Glossary
Looking for more information? Browse our glossary for health and nutrition related words and terms to keep you in the know!
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D
- DASH Diet
- Description:
This eating plan is from the "Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension" (DASH) clinical study. The results show that the DASH "combination diet" lowered blood pressure and, so, may help prevent and control high blood pressure. - Dehydration
- Description:
a severe loss of water and body fluids because of illness or intense physical activity. - Diaphragm
- Description:
The part of the body that separates the chest and abdominal cavities. - Diarrhea
- Description:
is commonly described as passage of = 3 loose or watery stools/day. The more numerous the watery stools, the more dangerous the diarrhea - Dietary cholesterol
- Description:
Cholesterol found in food sources. Only foods of animal origin contain cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol is not essential because the body can make all the cholesterol it needs. - Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)-
- Description:
are nutrient intake guidelines developed by nutrition scientists for staying healthy. DRIs are used to plan and assess diets for healthy people. - Diverticulitis/Diverticulosis
- Description:
Diverticulitis is the inflammation of an abnormal pouch (diverticulum) in the intestinal wall. These pouches are usually found in the large intestine (colon). The presence of the pouches themselves is called diverticulosis. - Docosahexanoic Acid (DHA)
- Description:
is an omega-3 fatty acid. DHA is found in fatty fish such as herring, sardines, salmon, tuna and in fish oil supplements. DHA is needed in adults to allow the brain to function correctly. In an infant's first 6 months of life, DHA is needed for development of the nervous system and for vision. Increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids may help to reduce the risk of heart disease. - Dyslipidemia
- Description:
A disorder that includes elevation of the total cholesterol, the "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and the triglyceride concentrations, and a decrease in the "good" high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration in the blood.