Health food is a food category between food and medicine. The main difference between it and medicine is:

First, consumers use different purposes. Health food is used to regulate body functions, improve the body's ability to resist diseases, improve sub-health status, and reduce the risk of disease occurrence. It is not for the purpose of preventing or treating diseases; medicines It is used for the prevention, treatment and diagnosis of human diseases, purposefully regulates human physiological functions, and stipulates indications or functional indications, usage and dosage.

Second, the duration of use is different. Although there are requirements for dosage on the instructions of health food, there is no requirement for duration of taking. If the economic situation allows and there is actual effect, it can be eaten for a long time for consumers; medicines are If there is a clear dosage and time limit for taking the drug, the drug should be stopped when the course of the disease is cured or it is clear that the drug is ineffective.

Third, the use of health food and medicine is different. No matter what form, health food is only used orally; besides oral medicine, a large number of medicines can be injected intravenously and intramuscularly, applied externally, and pasted.

Fourth, the types and quantities of raw materials for the production of health food are strictly regulated. The raw materials used have a relatively long history of food safety, and there are more scientific literature based on functional effects. Toxic and harmful substances shall not be used as health food raw materials; In order to play the role of curing diseases and saving people, for serious and urgent patients and serious diseases, there is a greater degree of freedom in the choice of raw materials and use.