Nutrition dictionary
All the nutritional jargon that gets batted around can make eating healthfully far more confusing than it has to be. The first step on the path to smart nutrition is learning the terms that are most essential to understanding what exactly you're eating and how your choices affect your health. To help you maximize your food choices, we present the Lifetime guide to nutrition lingo -- use it to help you decipher new nutrition stories and the ingredients listed on store-bought foods:
Antioxidant: A chemical that neutralizes compounds that can damage cells -- think of it as the medicine that takes the sting out of potentially poisonous substances in the body. Getting enough antioxidants -- found in foods such as broccoli and carrots -- may be essential to preventing chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
Body mass index (BMI): A number that shows the relationship of body weight to height. It is derived by taking your weight in pounds and dividing it by your height squared, then multiplying this number by 703. A desirable BMI falls in the 19 to 25 range. Higher numbers are associated with weight-related health problems; lower numbers are linked with being underweight and may possibly indicate malnutrition. One drawback of the BMI is that it does not distinguish between fat and muscle weight.
Cholesterol: A waxy type of fat found in animal-based foods and also produced by the body. Cholesterol enters the body in two forms: low density lipoprotein (LDL), aka "bad" cholesterol, can clog arteries. (Your LDL levels should be under 100 mg/dl.) High density lipoprotein (HDL), aka "good" cholesterol, helps remove cholesterol from the arteries. (Your HDL levels should be at least 40 mg/dl or higher.)
Electrolytes: Minerals that form salts, including sodium and potassium. These minerals play a variety of essential roles, from regulating fluid balance and blood pressure to transmitting nerve signals and causing muscle contraction.
Fat: A group of compounds that contain glycerol and fatty acids. Fats are categorized based on how saturated they are with hydrogen:
Polyunsaturated fat, found in safflower oil and corn oil, contains less hydrogen and lowers cholesterol.
Monounsaturated fat has one area that is not saturated with hydrogen. Olive oil and canola are monounsaturated fats that help lower cholesterol.
Trans fat is mostly man-made and can be found in foods such as cookies, stick margarine, crackers, french fries and fried foods. Hydrogen is added to an oil through the process of hydrogenation in order to make it firmer in texture. Trans-fatty acids raise blood cholesterol.
Saturated fat is found in animal products and full-fat dairy products; all of its carbon molecules are "saturated" with hydrogen atoms. Saturated fats are unhealthful because they raise blood cholesterol; our bodies do not require them for proper nutrition.
Fiber: The substance that provides the structural framework for plants. Humans take in fiber by eating plant foods. Since fiber cannot be digested by the human body, it results in no caloric intake. Fiber also has unique healthy properties - it helps to stabilize blood sugar, lower cholesterol, keep the digestive system functioning properly and possibly reduce the risk of some types of cancer. Two types of fiber are:
Soluble fiber. Dissolves in water and forms gels that help lower blood cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar. Found in dried beans, oats, barley, and fruits and vegetables such as apples, citrus fruits and potatoes.
Insoluble fiber. Does not dissolve in water and takes longer to digest. Foods high in insoluble fiber include whole wheat, whole grains, cereals, seeds and the skins of many fruits and vegetables.
Folate (aka folic acid or folacin): A B vitamin responsible for creating new cells in the body through its effects on DNA and RNA. This nutrient is especially important for women who are trying to get pregnant, since inadequate intake can cause birth defects. Folate is found in green leafy vegetables, beans and grain products.
Free radical: A byproduct of oxygen that destroys body cell membranes, which increases the risk of cancer, heart disease, cataracts and arthritis.
Functional food: A product that contains an added ingredient that is beneficial to health. For example, plant sterols are added to margarine in order to lower cholesterol and orange juice is fortified with calcium to maintain healthy bones.
Genetically modified organism (GMO): A food that has been bioengineered, or man-made, in a lab-based process that manipulates the genes of a plant. Examples: rice that has been genetically modified to be higher in protein and tomatoes that have been altered so they're less prone to bruising.
Natural ingredient/flavor: An edible item found in nature and added to a food, as opposed to an artificial flavor or ingredient -- the synthetic, man-made version of this foodstuff. Natural flavors are not necessarily more healthful than artificial ones.
Nutrients: Substances vital to keeping the body healthy and functioning properly, which must be supplied through a person's diet. The 40-plus essential nutrients are divided into six groups: vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, fats and water.
Vitamins are complex molecules that regulate metabolism and maintain the health of the nervous system, bones and blood. Contain the chemical carbon and can be destroyed by cooking.
Minerals are inorganic they cannot be destroyed by cooking, but they can be leached out into water (such as when you boil a vegetable).
Carbohydrates are the body's main supply of energy, especially to the brain.
Proteins build and maintain muscles and make enzymes. If a person is not getting enough calories or carbohydrates, protein will be utilized as an energy source.
Water makes up the majority of the human body -- 50% to 75% -- and just about every metabolic process in our body requires water.
Fat: See above for the definition of fat.
Organic: Food that has been cultivated or raised without using man-made pesticides, petroleum-based or sewage sludge-based fertilizers, or, in the case of meat, raised without antibiotics or growth hormones, fed organic feed and given access to the outdoors. A food labeled 100% organic must contain only organically produced ingredients.
Phytochemical: A natural chemical found in plants that has health-protecting properties, such as the ability to stop cancer-causing compounds (carcinogens) from damaging the body.
Phytoestrogen: A type of plant compound that mimics estrogen and is considered healthful because it may reduce the risk of some types of cancers, including endometrial cancer. Found mainly in soy foods.
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