A glossary of health terminology: M to N

In your quest to eat healthy, you may come across words you don't recognize. Here are a couple — starting with the letter 'M' — and the definition for each one.

Macronutrients:

The food we eat provides two types of essential building blocks, or nutrients, known as macronutrients and micronutrients. Most food is primarily made up of water, a macronutrient. The remaining macronutrients — carbohydrate, protein and fat — are vital energy-yielding nutrients that work in harmony with micronutrients to keep the body fit and functioning well.

Metabolism:

The collective term for the body's physical and chemical processes that are needed to maintain life, including derivation of energy from food.

Micronutrients:

Required in small amounts from the diet, vitamins and minerals are noncaloric essential nutrients known as micronutrients. They are critical for normal growth, development and good health. Micronutrients promote and regulate chemical reactions vital for life and participate in all body processes, such as deriving energy from macronutrients, transmitting nerve impulses and battling infections.

Monoterpenes:

A family of phytochemicals that includes limonene, monoterpenes are under review for their ability to detoxify carcinogens, hinder cancer cell growth and improve cholestrol levels. Food sources include cherries, citrus fruits, caraway, dill and spearmint.

Monounsaturated fat:

Found in olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, some margarine, avocado, nuts and seeds, heart-healthy monounsaturated fat is not easy damaged by oxidation, so is less likely than saturated fat and trans fats to clog arteries. When consumed in place of saturated and trans fats, monounsaturated fats help lower LDL cholesterol levels. These fats are part of the Mediterranean diet, associated with lower rates of heart disease and cancer.

Neurotransmitters:

Chemicals released from nerve endings that relay messages from one cell to another.

Nitrates:

Compounds that are produced in the body by the action of bacteria on the nitrates, nitrites are also used as meat preservatives.

Nitrosamines:

Compounds that are formed in food or in the body through the reaction of nitrites with amines. They are regarded as carcinogens, although no definite link has been established between nitrosamines and cancer in humans.