Glossary of healthy food terms
When I talk about nutrition and nutrients contained by food I use some terms that might not say too much for everyone. Let’s make it clear then and explain those terms:
- Anthocyanins: Plant pigments that help protect you from heart disease;
- Antioxidant: A substance that prevents harmful molecules called free radicals from damaging DNA. Free radicals may be a cause of cancer, heart disease and other chronic diseases;
- Carotenoids: Antioxidant plant pigments that are converted to vitamin A by the body. There are several types:
- beta-carotene – a major plant source of vitamin A, which lowers the risk for heart disease and cancer;
- lutein and zeaxanthin – which are linked to a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration, a major cause of vision loss and blindness in older adults;
- lycopene – linked with a lower risk of heart attack and cancer;
- Conjugated linoleic acid: Beef, lamb and full-fat cheeses are rich in CLA, which halts tumor formation in animals;
- Ellagic acid: A plant compound that detoxifies and traps carcinogens;
- Favonoids: Plant compounds that deter cancer in a number of ways;
- Folic acid: B vitamin that helps prevent birth defects and lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid linked to heart disease;
- Indoles: Compounds that help fight cancer;
- Isoflavones: Compounds that act as weak estrogens (phytoestrogens). Eating 90 mg of isoflavones daily can improve bone density;
- Isothiocyanates: Compounds, including sulphoraphane, that protect against cancer;
- Lignans: Phytoestrogens that help prevent cancer;
- Monosaturated fat: The type of fat that helps the heart;
- Omega-3 fatty acids: A type of fat that reduces the risk factors for heart disease;
- Organosulfides: Substances that help lower cholesterol;
- Phytoestrogens: Compounds that are structurally similar to human estrogen. One difference: They do not promote breast and endometrial cancer. In fact, they help protect against these cancers, while providing many of the same heart-and bone-protective effects as human estrogen.
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RSS Trackback URL 15. January 2007 (14:34)Filed under: Nutrition