Health definitions and terms

Adaptogen – A substance that invigorates or strengthens body systems in response to stress that can provoke illness if unchecked. Natural Adaptogen include herbs such as garlic, schizandra, ginkgo, and ginseng. (also referred to as a tonic)

Allergy - A condition in which the body has an exaggerated response to a substance.  Also known as hypersensitivity.  Common allergens that cause characteristic symptoms when encountered, ingested, or inhaled: chemicals, cosmetics, dust, drugs, feathers, foods, and pollen

Analgesic – Tending to relieve pain, or a substance that relieves/reduces pain.

Antibody - A protein produced by the body's immune system that recognizes and helps fight infections and other foreign substances in the body.

Antioxidants - Substance that inhibits oxidation of cells in the body.  Commonly known to absorb or scavenge free radicals in the body, preventing them from oxidizing harmfully with other molecules. Valued as vital protectors against ageing, cancers and coronary heart disease. Examples: Vitamins C and E, Beta-Carotene, Melatonin, and the minerals Selenium and Zinc.

Arteriosclerosis – A circulatory disorder characterized by a thickening and stiffening of the walls of large and medium-sized arteries, which impedes circulation.

Beta-Carotene - A nontoxic plant derivative of vitamin A that the body converts to vitamin A (retinol).  Called the precursor of vitamin A or pro-vitamin A.  Rich sources are yellow and orange fruits and vegetables such as papaya and carrot, and green leafy vegetables. Beta-carotene acts as an antioxidant.  Diabetics are unable to convert beta-carotene to vitamin A and should not use it.

Catalyst – A substance that speeds up a chemical or biochemical reaction that would have occurred naturally (without help), but at a much slower rate; enzymes are biological catalysts.

Chelation (oral) - A process that wraps or binds heavy metals minerals to an amino acid. Uses an agent, such as EDTA, to remove heavy metals from the body. Clinically proven therapy for metal poisoning.  Currently used to reduce plaque build up in veins and arteries easing the flow of blood to vital organs and tissues.

Chelated – Minerals that have been 'bonded' to short-chain proteins to improve absorption from the intestinal tract. Chelates mimic the way minerals occur naturally in the diet and are absorbed using different biochemical pathways. Also known as organic proteinates or bioplex minerals.

Cholesterol - a substance both made by the body and consumed in food.  Two types are known: low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL).  HDL is often called the 'good' cholesterol and LDL is called the 'bad' cholesterol. This is because HDL helps transport cholesterol in the body to the liver, where the body then prepares to excrete it. LDL actually transports cholesterol from the liver to cells in the body. Once the body's cells have all of the cholesterol they need, the extra cholesterol brought by the LDL can build up along blood vessel walls as plaque. People with high total cholesterol as compared to their HDL cholesterol are at increased risk for heart disease.  Cholesterol is used in the manufacture of hormones, bile acid, and vitamin D. It is present in all parts of the body, including the nervous system, muscle, skin, liver, intestines, and heart.

Cold-pressed – describes food oils that are extracted without the use of heat in order to preserve nutrients and flavour.  Cold-pressed oils should typically not be used to cook with, except under low temperatures.  Extra virgin coconut oil is one of the few exceptions to this rule and can be cooked at very high temperatures.

Diuretic – a substance that tends to increase the flow of urine, or the excretion of fluids.

Enzymes - Proteins made by the body that brings about a chemical reaction, for example, the enzymes produced by the gut to aid digestion. Also used for building or synthesizing most compounds in the body. Each has a specific function; for example, the digestive enzyme lactase breaks down lactose (a sugar in milk) into glucose, which the body can absorb.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's) - Fatty acids that the body can not manufacture, so it must obtain them from the diet. Examples are linolenic acid and linoleic acid, found in Evening Primrose Oil and Flax Seed Oil. They are considered essential to good health.  Also known as Omega Fatty Acids 3, 6, and 7.  Omega 9 is also known to have benefits, but is not essential.

Essential Oils – Oily or non-oily, volatile aromatic substance constituting the chemical principle of the plant, extracted by distillation or expression; possessing antibiotic, antiviral, anti-fungal and other properties.  Essential oils are able to penetrate cell structures to affect a desired result. Often used topically in pure form or diluted in carrier oil. In aromatherapy, appropriate oils are selected to treat each patient's unique personality and needs, their different therapeutic effects (for example, calming, energizing, cleansing) working by skin absorption and smell. Essential oils are known to contain vitamins, hormones, antibiotics, and/or antiseptics.

Free Radicals – Naturally occurring chemicals that often contain oxygen and are produced when molecules are split to give products that have unpaired electrons - a process called oxidation. Free radicals can damage important cellular molecules such as DNA or lipids or other parts of the cell.  In excess (over stimulated by pollutants such as radiation, UV light, car fumes, and cigarette smoke), they are thought to be one of the main culprits responsible for many diseases, including cancer and arthritis.  Known to be a contributing factor in the aging process.

Glucose – A simple sugar that is the basis of all other carbohydrates.  Also known as a simple carbohydrate.  Glucose is major energy source for all cellular and bodily functions and is obtained through the breakdown, or metabolism, of food in the digestive system. The body digests carbohydrates in foods, transforming them into glucose, which serves as the primary fuel for the brain and muscles. Surplus glucose is converted to glycogen in the liver or turned into body fat.

Glucose Level (Blood) - Sometimes called blood sugar; describes how different sugars circulate in the blood. The main blood sugar is Glucose. Blood sugar level is considered to mean the same thing as blood glucose level. Healthy individuals maintain blood glucose within a very narrow range – fasting levels between 4.0 and 6.0, after meals between 5.0 and 8.0 for non-diabetic persons.  For diabetics the levels change to 4.0 – 7.0 and 5.0 –10.0 respectively.

Immune System - The combined body system of organs, tissues, cells and cell products such as anti bodies that differentiates ‘self’ from ‘non-self’ and neutralizes potentially harmful organisms or substances such as viruses and bad bacteria. The liver, spleen, thymus, bone marrow, and lymphatic system are crucial to its healthy functioning.

IU – International Unit.  A measure of potency based on an accepted international standard.  Dosages of Vitamins A, D and E, among others, are usually measured in IU’s.  Because this is a measure of potency, not weight or volume, the number of milligrams in an international unit varies, depending on the substance measured.

Metabolism - The collective term for all chemical processes taking place constantly in the body's cells to sustain life. All metabolic processes are fuelled by energy derived from food and produce energy needed to repair and replace tissues. The build up, breakdown and excretion of substances, commonly used to refer to the breakdown of food and its transformation into energy

Organic – Refers to foods or other products that are produced without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.

Saturated Fats - Fats in foods that are solid at room temperature. Animal sources (beef, whole-milk dairy products, dark meat poultry) are the main dietary contributors to raised blood cholesterol levels, while tropical sources such as extra virgin coconut oil are beneficial to health.

T-cell – A type of white blood cell that attacks virus-infected cells, foreign cells, and cancer cells. T cells also produce a number of substances that regulate the immune response.  T-cells are also known as lymphocytes.

Virus - Microscopic infectious agent that replicates itself only within cells of living hosts; many are pathogenic.  Usually a piece of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) wrapped in a thin coat of protein, they are capable of infecting plants and animals as well as reproducing rapidly inside the cells of the host, causing illness and occasionally mutations.

Trans-Fat - An unsaturated fatty acid whose molecules contain trans double bonds between carbon atoms, which makes the molecules less ‘kinked’ compared to those of 'cis fat'. Research suggests a correlation between diets high in trans fats and diseases like arteriosclerosis and coronary heart disease.