The papers ofthis Special Issue of Molecular and Cellular Nutraceuticals are also known as 'health foods' but they also Biochemistry are invited, peer-reviewed submissions from include any product derived from animal or plant sources speakers who attended the 2nd World Conference of the which ultimately can provide a medical benefit. F our symposia International Society for MolecuIar Nutrition & Therapy. This on various aspects concerning nutraceutical products and the Conference was held fromAugust 2--4th, 1997 in Winnipeg, marketing ofthese compounds was addressed. It is hoped that Canada. The goal of the Conference was to advance our these interactions represent the start of a new, highly interesting knowledge concerning the molecular events which link scientific venture uniting the nutraceutical industry with the nutrition to various disease processes in the body. Attending main stream academic medical research community. The the meeting were scientists from 18 countries ineluding nutraceutical industry is expected to be a multibillion dollar Canada, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, a year business world-wide by the turn of the century. The Franee, the Czeeh Republie, Germany, the Netherlands, identification of the active ingredients in any number of Bahrain, Hong Kong, India, Israel, China, Kuwait,Argentina, health foods reputed to be medieally beneficial would be just Sweden, Australia and Mexieo. There were 56 Distinguished one of the goals of such a scientific interaction.