Author: Glossary
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Hepatomegaly
Enlargement of the liver as a result of congestion (e.g. in heart failure), inflammation or fatty infiltration (as in kwashiorkor). A condition in which the liver becomes very large. Abnormal enlargement of the liver, usually a sign of liver disease. Palpable abdominal enlargement of the liver due to damage from cirrhosis or hepatitis. Swelling or…
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Helicobacter pylori
Bacterium commonly infecting the gastric mucosa in patients with ulcers. The underlying cause of ulcers, and implicated in the development of gastric cancer. Bacterium that causes chronic inflammation of the inner lining of the stomach. A bacterium found in gastric secretions, strongly associated with duodenal ulcers and gastric carcinoma. Spiral-shaped bacterium found in the stomach.…
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Hegsted score
Method of expressing the lipid content of a diet, calculated as 2.16 X % energy from saturated fat -1.65 X % energy from polyunsaturated fat -0.0677 X mg cholesterol.
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Hedonic scale
Term used in tasting panels where the judges indicate the extent of their like or dislike for the food. A scale from 1 to 9 used for the evaluation of foods with a degree of liking from 1 to 5 and degree of disliking from 5 to 9.
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Heat of combustion
Energy released by complete combustion, as for example, in the bomb calorimeter. Values can be used to predict energy physiologically available from foods only if an allowance is made for material not completely oxidised in the body. The heat produced when a food substance is oxidized in a bomb calorimeter.
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Health foods
Substances the consumption of which is advocated by various reform movements, including vegetable foods, whole grain cereals, food processed without chemical additives, food grown on organic compost, supplements such as bees’ royal jelly, lecithin, seaweed, etc., and pills and potions. Numerous health claims are made but rarely is there evidence to support these claims. A…
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Hazard analysis critical control process (HACCP)
The identification of critical process points that must be controlled to produce safe foods. A relatively new term adopted in the early 1970’s. It is a systematic approach to hazard identification, assessment and control. HACCP programs identify the potential hazards which may be associated with a food from growth, through harvesting, processing, storing and distributing…
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Harvard standard
Tables of height and weight for age used as reference values for the assessment of growth and nutritional status in children, based on data collected in the USA in the 1930s. Now largely replaced by the NCHS (US National Center for Health Statistics) standards.
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Haram
Food forbidden by Islamic law (opposite ofhalal).
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Haplotype
Collection of single nucleotide polymorphs (SNPs) which are inherited as a group. The combination of several alleles in a gene cluster.