Diet Terms D-H/Glossary

A few more explanations for diet terms arranged more or less alphabetically from D to H.

Dietary Supplements

Dietary Supplements - A dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is 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. Some countries define dietary supplements as foods, while in others they are defined as drugs.

Fiber

Dietary fibers are the portions of plant foods that cant be digested but rather moves through the digestive system, absorbing water and easing defecation. The term has largely taken over what used to be called "roughage". Sources of dietary fiber are usually divided according to whether they are water-soluble or not. Both types of fiber are present in all plant foods, with varying degrees of each. Insoluble fiber absorbs water which helps to increase bulk, soften stool and shorten the time that food takes to pass through the intestines. Soluble fiber ferments, yielding end-products with broad, significant health effects.

Fats

Fats play a vital role in maintaining healthy skin and hair, insulating body organs against shock, maintaining body temperature, and promoting healthy cell function. They also serve as energy stores for the body.

Saturated Fats contain hydrogen atoms. The attachement of the hydrogen makes them less susceptible to becoming rancid. Therefore saturated fats are more popular with manufacturers of processed foods. They are generally solid at room temperature.

An Unsaturated Fat molecule contains somewhat less energy (i.e fewer calories) than a comparable sized saturated fat. The greater the degree of unsaturation in a fatty acid the more vulnerable it is to rancidity.

Trans Fat is the common name for a type of unsaturated fat. Most trans fats consumed today are created industrially from plant oils. Trans fats have a higher melting point, which makes them attractive for baking and extends their shelf-life. Unlike other dietary fats, trans fats are not essential and in fact, the consumption of trans fats increases one's risk of coronary heart disease by raising levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of "good" HDL cholesterol.

Fish oil

Fish oil is oil derived from the tissues of oily fish.

Fish oil is recommended for a healthy diet because it contains the omega-3 fatty acids, that reduce inflammation throughout the body. However, fish do not actually produce omega-3 fatty acids, but instead accumulate them from either consuming microalgae that produce these fatty acids, as is the case with prey fish like herring and sardines, or, as is the case with fatty predatory fish, by eating prey fish that have accumulated omega-3 fatty acids from microalgae.

Free Radicals

Free Radicals play an important role in a number of biological processes, some of which are necessary for life, However, because of their reactivity, these same free radicals can cause unwanted side effects resulting in cell damage. Some of the symptoms of aging are also attributed to free-radical induced oxidation. Because free radicals are necessary for life, the body has a number of mechanisms to minimize free radical induced damage and to repair damage which does occur. Antioxidants such as vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E play a key role in these defense mechanisms.

Glycemic Index (GI)

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels. Carbohydrates that break down rapidly during digestion releasing glucose rapidly into the bloodstream have a high GI; carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the bloodstream, have a low GI. For most people, foods with a low GI have significant health benefits.

Glycemic Load (GL)

The Glycemic Load (GL) is a ranking system for carbohydrate content in food portions based on their glycemic index (GI) and the portion size.

The usefulness of glycemic load is based on the idea that a high glycemic index food consumed in small quantities would give the same effect as larger quantities of a low glycemic index food on blood sugar.

Healthy Diet

A Healthy Diet is said to include Sufficient calories to maintain a person's metabolic and activity needs, but not so excessive as to result in fat storage greater than roughly 30% of body mass. For most people the recommended daily allowance of energy is 2,000 calories, but it depends on age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity.

Hydration

Hydration - Water is necessary for all life on Earth. Humans can survive for several weeks without food, but for only a few days without water. A constant supply is needed to replenish the fluids lost through normal activities, such as breathing, sweating and urinating. Water is essential for the growth and maintenance of our bodies, as it is involved in a number of biological processes.

High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL)

High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) particles transport cholesterol back to the liver for excretion. Having large numbers of large HDL particles is associated with better health outcomes, and hence it is commonly called "good cholesterol".

Homocysteine

Homocysteine is an amino acid that accumulates in your tissues. It's a natural byproduct of cell metabolism -- think of it as a "waste product." If your homocysteine levels are high, you're at greater risk for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, heart disease, and impotence.

You can measure your homocysteine levels with a simple blood test. And you can lower homocysteine naturally, without drugs. Here's what you should take to keep it in check. You can find these nutrients at most health food stores