Glossary

Addiction - A behavior, which one is compelled to do, and which has severe life-damaging consequences.  In comparison to dependence, which is strictly biochemical, an addiction has biological, psychological  and social implications. 

Amino acid - One of a large group of organic compounds marked by the presence of both an amino group (-NH2) and an acid carboxyl group (-COOH).  Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and are the end products of protein digestion or hydrolysis.

Carbohydrate -  A non-essential group of substances including sugars, glycogen, starches, dextrins, and celluloses, which contain only carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.  They are primarily used as a source of energy.

Colon - The large intestine.

Detoxification - The process of removing poisons, waste materials, and excess or harmful end products of metabolism from the body.

Dietary Supplement - A nutrient or mixture of nutrients designed to complement nutritional intake so that potential deficiencies of certain essential nutrients are less likely.

Endocrine - Of or pertaining to the endocrine system, that part of the body which is involved with hormones (see hormones).

Enzyme -  A protein which catalyses (facilitates and/or accelerates) a chemical reaction in an organism.  Enzymes essentially run the biochemical machinery of cells and convert "parent" molecules (precursors) into other "daughter" molecules (metabolites).

Essential nutrient  -  A molecule which has been demonstrated to be a crucial precursor for living metabolic processes.

Fatty acid - One of the forms of fat molecules.  When connected to glycerol, it is called a monoglyceride.  Two fatty acids plus glycerol make a diglyceride, and three make a triglyceride.  The latter is the usual storage molecule for fat in fat cells.  Some fatty acids are essential, some are not.

Flora -  The combined ecosystem of over 300 species of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in the intestines.

Free radical - A highly unstable molecule that reacts easily with stable molecules, thus disrupting normal biochemistry.  Most chronic degenerative diseases have a free-radical component to their mechanisms of injury.

Functional Medicine - It is personalized medicine that deals with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of symptoms for disease. Optimal health is the goal.

Genome -  The complete set of chromosomes or genes of an organism.

Homeopathy -  A branch of medical treatment that relies on the energy fields of molecules, rather than (like allopathy) the molecules themselves to achieve healing effects.

Homeostasis -  A condition of biochemical balance that all living tissues and life strives for.

Hormone - A substance originating in an organ, gland or body part which the blood conveys to another part of the body, stimulating it by chemical action to increased functional activity or to increase secretion of another hormone.

Immunization - The administration of an antigen or vaccine that will render a person immune from an infection at a later date.

Immune System - The lymphatic tissue, white blood cells, and antibodies that are part of the body's defenses. 

Inert -  Inactive, with few or no active properties.

Macronutrients - Those nutrients in the diet that are required or consumed in relatively large quantities, as opposed to micronutrients. Usually this refers to protein, fat, fiber, and certain minerals, such as calcium and magnesium.

Malabsorption -  Disordered or inadequate absorption of nutrients from the GI tract.

Maldigestion - impaired digestion.

Megadosing -  Taking extraordinary high dosages of nutritional supplements.  Not normally recommended, especially in children.

Metabolite - A molecule that results from the enzymatic breakdown of another (parent) molecule.

Metabolic byproduct -  A metabolite.

Micronutrient  - Those nutrients which are required in relatively minute quantities, as opposed to macronutrients. The term usually refers to vitamins, trace minerals and other catalytic components of the diet.

Microorganisms -  Microscopic organisms, usually referring to bacteria, yeast or parasites.

Molecule - The smallest quantity into which a substance may be divided without loss of its characteristics.  A chemical combination of two or more atoms or elements to form a specific chemical compound.

Neuronutrient -  Nutrients that are targeted to improve the functioning of the nervous system.  This technology especially refers to the precursor loading methods of amino acid therapies.

Neurotransmitters -  The chemical messengers released by presynaptic neurons across a junction between two neurons (called a synapse), which passes on a signal to the next neuron.

Nurture - To feed or nourish.  The term "nurture" appears in the 11th Edition of Taber's Cyclopedic  Medical Dictionary, but has been removed from the 16th edition.  Apparently the term "nurture" is no longer considered by the editors to be relevant to medical practice.

Nutrient - A substance or molecule necessary to support life.

Nutrimolecular -  Of or pertaining to a substance which by its  molecular constitution, nurtures life, as opposed to toximolecular.

Palliative -  Serving to relieve or alleviate, without curing.

Precursor -  A "parent" substance which precedes another "daughter" substance in metabolic pathways.  A precursor is usually converted to a metabolite by an enzyme.

Phytonutrient -  A nutrient derived from a plant.

Physiology -  The scientific study of the essential and typical life processes, activities, and functions of an organism.

Psychotropic -  Mind-altering.

Receptor -  A place on the membrane of a cell or on an enzyme that has a molecular shape which accommodates certain molecules.  When a molecule fits into a receptor (agonist), there is usually a chemical activation (inhibition or excitation) of some kind that sends a signal across the cell membrane or into the enzyme causing a biochemical change to happen to the cell or enzyme which has the receptor.  Some molecules (antagonists) fit into receptors without stimulating them (blocking agents), but nevertheless prevent other molecules (agonists) from getting into the receptors.

Saturated fats -  Fat molecules which lack double bonds and are therefore less liquefying and more likely to solidify.  As opposed to unsaturated fat.

Stress -  Mental or physical tension, urgency, or pressure.

Toxic load or Toxin load - The cumulative or potentiating harmful effects of all toxins which exist in an organism at any time.

Toximolecular -  Pertaining to a substance which by its molecular structure injures, interferes with, or poisons normal metabolism in some way. As opposed to nutrimolecular.

Toxin -  A toximolecular substance.

Vitamin -  A micronutrient which catalyses biochemical reactions, especially enzymes.  Humans and some animals have lost the ability to manufacture certain vitamins from other nutrients, and are thus entirely dependent on plants and bacteria to supply them.

Withdrawal symptoms  - Those symptoms which occur when a person, who has become adapted to long-term, regular use of a psychotropic drug, suddenly stops taking the drug.  Generally, living metabolic processes will adapt to an exposure to psychotropic drugs in such a way as to minimize its effects (tolerance), ultimately becoming dependent on the toxic substance for stable biochemical functioning.  Sudden withdrawal thus shocks that artificial stability, forcing the normal chemistry to readapt to the absence of the drug.  During that readaptation stage, a person can experience craving for the substance, mood and physical abnormalities, and bizarre behaviors. All psychotropic toxins, whether prescribed, over-the-counter, legal or illegal have withdrawal symptoms associated with them, and thus have varying potentials to cause drug dependence or addiction.

Xenobiotic -  An antinutrient which, because of its molecular structure, is entirely alien to living processes under all circumstances.  As opposed to antinutrients that do not appear to any extent in the normal human food chain, but nevertheless are metabolites derived from precursor nutrients.  In general, a xenobiotic substance has the greatest potential of all anti-nutrients, to cause bizarre, unpredictable and destructive effects.