Nutrition Glossary
A nutrient or chemical that reacts with and neutralizes free radicals or chemicals that release free radicals. Antioxidants are also called free radical scavengers. Vitamins A, C, E and some of the B vitamins, beta-carotene, selenium and some key enzymes in your body are all antioxidants. By intercepting the free radicals, antioxidants prevent them from damaging molecular structures such as your DNA (see free radicals).
A form of arteriosclerosis in which fatty substances for a deposit of plaque on the inner lining of arterial walls.
The quantity or percentage of glucose in the blood.
A measurement corresponding to the mineral density of bone, used to diagnose osteopenia and osteoporosis. Also called bone mineral density.
The major inorganic component of bones and teeth. Small amounts in blood plasma and in tissues play a vital role in the excitability of nerve tissue, the control of muscle contraction and the integration and regulation of metabolic processes.
Any of a group of organic compounds that includes sugars, starches, celluloses and gums and serves as a major energy source in the diet of animals.
A congenital or acquired disease of the heart or blood vessels, including atherosclerosis, rheumatic heart disease and vascular inflammation. Also called heart disease.
Destructive metabolism; the breaking down in living organisms of more complex substances into simpler ones, with the release of energy.
A white crystalline substance found in animal tissues and various foods, that is normally synthesized by the liver and is important as a constituent of cell membranes and a precursor to steroid hormones. Its level in the bloodstream can influence the pathogenesis of certain conditions, such as the development of atherosclerotic plaque and coronary artery disease.
A condition of the bowels in which the feces are dry and hardened and evacuation is difficult and infrequent.
A disorder of carbohydrate metabolism, usually occurring in genetically predisposed individuals, characterized by inadequate production or utilization of insulin and resulting in excessive amounts of glucose in the blood and urine, excessive thirst, weight loss, and in some cases progressive destruction of small blood vessels leading to such complications as infections and gangrene of the limbs or blindness. Also called diabetes mellitus or diabetes insipidus.
Any of various proteins, such as pepsin, originating from living cells and capable of producing certain chemical changes in organic substances by catalytic action, as in digestion.
To abstain or refrain from food.
With the help of lipids or fats, absorbed through the intestinal tract: fat soluble vitamins.
Food containing high amount of such carbohydrates, as whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
A water-soluble vitamin that is converted to a coenzyme essential to purine and thymine biosynthesis: deficiency causes a form of anemia.
Delayed negative reaction to a food, beverage or food additive; a true food allergy occurs within minutes of ingesting the triggering item. Food sensitivity is often caused by the absence of specific chemicals or enzymes needed to digest a food substance, such as lactase deficiency. Also called food intolerance.
A test for measuring specific vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and other fundamental micronutrients, including cholesterol, within an individual's lymphocytes or white blood cells.
A form of hemoglobin used primarily to identify the average plasma glucose concentration over prolonged periods of time. It is formed in a non-enzymatic pathway by hemoglobin's normal exposure to high plasma levels of glucose. Glycosylation of hemoglobin has been implicated in nephropathy and retinopathy in diabetes mellitus.
This "good cholesterol" removes harmful bad cholesterol from where it doesn't belong. High HDL levels reduce the risk for heart disease - but low levels increase the risk.
A hormone secreted by the pancreas that regulates the levels of sugar in the blood.
Reduced sensitivity to insulin by the body's insulin-dependent processes (such as uptake, lipolysis and inhibition of glucose production by the liver) that results in lowered activity of these processes or an increase in insulin production or both. It is typical to type II diabetes, but often occurs in the absence of diabetes.
An essential mineral found in the hemoglobin of blood, muscles, a variety of enzymes and tissue stores. Women who have heavy menstrual blood losses may not be able to obtain enough from food, and supplements are necessary. Iron deficiency leads to anemia.
Any of a group of organic compounds, including fats , oils and triglycerides, that are insoluble in water but soluble in nonpolar organic solvents. Together with carbohydrates and proteins, lipids constitute the principal structural material of living cells.
