| low-calorie diet | A diet of 1,200 calories or less per day. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| high-calorie diet | A diet containing upward of 4,000 calories per day. (05 Mar 2000) |
| low-fat diet | A diet containing minimal amounts of fat.Diets containing low amounts of fat and cholesterol are designed to reduce the risk of heart disease and, in some cases, cancer. Dozens of such diets have been promulgated, both by medical and lay advisors. Their popularity can be attributed in part to clinical studies that have, since the 1980s, revealed, on the one hand, the hazards of eating high-fat, high-cholesterol foods and, on the other, the benefits of ingesting less saturated fat and LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol. Although coronary deaths have been reduced by roughly 30% since 1970, the aim of health officials is to further reduce heart attack rates. The average cholesterol level among adult Americans has fallen from 213 to 205 mg/dl since 1978. However, the National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that individuals maintain a total cholesterol level of no more than 200 mg/dl, with LDL at less than 130 mg/dl and HDL (high density lipoprotein) around 60 mg/dl. About one-half of American adults exceed those recommendations. Low-fat, low-cholesterol diets are rich in whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and legumes, and limit or exclude consumption of processed oils, dairy products, nuts and seeds, and meats. See atherosclerosis, free radicals. (05 Mar 2000) |
| low purine diet | A diet low in precursors of purines (such as tissues rich in cells with abundant nuclei, as in liver, glandular meats, etc.) to minimise formation of uric acid. Useful in treatment of patients with gout or urate-containing renal calculi. (05 Mar 2000) |
| low residue diet | A diet that leaves minimal unabsorbed components in the intestine, to minimise functional stress on the colon. (05 Mar 2000) |
| low salt diet | A diet with restricted amounts of sodium chloride, necessary in the treatment of some cases of hypertension, heart failure, and other syndromes characterised by fluid retention and/or oedema formation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| calorie | <chemistry> A unit of measurement defined as 4.184 absolute joules or the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of one gram of water from 15 to 16 degrees Celsius (or1/100th the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water at one atmosphere pressure from 0 degrees C to 100 degrees C), food calories are actually equal to 1,000 calories (1 food calorie = 1 kilocalorie). (13 Oct 1997) |
| mean calorie | One hundredth of the energy required to raise the temperature of 1 g of water from 0캜 to 100캜. (05 Mar 2000) |
| gram calorie | The quantity of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 g of water 1캜, or from 14.5캜 to 15.5캜 in the case of normal or standard calorie. Synonym: gram calorie. (05 Mar 2000) |
| protein-calorie malnutrition | Severe deficiency of protein + inadequate caloric intake = kwashiorkor. (12 Dec 1998) |
| small calorie | The quantity of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 g of water 1캜, or from 14.5캜 to 15.5캜 in the case of normal or standard calorie. Synonym: gram calorie. (05 Mar 2000) |
| kilogram calorie | The quantity of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water 1캜, more precisely from 14.5 |
| large calorie | The quantity of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water 1캜, more precisely from 14.5 |
| back pain, low | Symptoms in the low back can relate to the bony lumbar spine, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, muscles of the low back, internal organs of the pelvis and abdomen, and the skin covering the lumbar area. The low back, or lumbar area, functions in structural support, movement, and protection of certain body tissue. (12 Dec 1998) |
| blood sugar, low | The sugar here is glucose. Low blood glucose constitutes hypoglycaemia. Hypoglycaemia is only significant when it is associated with symptoms. It has many causes including drugs, liver disease, surgical absence of the stomach, pre-diabetes, and rare tumours that release excess insulin. (12 Dec 1998) |