research (DAICENTER), Japan, recently organised the fourth International Conference on Nutraceuticals & Chronic Diseases (INCD).
Prof TG Sitharam, Director IIT of Guwahati and the chief patron of INCD-2019, inaugurated the conference in the presence of Prof Bharat B Aggarwal, chief patron, INCD-2019, Prof Oommen V Oommen, president of Society for Nutraceuticals and Chronic Diseases, Dr Ajaikumar B Kunnumakkara, organizing secretary of INCD 2019 and executive secretary of Society for Nutraceuticals and Chronic Diseases, Prof Latha Rangan, chairperson of INCD 2019 and head of the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering of IIT Guwahati, and other delegates from India and abroad.
During the event, several distinguished personalities explained the importance of nutraceuticals in improving the quality of life in patients with different chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, Alzheimer�s disease, dementia, arthritis, asthma, COPD, Crohn�s disease, cystic fibrosis and diabetes.
The word �nutraceutical� is the combination of the words �nutrition� and �pharmaceutical�.
A nutraceutical product is a food or fortified food product that not only supplements the diet but also assists in treating or preventing chronic disease and as such provides medical benefits.
Specific and targeted artificially created drugs have not been found much effective against multi-genic chronic diseases. Also, their extended uses tend to exhibit severe adverse side effects.
In contrast, nutraceuticals have been found to be multi-targeted, highly effective over long-term and exhibit minimal side effects.
The Society for Nutraceuticals and Chronic Diseases works towards exploring such facets.
This academic conference witnessed participation from the US, the UK, Germany, Japan, Singapore, besides of delegates from almost every state of India.
A total of 617 participants including international and national scientists, doctors and students came together under one umbrella to explore the scientific basis for the role of nutraceuticals in chronic diseases and to present their research.
Multidisciplinary symposium, panel discussions and interactive sessions were held and lectures were presented by health professionals, scientists and nutritionists.
The discussions revolved around long-term clinical studies and their beneficial and other effects.
Scientific posters and oral presentations were presented by young scientists, post-doctoral fellows, research scholars and students and some of the participants received the �Best Oral� and �Best Poster� presentation awards.
At the valedictory function the venue of the 5th International Conference on Nutraceuticals and Chronic Diseases (INCD-2020) was declared, which will be held at the Gujarat Cancer Research Institute, Ahmedabad, in September 2020.
