Health and Diet Online Glossary
Caloric Inhibitor: A product or family of product that reduces the amount of calories your body is able to metabolize from a given food source. The objective of a caloric inhibitor is to allow a people to eat as much as they want, but only absorb the minimum calories for their daily adequate intake.
Calorie: A unit of energy equal to the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. In practical health terms this would be considered the amount of energy given by food. For example:
- 1 gram Fat = 9 calories
- 1 gram Protein = 4 calories
- 1 gram Carbohydrates = 4 calories
- 1 gram Alcohol = 7 calories
People who consume more calories than they burn in a normal day or during exercise are likely to be overweight or obese.
Calorie balance: The difference between a person's calorie intake and calorie expenditure. That is what's left over from what you ate and what your burned off. When a calorie balance is zero, it means they are burning all the energy they eat. A negative calorie balance results in losing weight while a positive calorie balance results in gaining weight.
Calorie Expenditure: The amount of energy your body uses to work. This includes anything from thinking to breathing to running.
Cancer: Any spreading (malignant) growth or tumor caused by abnormal and unregulated cell division. Cancerous cells may spread to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system or the blood stream.
Carcinogen: Any substance, (genotoxic or biotoxic) that can cause cells to become cancerous. Asbestos, DDT, and tobacco are examples of carcinogens.
Cardiovascular Disease: A general term for disorders pertaining to or involving the heart and blood vessels.
Casein: The principal protein in cow's milk. A white, tasteless, odorless mixture of related phosphoproteins. Casein is very nutritious and forms curds when exposed to acid. It is the basis of cheese and is used as a key ingredient to make plastics, adhesives, paints, and foods.
Cellulite: From Latin, cellula or "little cell" Lumpy fat deposits causing a dimpled or uneven appearance. These deposits are usually found in the thighs and buttocks.
Cholesterol: A sterol that is the main component of blood plasma and cell membranes. Cholesterol is an important precursor of many steroid hormones such as the estrogens, testosterone and cortisol. A person with higher than normal amounts of cholesterol in the blood is at higher risk of developing coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis. Two main cholesterols are high-density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein, or LDL cholesterol.
Chromium Polynicotinate: A patented version of the trace mineral chromium. Studies indicate this dietary supplement may provide many healthy benefits. Weight loss, more regulated cholesterol and glucose levels, and improved body mass indexing. Some studies indicate previous findings may be called into question.