Glossary of scientific terms

adaptogen: a harmless natural product that improves the body’s overall physiological functions through a wide range of biochemical actions

amyloid: a protein that is deposited in tissues under abnormal conditions like Alzheimer's disease. Beta-amyloid is a compound derived from amyloid and is the principal component of the plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer's disease sufferers

angiogenesis: the formation of new blood vessels

anorectic: an agent that suppresses the appetite

antibody: any of a large number of proteins that act against specific antigens during an immune response

antigen: a substance foreign to the body that stimulates a cellular or antibody response by the immune system

antioxidant: a substance that inhibits the oxidation or reactions promoted by free radicals

apoptosis: is the main type of genetically programmed cell death and is a normal, ordered process that generally confers advantages to multicellular organisms

atheroma: abnormal fat deposits in an artery

atherosclerosis: a disease process characterized by atheroma and fibrosis of the arterial endothelium and is one of the causes of arteriosclerosis

arteriosclerosis: a disease process characterized by abnormal thickening and hardening of the arterial walls with associated loss of elasticity that has several known causes

carcinogenic: capable of causing cancer

cardiovascular disease: although technically this term refers to any disease that affects the heart and blood vessels it is usually used to refer to those diseases related to atherosclerosis (arterial disease) that can cause cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and certain types of strokes

chelation: the use of a substance to bind with a metal so that it loses its toxic effect and/or is excreted from the body

cholesterol: a chemical present in cell membranes and body fluids that also functions as a precursor molecule to hormones and other compounds but, when associated with high levels of LDL, may cause artherosclerosisCOX-2: a form of cyclooxygenase commonly associated with inflammation

cyclooxygenase: an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of arachidonic acid to protaglandins and is involved in the “inflammatory cascade” associated with the pain and inflammation associated with arthritis and other diseases

cytokine: a class of proteins that are produced (mainly by cells of the immune system) to regulate the functions of the immune system

endogenous: something produced by the body itself

endothelium: the layer of cells lining the interior surface of all blood vessels. The endothelial layer is involved in the control of blood pressure, blood clotting, atherosclerosis, inflammation and atherogenesis

epidemiology: the scientific study of factors affecting the health and illness of individuals and populations and which serves as the foundation for determining relevant preventive and therapeutic interventions

exogenous: an agent of influence from outside the body – see “endogenous”

fatty acids: types of naturally occurring and synthetic lipid compounds

flavonoid: a group of polyphenol, antioxidant compounds that include many plant pigments; the subtypes of flavonoids include flavonols, flavones, flavanals, isoflavones, anthocyanadins

free radical: a reactive endogenous or exogenous molecule containing one or more unpaired electrons that can damage cells, proteins and DNA by altering their chemical structures

functional food: any food claimed to have health-promoting and/or disease preventing properties beyond the function of supplying basic nutrients

glycemic index (GI): the GI is a ranking system for carbohydrates based on how quickly they are absorbed into the blood stream. Foods with a high GI are absorbed rapidly while those with a low GI are absorbed slowly and, as the latter are associated with a lower insulin demands, they are generally considered healthier sources of carbohydrates than those with a high GI

HDL (High Density Lipoprotein or “good cholesterol”): a lipoprotein that consists of a high proportion of protein with small amounts of triglyceride and protein, high levels of which are associated with a decreased risk of developing atherosclerosis

homeostasis: is the characteristic whereby our body regulates and protects its internal environment in order to maintain a stable condition by means of interrelated biochemical mechanisms

hormesis: is a dose response phenomenon whereby a substance that in a high dose inhibits (or is toxic to) a biological process, in a much smaller dose will stimulate (or protect) that same process. Radiation is an agent that demonstrates the property of hormesis

immunomodulator: a substance that can either enhance or suppress various components of the immune response

in vitro research: research conducted in a laboratory setting using only biomolecules, cells, tissues or organs

in vivo research: research conducted on the whole, living organism

insulin resistance: reduced sensitivity to insulin by insulin-dependant processes that results in a lowered activity of these processes and/or an increase in insulin production

ischaemia: a restriction in blood supply usually resulting in damage, dysfunction or death of tissue. Heart attack and ischemic stroke are examples of damage to heart muscle and brain tissue respectively

LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein or “bad cholesterol”): a lipoprotein that consists of a moderate amount of protein with little triglyceride but a high proportion of cholesterol, high levels of which are associated with an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis

lipid peroxidation: the oxidation of lipids whereby free radicals cause cell damage by “stealing” electrons from the lipids in cell membranes

lipoproteins: a class of compounds (that include HDL and LDL) composed of proteins and lipids

macronutrient: an essential nutritional substance such as carbohydrate, fat or protein that is required in relatively large quantities

metabolic rate: metabolism per unit time that is calculated by using food and oxygen consumption and the amount of energy produced as heat

metabolism: the chemical changes and vital processes by which energy is produced and different substances are handled in the body

metastasis: the spread of a disease (especially cancer) from the primary site to another part of the body

micronutrient: an element (trace element – eg. iron) or compound (eg. a vitamin) that is essential to health in minute quantities

mitochondria: the organelles in cells responsible for converting organic molecules into energy

mutagenic: capable of inducing genetic mutation

mutation: a change in chromosomal structure that results in biochemical and other changes

oncogene: a gene that has the potential to cause a healthy cell to become cancerous. Inherited oncogenes predispose some individuals to certain types of cancer

oxidative stress: a form of stress on the body caused by the cumulative damage done by free radicals unopposed by antioxidants

oxidizing agent (oxidant): a substance that oxidizes (by accepting electrons) an element or chemical compound

periodontal: the tissues surrounding a tooth

phytochemical: any plant derived chemical - but generally refers to those that are known to affect biological systems

phytonutrient: any plant derived compound that has nutritional benefits

polyphenols: a group of antioxidant phytochemicals containing more than one phenol molecule that are responsible for the colouring of some plants

prostaglandins: fatty acids that perform a variety of hormone-like functions such as blood pressure control but when produced in excess are associated with abnormal inflammatory processes and other pathological conditions

saturated fats (saturated fatty acids): fats consisting of triglycerides containing only molecules that have no double bonds between the carbon atoms. Most animal derived fats (including butter) are saturated as are some plant fats including cocoa butter, coconut oil and palm oil

synergism (synergy): interaction of different agents so that the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual effects

telomere: is a region of highly repetitive DNA at the end of a chromosome that functions as a disposable buffer to prevent the loss of important genetic information. The loss of telomeres from DNA is thought to be linked to aging

thermogenesis: the process of heat production caused primarily by the metabolism of fatty acids and is related to the metabolic rate. The higher the metabolic rate the more free fatty acids are broken down to produce heat

triglyceride: a group of lipids that are widespread in adipose tissues and circulate in the blood in the form of lipoproteins. High triglyceride levels are associated with increased risk of developing atherosclerosis

tumorigenic: an agent that is capable of producing tumours (cf. carcinogenic)

unsaturated fats (unsaturated fatty acids): fats having one or more double bonds between the carbon atoms. Most plant and fish oils contain unsaturated fatty acids. They are monounsaturated if each contains one double bond (eg. olive oil) or polyunsaturated if they contain more than one double bonds (eg. canola oil, sunflower oil)