BRANCHED-CHAIN ALPHA-KETO ACID DEHYDRO-
GENASE (BCKD).The chemical name of the enzyme
that is missing or partially inactivated in patients
with maple syrup urine disease (MSUD).
BROWN ADIPOSE TISSUE.BAT; brown fat; a heat-
producing tissue found primarily in human fetuses and
infants and hibernating animals.
BULIMIA.Also called bulimia nervosa, an eating
disorder characterized by binges, or eating much food
in little time, followed by purging behaviors, such as
throwing up or taking laxatives.C
CAFFEINE.A plant alkaloid found in coffee, tea,
hot chocolate, and some soft drinks that functions as a
diuretic as well as a central nervous system stimulant.
CALCIUM.Calcium is a mineral present in large
quantities in the body, mainly in the bones and teeth.
A deficiency of calcium in the diet can increase risk of
osteoporosis. Rich sources of calcium include mil,
cheese, yoghurt and tofu.
CALCIUM CARBONATE.A salt that is used in many
antacids.
CALORIC.Relating to heat or calories, also, full of
calories, and so likely to be fattening.
CALORIE.A unit of food energy. In nutrition terms,
the word calorie is used instead of the scientific term
kilocalorie which represents the amount of energy
required to raise the temperature of one liter of water
by one degree centigrade at sea level. In nutrition, a
calorie of food energy refers to a kilocalorie and is
therefore equal to 1000 true calories of energy.
CALORIE REDUCTION.A decrease in the number of
calories that a person consumes.
CARBOHYDRATE.A nutrient that the body uses as
an energy source. A carbohydrate provide 4 calories of
energy per gram.
CARBOHYDRATE ADDICTION.A compelling hun-
ger, craving, or desire for foods high in carbohydrates,
or an escalating and recurring need for starchy foods,
snack foods, junk foods, and sweets.
CARBOXYL GROUP.The carbon atom at the end of
a fatty acid hydrocarbon chain is attached by a double
bond to oxygen and by a single bond to hydrogen
forming the chemical structure carboxyl.
CARCINOGEN.A cancer-causing substance.CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIA.A group of conditions in
which the muscle contraction of the heart is irregular
or is faster or slower than normal.
CARDIOVASCULAR.Pertaining to the heart and
blood vessels.CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE.This describes medical
conditions that relate to disease of the heart and cir-
culatory system ( blood vessels) such as angina, heart
attacks and strokes.
CARIES.Cavities in the teeth.CARMINATIVE.A substance that stops the forma-
tion of intestinal gas and helps expel gas that has
already formed.
CARNITINE.This is a naturally occurring sub-
stance, needed for the oxidation of fatty acids, a defi-
ciency of which is known to have major adverse effects
on the CNS.CARNIVORE.An animal whose diet consists mostly
or entirely of meat. Cats, wolves, snakes, birds of prey,
frogs, sharks, spiders, seals, and penguins are all
carnivores.CAROTENOID.Fat-soluble plant pigments, some of
which are important to human health.
CARRIER. A person who harbors an infectious
agent or a defective gene without showing clinical
signs of disease themselves and who can transmit the
infection to others or the defective gene to their
children.CATABOLISM. The breakdown of complex
molecules.CATARACT.A condition where the lens of the eye
becomes cloudy.
CECUM.The pouch-like start of the large intestine
that links it to the small intestine.CELIAC DISEASE.A digestive disease that causes
damage to the small intestine. It results from the abil-
ity to digest gluten found in wheat, rye, and barley.
CELL DIFFERENTIATION.The process by which stem
cells develop into different types of specialized cells
such as skin, heart, muscle, and blood cells.CELLULITE.Fat deposited in pockets just below the
surface of the skin around the hips, thighs, and
buttocks.
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS).The central ner-
vous system (CNS) is composed of the brain and
spinal cord. The brain receives sensory informationGlossary