Medical Terms and Definitions
Antioxidants are substances that fight free radicals.
Arthritis: A term that means joint inflammation.
Autoimmune disease: A disease process in which the body makes antibodies that attack its own tissues
Cartilage: A resilient tissue that covers and cushions the ends of bones and absorbs shock
Contraindications: unpleasant and potentially dangerous side effects.
Cushing's syndrome (round red face, obese trunk, humped upper back, and wasted limbs)
Cyclooxygenase (COX): An enzyme that produces substances called prostaglandins. One form, COX-1, helps maintain the proper function of the stomach and intestinal lining, platelets, and the kidneys. COX-2 is not normally present in most tissues, but is made at sites of inflammation and contributes to inflammation and pain.
Enzyme: A protein that speeds the rate of chemical reactions while itself being unchanged in the process.
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs): improve the condition of your hair, reduce your blood pressure, help prevent arthritis, lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and reduce the risk of blood-clot formation and strokes, help form nerve and brain tissue and help regulate your cardiovascular, immune, and digestive systems. The right amount of EFAs will not add body fat while giving you energy. EFAs draws oxygen to your cellular membranes. EFAs are necessary for your body to rebuild and make new cells properly. Made up of the groups omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Heat destroys EFAs and can result in harmful free radicals.
Free radicals are atoms or groups of atoms with at least one unpaired electron.
Hypercalcemia: too much calcium in the bloodstream.
Inflammation: A protective reaction of tissue to injury or disease. It is marked by 4 signs: swelling, redness, heat, and pain.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: includes alpha-linolenic acid, sicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosa-hexaenoic acid (DHA). Sources: deepwater fish (herring, salmon, cod, tuna, and mackerel) and their oils, and canol and flaxseed oils, among other vegetable oils. Alpha-linoleic acid is often found in plants and converted into the active omega-3 DHA in the body.
Omega-6 Fatty Acids: include linoleic acid, cis-linoleic acid, and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Sources: evening primrose oils, black currant seed oil, and borage oil. GLA instructs fat cells (brown adipose tissue) to stimulate metabolism and burn fat. Linoleic acid and cis-linoleic are converted in GLA; however, consuming alcohol, smoke, have a disease, or eat poorly this process can be blocked.
Organic Food is produce grown without synthetic chemicals, pesticides, or fertilizers.
Osteoarthritis: A chronic joint disease that causes the cartilage in the joints to fray and wear. Common symptoms include pain, stiffness, and loss of movement in the joint
Osteoporosis is a loss of bone mass resulting from imbalanced bone formation and resorption.
Prostaglandins: A class of naturally occurring chemicals that are made in many tissues of the body. They contribute to proper function of the stomach and intestinal lining, platelets, and the kidneys.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA): Involves inflammation of the lining of many different joints in your body.
White Blood Cells: job is to eat and destroy foreign invaders. Vitamin B12 is essential to their development.