A Glossary of terms and definitions

Antioxidant

Any substance that reduces oxidative damage (damage due to oxygen) such as that caused by free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals that attack molecules by capturing electrons and thus modifying chemical structures. Well-known antioxidants include a number of enzymes and other substances such as vitamin E and beta carotene (which is converted to vitamin A) that are capable of counteracting the damaging effects of oxidation. Antioxidants are also commonly added to food products like vegetable oils and prepared foods to prevent or delay their deterioration from the action of air.*

BDK: Benign Dietary Ketosis - see Ketosis.

Candidiasis:

(also referred to as Candidia or Yeast Syndrome)

Overgrowth of the C. albicans yeast in the gastrointestinal tract, or infection of other body areas with this yeast. Candidia infection tends to develop when the normal balance of bacteria (flora) in the area is upset, as can occur with antibiotic use.*

Carbohydrate:

One of the nutrients that supply calories to the body. Compounds composed of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen arranged as simple sugars. Sources include grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes and other plant foods.

Cholesterol:

Cholesterol is a fatty substance (a lipid) that is an important part of the outer lining (membrane) of cells in the body of animals. Cholesterol is also found in the blood circulation of humans. The cholesterol in a person’s blood originates from two major sources, dietary intake and liver production. Dietary cholesterol comes mainly from meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products. Organ meats, such as liver, are especially high in cholesterol content, while foods of plant origin contain no cholesterol. After a meal, cholesterol is absorbed by the intestines into the blood circulation and is then packaged inside a protein coat.*

Diabetes:

Diabetes mellitus, commonly referred to as "diabetes," means "sweet urine." It is a chronic medical condition associated with abnormally high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Elevated levels of blood glucose (hyperglycemia) lead to spillage of glucose into the urine, hence the term sweet urine. Normally, blood glucose levels are tightly controlled by insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. Insulin lowers the blood glucose level. When the blood glucose elevates (for example, after eating food), insulin is released from the pancreas to normalize the glucose level. In patients with diabetes mellitus, the absence or insufficient production of insulin causes hyperglycemia.*

Glucose:

The sugar that is the chief source of energy. Glucose is considered a simple sugar. Found in the blood, it is the main sugar that the body manufactures. The body makes glucose from all three elements of food-protein, fat and carbohydrates-but in largest part from carbohydrates. Glucose serves as the major source of energy for living cells. It is carried to each cell through the bloodstream. Cells, however, cannot use glucose without the help of insulin. Glucose is also known as dextrose.*

Glucose tolerance test:

A test that measures carbohydrate (glucose) tolerance (the ability to utilize serum glucose appropriately). In the GTT, the patient's ability to tolerate a standard oral glucose load is evaluated by assessing serum and urine specimens for glucose levels. Blood samples are taken before the glucose is ingested, glucose is given by mouth, and blood (and often, urine) glucose levels are repeated 30 min., 1 hour, 2 hours , and 3 hours after ingestion. **

Hyperinsulinism:

To have your insulin levels more or less permanently high and yet to be resistant to the effects of insulin.****

FMS: Fat Mobilizing Substance:

FMS is the instrument of your metabolic edge; it enables you to sneak out some unused calories from your body that you wouldn't be able to remove so easily on a low-fat diet.****

Insulin:

A natural hormone made by the pancreas that controls the level of the sugar glucose in the blood. Insulin permits cells to use glucose for energy. Cells cannot utilize glucose without insulin.*

Ketone Bodies:

Chemicals that the body makes when there is not enough insulin in the blood and it must break down fat instead of the sugar glucose for energy. They build up in the blood and then spill over into the urine. The body can also rid itself of acetone through the lungs. This gives the breath a fruity odor.*

Ketosis:

There are two fuels your body burns for energy. Glucose, the primary fuel, comes from eating carbohydrates. When your body runs out of glucose, it turns to its secondary fuel source: your own body fat. When you reduce your intake of carbohydrates, your body must convert fat into energy, and this metabolic state is called "ketosis." So being in ketosis simply means living off your fat stores.***

Lipid:

Another word for "fat." Lipids are an important part of living cells. Together with carbohydrates and proteins, lipids are the main constituents of plant and animal cells.*

Lipolysis Testing Strips (LTS):

Urine test sticks that when placed in your urine change color depending on what they find there. If you're excreting ketones in your urine, then the LTS will turn purple. The more ketones excreted, the darker the purple. (See our handy LTS chart!)

Triglycerides:

The major form of fat. A triglyceride consists of three molecules of fatty acid combined with a molecule of the alcohol glycerol. Triglycerides serve as the backbone of many types of lipids (fats). Triglycerides come from the food we eat as well as from being produced by the body. Triglyceride levels are influenced by recent fat and alcohol intake, and should be measured after fasting for at least 12 hours. A period of abstinence from alcohol is advised before testing for triglycerides.*

Uric Acid:

A breakdown product of purines that are part of many foods. ("Purine," coined by chemist Emil Fischer in the 19th century, comes from the Latin PURUS (pure, clean) and New Latin URICUS (uric acid, from urine). All purines share the basic nine-membered ring structure). *