NUTRITIONAL TERMS & DEFINITIONS
As the most plentiful mineral in the body, calcium plays a key role in the development and maintenance of bones and teeth.
Calcium enables the contraction of muscles, including the function of the body’s most important muscle, the heart. It is also essential for normal blood clotting, proper nerve impulse transmission, and the appropriate support of connective tissue.
A unit measuring the energy value of foods, calibrated by the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C at a pressure of one atmosphere.
Carbohydrates are nutrients, along with proteins and other types of chemical compounds, but they are much more than that. In addition to sugars, of which there are many more varieties than ordinary sucrose, or table sugar, carbohydrates appear in the form of starches and cellulose. As such, they are the structural materials of which plants are made.
Carbohydrates are produced by one of the most complex, vital, and amazing processes in the physical world: photosynthesis. Because they are an integral part of plant life, it is no wonder that carbohydrates are in most fruits and vegetables. And though they are not a dietary requirement in the way that vitamins or essential amino acids are, it is difficult to eat without ingesting some carbohydrates, which are excellent sources of quick-burning energy.
Not all carbohydrates are of equal nutritional value, however: in general, the ones created by nature are good for the body, whereas those produced by human intervention—some forms of pasta and most varieties of bread, white rice, crackers, cookies, and so forth—are much less beneficial.
Iron is a mineral that the human body uses to produce the red blood cells (hemoglobin) that carry oxygen throughout the body. It is also stored in myoglobin, an oxygen-carrying protein in the muscles that fuels cell growth.
In nutrition, monounsaturated fats are fatty acids found in natural foods. Like polyunsaturated fat it provides essential fatty acids for healthy skin and the development of body cells. It is believed to lower cholesterol and may assist in reducing heart disease.
Monounsaturated fat is also believed to offer protection against certain cancers, like breast cancer and colon cancer and are typically high in Vitamin E, the anti-oxidant vitamin which is usually in short supply in many Western diets. Monounsaturated fats also tend to lower LDL Levels in the blood.
OMEGA-3 FATTY ACID
Omega-3 fatty acids are one of two groups of fatty acids—the omega-3s and the omega-6s—that are vital to human life. They are called essential fatty acids (EFAs), which the body cannot make but absolutely needs for normal growth and development. These fats must be supplied by diet.
There is strong evidence that omega-3 fatty acids protect a person against atherosclerosis andtherefore against heart disease and stroke, as well as abnormal heart rhythms that cause sudden cardiac death, and possibly autoimmune disorders, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
Numerous studies show that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids not only reduce joint inflammation but lowers bad cholesterol and triglycerides, the fatty material that circulates in the blood.
OMEGA-6 FATTY ACID
Omega-6 fatty acids are one of two groups of essential fatty acids (EFAs) that are required in human nutrition. (The other is the omega-3 fatty acid group.) Omega-6 fatty acids include linoleic and its derivatives.
Essential means that these fatty acids must be consumed in the diet because humans cannot manufacture them from other dietary fats or nutrients, nor can they be stored in the body. They must be consumed daily to meet the body’s requirements. EFAs provide energy and are also components of nerve cells, cellular membranes, and are converted to hormone-like substances known as prostaglandins.
In the body, prostaglandins and EFAs are therapeutic and are necessary for normal physiology. Clinical trials have shown that EFAs protect against such conditions as heart disease; cancer; autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis; skin diseases, including acne, atopic eczema, and psoriasis; and may protect against stroke.
Complex organic molecules made up of amino acids. Proteins are basic components of all living cells and are therefore among the principal substances that make up the body. In addition to being necessary for the growth and repair of the body’s tissues, proteins provide energy and act as enzymes that control chemical reactions in the cell.
Fat that occurs naturally in living matter such as animals and plants. It is used as food for human consumption and contains a varying proportion of saturated and unsaturated fat. Foods that contain a high proportion of saturated fat is thought to raise the cholesterol level in the bloodstream.*
When looking at a food label, pay very close attention to the % of saturated fat and avoid or limit any foods that are high (for example, over 20% saturated fat).*
The saturated fat ratio of Miracle Source™ hulled hemp seeds is just under 4% which is considered extremely low.
Known to most people in the form of table salt, sodium is one of the minerals that the body needs in relatively large quantities.
A certain intake of sodium is considered essential to life. The mineral is a vital component of all bodily fluids, including blood and sweat. Often working in combination with other minerals such as potassium, sodium helps to manage the distribution and pH balance of these fluids inside the body and plays an important role in blood pressure regulation.
Sodium is referred to as an electrolyte because it possesses a mild electrical charge when dissolved in bodily fluids. Due to this charge, sufficient amounts of the mineral are necessary for the normal functioning of nerve transmissions and muscle contractions.
Sodium also helps the body to retain water and prevent dehydration, and may have some activity as an antibacterial.
Vitamin A is one of four fat-soluble vitamins necessary for good health. It serves an important role as an antioxidant by helping to prevent free radicals from causing cellular damage.
Adequate levels are important for good eyesight, and poor night vision may be one of the first symptoms of a deficiency. It is also necessary for proper function of the immune, skeletal, respiratory, reproductive, and integumentary (skin) systems.
Vitamin B-1, also known as Thiamine, an essential component of an enzyme, thiamine pyrophosphate, that is involved in metabolizing carbohydrates.
Thiamine works closely with other B vitamins to assist in the utilization of proteins and fats as well, and helps mucous membranes and the heart to stay healthy. The brain relies on thiamine’s role in the conversion of blood sugar (glucose) into biological energy to function properly.
Thiamine is also involved in certain key metabolic reactions occurring in nervous tissue, the heart, in the formation of red blood cells, and in the maintenance of smooth and skeletal muscle.
Vitamin B-2, also known as Riboflavin, is a water-soluble vitamin, and an essential nutrient that the body requires to break down food components, maintain tissue, and absorb other nutrients.
Vitamin B-2 cannot be stored by the body except in insignificant amounts. It must be replenished daily.
Like other vitamins, vitamin B-2 is an organic compound. An organic compound is a substance that (1) occurs in living things, or organisms (hence, the word “organic”) and (2) contains the elements carbon and oxygen (hence, the word “compound,” meaning combination of elements).
Vitamin B-6, or Pyridoxine, is a member of the water-soluble family of B vitamins. It is necessary in the processes to metabolize proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, to make hormones and neurotransmitters, and to support the immune system.
It also plays a role in the production of normal, healthy red blood cells and some of the neurotransmitters needed for proper nervous system function. In conjunction with folic acid and cobalamin, it acts to reduce homocysteine levels, thus lowering the risk of developing heart disease.
Vitamin C, or Ascorbic Acid, an essential nutrient found mainly in fruits and vegetables. The body requires vitamin C to form and maintain bones, blood vessels, and skin.
Vitamin C helps produce collagen, a protein needed to develop and maintain healthy teeth, bones, gums, cartilage, vertebrae discs, joint linings, skin and blood vessels.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant and is necessary for optimal immune system functioning, healthy eyes, and cell protection throughout the body. It has also been linked to the prevention of a number of diseases.
Vitamin E is absorbed by the gastrointestinal system and stored in tissues and organs throughout the body. Daily dietary intake of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin E is recommended for optimum health.