Vitamins
and Minerals — Vitamin Information — Vitamin
Benefit Medical Dictionary
Most health-conscious people know that it’s
important to make healthy food choices and take
supplements as necessary to ensure an adequate
intake of vitamins and minerals. This medical
dictionary covers the terms used in the report, Vitamins
and Minerals: What you need to know, and
includes details on how to get the vitamins and
minerals you need, which vitamins and minerals
are necessary and what they do, and how an over-abundance
or deficiency of certain supplements can be harmful.
adequate intake (AI): An estimate
for the nutritional needs of healthy people used
when there are not enough data to support an
RDA.
antioxidant: A substance that
helps protect the body against destructive free
radicals and other unstable molecules by giving
up electrons. Antioxidant micronutrients include
beta carotene and other carotenoids, vitamin
C, and vitamin E.
beta carotene: A precursor
that is converted by the body into vitamin A.
Beta carotene acts as an antioxidant. It’s
found in many green vegetables and dark yellow
or deep orange fruits and vegetables.
bioavailability: How quickly
and completely a nutrient can be absorbed and
used by the body.
carotenoids: Plant and animal
pigments that color many fruits and vegetables,
including carrots and cantaloupe. Some carotenoids
can be converted to vitamin A.
daily value (DV): A measurement,
found on the “Nutrition Facts” labels
of packaged food, that reports the amounts of
specific micronutrients and other key dietary
components per serving, stated as a percentage
of daily requirements. DVs do not take such factors
as age or sex into account, but instead reflect
the highest amount of a nutrient an individual
might need.
dietary reference intakes (DRIs): A
comprehensive set of standards for essential
vitamins and minerals based on evidence from
scores of observational and clinical studies.
dietary supplements: Vitamins,
minerals, herbs, amino acids, enzymes, organ
tissues, and a few other substances used to bolster
diet. Unlike drugs, they are not regulated by
the FDA.
free radicals: Unstable molecules
that can alter DNA, oxidize harmful LDL cholesterol,
and damage cells and tissues throughout the body
by stealing electrons. Free radicals are implicated
in aging, cataracts, cancer, and heart disease,
among other ills.
homocysteine: A protein by-product
that appears to increase the risk for heart disease
and strokes when present in the blood at high
levels.
micronutrients: Nutrients such
as vitamins and minerals that the body requires
in fairly small quantities.
phytochemicals: Compounds in
plants that affect their taste, color, scent,
and other properties. Lycopene, found in tomatoes,
is one phytochemical thought to have beneficial
effects for people.
precursor: A substance that
the body can convert into the active form of
a vitamin. One example is beta carotene, which
the body can convert into vitamin A as needed.
recommended dietary allowance (RDA): The
average daily amount of a micronutrient that
will meet the nutritional needs of almost all
(97%–98%) healthy people at specific stages
of their lives.
tolerable upper intake level (UL): The
highest amount of a nutrient deemed likely to have
no harmful health effects for almost all healthy
people when taken consistently. When people take
more than the UL, the risk for ill effects rises
along with the dose.
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