What's a Calorie? (And Other Nutrition Buzzwords, Defined)

Posted on Jul 21st 2011 11:00AM by Emma Gray For AOL Healthy Living Getty

Antioxidants
Antioxidants are substances that prevent the damage that occurs naturally through the digestive process to our cells and DNA. When our tissue comes into contact with oxygen as we breathe and eat, a process called "oxidation" occurs which can set off a reaction that permanently damages cells -- and even DNA -- within your body. Although this is a lot of science talk, oxidative stress is believed to contribute the development of a host of conditions -- including cancer, cataracts, arthritis, stroke and heart disease. Antioxidants can prevent oxidative stress. Some of the most common antioxidants include Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Uric Acid and Melatonin. They can be ingested naturally through certain foods or be taken in supplement form.

Calorie
Calorie is a fairly straightforward term -- a calorie is simply a unit of measurement. One calorie is one unit of energy, specifically the energy it takes to raise the temperature of one cubic centimeter of water by one degree (Celcius). When it comes to food, what we refer to as calories are actually kilocalories, measuring an amount of energy that is 1,000 times larger than a calorie in scientific terms.

So the calories that we see on our food labels are really indicating the amount of energy that will be released into our body when that food product reacts with oxygen. Fats, carbohydrates and proteins have the greatest amount of calories, generally.

Omega-3s
Omega-3 fatty acids are a particular type of essential unsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids cannot be produced naturally in the human body but are necessary for your body's metabolism, meaning that the only way to get them is by eating foods that contain them or by taking a supplement. Omega-3s naturally occur in fatty fish (i.e. tuna, albacore, salmon etc.) as well as algae, krill and some nut oils. There is some evidence that Omega-3s can boost brain function and put you at less risk for development of chronic health conditions.

Macronutrients and Micronutrients
Nutrients (all of those great things that keep your body going) are divided into two categories -- Macronutrients and Micronutrients. Macronutrients are the big ones (the things we consume most often and in the largest quantities): fats, carbohydrates, alcohol and proteins. Micronutrients constitute everything else.

Unsaturated vs. Saturated Fat
The difference between unsaturated and saturated fats lies in their chemical make-up. The easiest way to think about it is that saturated fats are, in fact, "saturated" with hydrogen. Unsaturated fats are not.

Chemically speaking, fats are made up of what is called "fatty acid chains" -- sets of atoms linked together. When these chains contain at least one double bond (which gets rid of hydrogen atoms in that part of the chain), they are considered unsaturated.

Saturated fats are more likely to come from animal sources, while unsaturated fats often come from plant-based foods. Saturated fats are also solid at room temperature, while unsaturated fats are liquid. Generally, saturated fats are considered to be agents of high cholesterol while the opposite is true for unsaturated fats.

Foods with higher proportions of saturated fats include: butter, lard, coconut oil and milk. Foods with higher proportions of unsaturated fats include: olive oil, avocado, sunflower oil and corn.

To read the rest of this article and find out buzzwords like "trans-fat," and "complex carbohydrate" mean, visit The Huffington Post's health and wellness destination site, Healthy Living.

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