This "bad cholesterol" collects in the walls of blood vessels, causing the blockages of atherosclerosis. Higher LDL levels put you at greater risk for a heart attack from a sudden blood clot in an artery narrowed by artherosclerosis.
A metallic element essential to life. Magnesium is necessary for the proper functioning of muscle and nervous tissue.
Lack of proper nutrition; inadequate or unbalanced nutrition.
Any of the inorganic elements, as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, or sodium, that are essential to the functioning of the human body and are obtained from foods.
A pill or tablet of several vitamins; containing or consisting of several vitamins.
A food or naturally occurring food supplement though to have a beneficial effect on human health. Also called functional food.
A source of nourishment for growth or metabolism, especially a nourishing ingredient in a food.
The process of nourishing or being nourished, especially the process by which a living organism assimilates food and uses it for growth and for replacement of tissues.
A preparation intended to supply nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fatty acids or amino acids, that are missing or are not consumed in sufficient quantity in a person's diet. Also called dietary supplement or food supplement.
Essential fatty acids that reduce inflammation and aid cell function; not made in the body, but found in food, like certain fish.
A disorder in which the bones become increasingly porous, brittle and subject to fracture, owing to loss of calcium and other mineral components, sometimes resulting in pain, decreased height and skeletal deformities: common in older persons, primarily postmenopausal women, but also associated with long-term steroid use and certain endocrine disorders.
An item that meets pharmaceutical standards; 99% purity containing no binders, fillers, excipients (substances used as diluents for drugs), dyes or unknown substances: pharmaceutical grade vitamins, pharmaceutical grade supplements, pharmaceutical vitamins, pharmaceutical supplements, pharmaceutical minerals, pharmaceutical grade minerals.
A chemical substance used to preserve foods, medications, or other organic materials from decomposition or fermentation.
Molecules made up of amino acids arranged in a specific order determined by the genetic code. Proteins are essential for all life processes. Certain ones, such as the enzymes that protect against free radicals and the lymphokines produced in the immune system, are being studied extensively by gerontologists.
A trace element that has important antioxidant properties. It is also known to be an essential component of the enzyme that catalyses the production of T3 from T4 in the thyroid gland.
Something added to complete a thing, make up for a deficiency, or extend or strengthen the whole; as in nutrition.
A medical laboratory test which measures the blood's capacity to bind iron with transferrin.
A naturally occurring ester of three fatty acids and glycerol that is the chief constituent of fats and oils.
A severe form of diabetes mellitus in which insulin production by the beta cells of the pancreas is impaired, usually resulting in dependence on externally administered insulin, the onset of the disease typically occurring before the age of 25. Also called insulin-dependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes.
A mild, sometimes asymptomatic form of diabetes mellitus characterized by diminished tissue sensitivity to insulin and sometimes by impaired beta cell function, exacerbated by obesity and often treatable by diet and exercise. Also called non-insulin-dependent diabetes, adult-onset diabetes, or maturity-onset diabetes.
Any group of organic substances essential in small quantities to normal metabolism found in minute amounts in natural foodstuffs or sometimes produced synthetically: deficiencies of vitamins produce specific disorders.
A bi-polar molecule formed with bi-polar covalent bonds between carbon and hydrogen. Vitamin A plays a role in a variety of functions throughout the body, such as vision, immune function, bone metabolism, reducing risk of heart disease and antioxidant activity.
Eight water soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell metabolism. Also called vitamin B complex.
A water soluble vitamin with a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system and for the formation of blood. Also known as cyanocobalamin.
A water-soluble vitamin with antioxidant properties that is essential in maintaining healthy connective tissues.
Any group of fat-soluble vitamins found in liver and fish oils, essential for the absorption of calcium and the prevention of rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
Dissolve or break down easily in water: water soluble vitamins.
An essential mineral which forms the prosthetic group of a large number of enzymes and also the receptor for proteins for steroid and thyroid hormones, and vitamin A and vitamin D. Deficiency results in hypogonadism and delayed puberty, small stature, and mild anaemia.
