Antioxidant: Compounds that protect the body from the harmful effects of free radicals
Antioxidant capacity: A measure of how effectively antioxidants work against free radicals
Body Mass index: A measure of your weight in relation to your height. BMI is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. For more information click here.
Blood Cholesterol: A fat-like substance found in your blood that can be made from the fats consumed in your diet, particularly saturated fats. High blood cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease.
B vitamins: Includes 8 water soluble vitamins that play important roles in cell function. For more detail on these click here.
Dental caries: Also known as tooth decay it is the process where bacteria damage the hard outer structure of the teeth which if untreated leads to pain, tooth loss and infection.
Dietary fibre: The indigestible part of plant foods. Fibre may be soluble or insoluble in nature. An adequate intake of dietary fibre is important for good digestive health. For more information click here.
DNA: The primary component of chromosomes and the material of which our genes are made. It may sometimes be referred to as the molecule of heredity.
Flavonoids: A group of several thousand natural plant chemicals (phytochemicals) known for their antioxidant action and found in good supply in apples, tea, wine, grapes, onions and berries.
Free radical: An unstable molecule that plays an important role in body processes but with the potential to react in other ways to produce cellular damage.
Glycemic index (GI): A rating of how quickly carbohydrate foods are absorbed and raise glucose levels in the blood. Foods with a higher GI raise blood glucose more rapidly than those with a lower GI. For more information click here.
ORAC: Short for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. ORAC is a way of measuring how effectively antioxidants work – also known as antioxidant capacity.
Oxidation: The interaction between oxygen and other compounds. When oxidation is caused by a free radical the results are often undesirable.
Oxidative stress: Occurs when an imbalance exists in the body between the unwanted products of oxidation and their neutralised form.
Phytochemicals: Naturally occurring chemical compounds found in plants.
Polyphenol: A group of natural plant chemicals that are further divided into sub-groups, one of which is the flavonoids.
Potassium: A chemical element that occurs naturally in all living cells and is essential for their function.
Saturated fat: A type of fat found most commonly in animal foods (as well as coconut milk and palm oil), which the body uses to make blood cholesterol. For more information click here.
Sodium: A chemical element occurring naturally in all living cells and is essential for their function. Can also be found added to processed foods as part of salt (sodium chloride). A diet high in salt or sodium has been linked to high blood pressure. For more information click here.
Serve: The amount of a food group considered best for optimal dietary balance. Health experts recommend at least two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables each day. Click here for more information.
Satiety: The state of being full after eating. Foods that offer satiety with a lower kilojoule content, such as apples, may benefit weight loss.
Vitamin C: An essential nutrient for humans and important for the skin. Fruit and vegetables are good sources of this nutrient.
