Author: Glossary
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Myelin sheath
The protective covering around nerve cells. A layer of myelin that insulates some nerve cells and speeds the conduction of nerve impulses. Segmented, fatty covering composed of myelin that covers the axons of some nerve fibers. A fatty substance surrounding some neurons that acts as an electrical insulator, increasing the speed of nerve impulse transmission.…
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Monounsaturated fats
Beneficial fatty acids that are good for heart health and brain health; are anti-inflammatory; and help maintain neurotransmitter activity. Fat molecules possessing less than the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms. Diets that are high in monounsaturated fat content have been shown to reduce low-density lipoproteins (“bad” cholesterol) blood content, while leaving blood levels of…
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Micronutrients
Dietary components needed in small quantities by the body (including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals) that are important and often essential for wellness. Vitamins and minerals, which are needed in very small amounts (micrograms or milligrams per day), as distinct from fats, carbohydrates, and proteins which are macronutrients, since they are needed in considerably greater…
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Microbiome
An ecosystem of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses, and more) that live in and on the body.
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Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs)
Aturated fatty acids with 6–12 carbon atoms; an easily digestible source of fat-based energy. Fatty acids containing 8-12 carbon atoms. MCT oil, currently marketed as an ergogenic aid, is theorized to enhance endurance performance because their medium-chain fatty acids are readily absorbed and quickly metabolized independent of long-chain fatty acid transport mechanisms. While long-chain fatty…
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High smoke point
A characteristic of some cooking oils, meaning they don’t easily oxidize from heat and can withstand higher temperatures while cooking.
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Heavy metals
Metals with a high density that are toxic or poisonous at low concentrations. Metals, such as mercury, arsenic, lead, nickel, and zinc, that may enter the human food chain from industrial pollution slowly accumulate in the body and adversely affect the nervous system. Metals such as mercury, lead, chromium, cadmium, and arsenic that have known…
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Gray matter
Brain tissue that is richest in cellular bodies and synapses. The cerebral cortex of the brain, which contains nerve cell bodies whose function is to route sensory or motor stimulus to the central nervous system (CNS). The neural tissue made up largely of nerve cell bodies that constitutes the cortex covering the cerebral hemisphere, the…
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Glycemic index
A relative ranking of carbohydrates in foods and how they affect blood glucose levels. A measure that compares the elevation in blood glucose caused by the ingestion of 50 g of any carbohydrate food with the elevation caused by the ingestion of 50 g of white bread. An index that relates the specific food consumed…
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Glutamate
An excitatory neurotransmitter that figures prominently in learning and memory. The major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS), which plays a key role in maintenance of neuronal plasticity and is important in learning and memory. Excessive excitatory neurotransmission and glutamate concentration may lead to excitotoxic conditions and neurodegenerative processes, which, for example, may…