remainder is protein, fat, undigested roughage, dried
digestive juices, dead cells, and bacteria.
FEMALE ATHLETE TRIAD.A group of three disorders
often found together in female athletes, consisting of
disordered eating, amenorrhea, and osteoporosis.
FENLURAMINE.An anorectic drug formerly mar-
keted under the brand name Pondimin.
FERMENTATION.A reaction performed by yeast or
bacteria to make alcohol.
FERRITIN.Iron is stored in the body, mainly in the
liver, spleen and bone marrow, as ferritin.
FETUS.Unborn offspring.
FIBER.A complex carbohydrate not digested by the
human body. Plants are the source of fiber.
FIBROMYALGIA.Widespread musculoskeletal pain
and fatigue disorder for which the cause is still
unknown.
FISTULA.Abnormal, usually ulcerous duct between
two internal organs or between an internal organ and
the skin. When open at only one end it is called an
incomplete fistula or sinus. The most common sites of
fistula are the rectum and the urinary organs.
FLATULENCE.The medical term for intestinal gas
expelled through the anus.
FLAXSEED.Linseed; the seed of flax,Linum usita-
tissimum, used as a source of oil for treating inflam-
mation of the respiratory, intestinal, and urinary
tracts, and as a dietary supplement.
FLUOXETINE.An antidepressant drug, sold under
the brand name Prozac.
FOIE GRAS.Liver of a duck or goose that has been
specially fattened. It can be sold whole or prepared as
pate or mousse.
FOLATE.One of the B vitamins, also called folic
acid.
FOLIC ACID.Folate; a B-complex vitamin that is
required for normal production of red blood cells and
other physiological processes; abundant in green, leafy
vegetables, liver, kidney, dried beans, and mushrooms.
FOOD ADDITIVE.Defined by the Federal Food,
Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C) of 1938 as ‘‘any
substance, the intended use of which results directly
or indirectly, in its becoming a component or other-
wise affecting the characteristics of food.’’
FOOD ALLERGY.A hypersensitivity reaction to par-
ticular food proteins involving the immune system.FOOD FORTIFICATION.The public health policy of
adding essential trace elements and vitamins to food-
stuffs to ensure that minimum dietary requirements
are met.FOOD STAMP PROGRAM (FSP).The Food Stamp
Program provides a basic safety net to millions of
people. The program was born in the late 1930s, with
a limited program in effect from 1939 to 1943. It was
revived as a pilot program in 1961 and was extended
nationwide in 1974. The current program was imple-
mented in 1977 with the goal of alleviating hunger and
malnutrition by permitting low-income households to
obtain a more nutritious diet through normal channels
of trade.FOODBORNE ILLNESS.Illness caused by pathogenic
bacteria transmitted to humans by food.FORTIFICATION. The addition of vitamins and
minerals to improve the nutritional content of a food.FREDRICKSON CLASSIFICATION. A classification
system of hyperlipidemias by ultracentrifugation fol-
lowed by electrophoresis that uses plasma appearance,
triglyceride values, and total cholesterol values. There
are five types: I, II, III, IV, and V.FREE RADICAL.An unstable, highly reactive mole-
cule that occurs naturally as a result of cellular meta-
bolism, but can be increased by environmental toxins,
ultraviolet and nuclear radiation. Free radicals
damage cellular DNA and are thought to play a role
in aging, cancer, and other diseases. Free radicals can
be neutralized by antioxidants.FREEGAN.A vegan who obtains food outside the
mainstream economic system, most often by growing
it, bartering for it, or scavenging for it in restaurant or
supermarket trash bins.FREE-RANGE.Allowed to forage and move around
with relative freedom. Free-range chickens are typi-
cally raised on small farms or suburban back yards,
and are often considered pets as well as egg producers.FRUCTOSE.A simple sugar that occurs naturally in
sucrose and fruit. It can be added in combination with
sucrose in the form of high-fructose corn syrup
(HFCS) to sweeten foods because it is sweeter than
sucrose. Large amounts of fructose can cause diarrhea
in infants and young children.FRUITARIAN.A vegetarian who eats only plant-
based products (fruits, seeds, and nuts) that can be
obtained without killing the plant.Glossary