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| A-Z NUTRITION GLOSSARY: |
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HDL
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| High-density lipoproteins (HDL) form a class of lipoproteins, varying somewhat in their size, that carry cholesterol from the body's tissues to the liver. About one-third to a quarter of blood cholesterol is carried by HDL. |
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Histidine
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| Histidine is one of the 20 most common natural amino acids present in proteins. In the nutritional sense, in humans, histidine is considered an essential amino acid, but mostly only in children. The amino acid is a precursor for histamine and carnosine biosynthesis. Histidine is found in fruits such as bananas and grapes, meat and poultry, and milk and milk products. It is also found in root vegetables and all green vegetables, though in lesser quantities. |
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Homocysteine
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Homocysteine has been thoroughly documented in the last 15 years that moderately elevated homocysteine levels in serum or plasma is a strong and independent risk factor for occlusive arterial disease, and of venous thrombosis, and also predicts vascular and all-cause mortality.
As many as 50% of patients with stroke and other atherothrombotic diseases have high homocysteine levels (over 15 µmol/L). High homocysteine levels are also implicated in development of dementia, or increases the rate of disease' progress. An association with depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders is also found. There is also much focus on the association between carcinogenesis and impaired homocysteine metabolism. See Homocysteine Science for more information. |
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Hoodia Gordonii
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| Hoodia is a cactus-like plant found in the dry sands of the Kalahari Desert of Africa. The San Tribe (African Bushmen) have used it for thousands of years to curb hunger as they tour the vast region of the Kalahari Desert to hunt for food. By chewing or ingesting this plant they are able to curb their hunger for as long as 24 hours. See Weight Science for more information. |
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Hydroxicitric Acid (HCA)
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| Hydroxicitric Acid or HCA, is also known as Citrimax is an acid found in the fruit Garcinia Cambogia that affects fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Studies have shown it reduces the conversion of carbs into bodyfat. HCA competitively inhibits an enzyme kown as ATP-Citrate lyase (the major enzyme responsible for the production of fatty acid). When HCA blocks the production of fatty acids, a buildup of citrate occurs, which may cause the cell to inhibit glycolysis (breakdown of stored sugars). |
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Hypoglycemia
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| Hypoglycemia is a term meaning low blood sugar. Hypoglycemia is a set of symptoms that point to irregularities in the way the body handles glucose, the sugar that circulates in the blood. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include sweating, trembling, anxiety, fast heartbeat, headache, hunger, weakness, mental confusion, and on occasion, seizures and coma. However, it occurs rarely because the body has a lot of backup systems preventing it. |
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