Nutrients

Alcohol (ethanol) A psychoactive, calorie-containing substance (7 kcal/g) produced by sugar fermentation and processed by the liver, whose health effects… Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) An essential plant-based omega-3 fatty acid (flax, chia, walnuts, rapeseed), the precursor of the long-chain omega-3s EPA and… Amino acid profile (PDCAAS / DIAAS score) An assessment of protein quality based on its essential amino acid content and digestibility, measured by scores such… Amino acids The basic molecules that make up proteins (there are 20), assembled into chains in a precise order, 9… Anthocyanins Flavonoid pigments responsible for the red, purple and blue colours of plants, studied for their antioxidant properties and… Antioxidants Molecules that neutralise free radicals and protect cells from oxidative stress, including vitamins (C, E), minerals (selenium, zinc)…

BCAA (branched-chain amino acids) Three essential amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine) called "branched-chain" because their chemical structure includes a side chain, and…

Caffeine A natural stimulant in coffee, tea, cocoa and some plants, acting on the central nervous system by blocking… Calcium The most abundant mineral in the body, essential for strong bones and teeth, but also for muscle contraction,… Carbohydrates A macronutrient covering sugars, starches and fibre, the body's main source of energy, where quality (simple vs complex)… Carotenoids Plant pigments (yellow, orange, red) with antioxidant properties, some of which (beta-carotene) are precursors of vitamin A, while… Cellulose An insoluble fibre that forms plant cell walls. Humans cannot digest it, and it adds bulk to stools… Chlorine (chloride) An electrolyte mineral, the main anion in body fluids, essential for fluid balance, stomach acidity and nerve transmission,… Cholesterol (HDL / LDL) An essential fat made mostly by the liver and carried in the blood by lipoproteins (HDL, the so-called… Choline An essential nutrient (close to the B vitamins) that is crucial for the brain, memory, liver and the… Chromium A trace element thought to take part in insulin action and carbohydrate metabolism, whose status as an essential… Collagen The most abundant protein in the body, a major component of skin, tendons, bones, cartilage and blood vessels,… Conditionally essential amino acids Amino acids normally made by the body that become essential (to be obtained from food) in certain situations:… Copper An essential trace element for iron metabolism, energy production, collagen formation and nervous system function, whose balance with…

Dairy products A family of foods made from milk (milk, yoghurt, cheese, fermented milks), the main source of calcium in… Dextrose Another name for glucose in its commercial form, a simple sugar that is absorbed extremely quickly, used in… Dietary fibre Complex plant carbohydrates that human enzymes cannot digest, essential for regular transit, fullness and feeding the gut microbiome.

Erythritol A polyol with moderate sweetening power, almost calorie-free with no glycaemic impact and better tolerated by the gut… Essential amino acids Nine amino acids that the human body cannot make and that must be supplied by food.

Fat A macronutrient covering fats and oils, a concentrated source of energy, a component of cell membranes and a… Fat-soluble vitamins Vitamins A, D, E and K, which dissolve in fat, are stored by the body for a long… Flavonoids A large subfamily of polyphenols responsible for the bright colours of plants (red, blue, purple), with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory… Fructose A simple sugar (monosaccharide) naturally found in fruit and honey, but also added in large amounts as glucose-fructose…

Galactose A simple sugar (monosaccharide) that, combined with glucose, forms the lactose in milk, is processed by the liver… Glucose A simple sugar (monosaccharide) that is the body's main energy fuel, notably for the brain and red blood… Glutamine The most abundant amino acid in the body, the preferred fuel of gut and immune cells, and conditionally…

Honey A sweet product made by bees from nectar, composed mainly of fructose and glucose, with properties slightly better…

Insoluble fibre Fibre that does not dissolve in water, adding bulk to stools and speeding transit, playing a mechanical role… Inulin A prebiotic soluble fibre (a fructan) found in chicory, Jerusalem artichoke and onion, widely used by industry to… Iodine A trace element essential for making thyroid hormones, whose deficiency is the leading preventable cause of intellectual disability… Iron A mineral essential for oxygen transport (via haemoglobin) and energy production, whose deficiency is the leading cause of…

Ketones (ketone bodies) Energy molecules (acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetone) produced by the liver from fat when carbohydrates are scarce, serving as an…

Lactose The natural sugar in milk (a disaccharide of glucose + galactose), digested by the enzyme lactase, whose deficiency… Linoleic acid (LA) The main essential omega-6 fatty acid, abundant in vegetable oils (sunflower, maize, soya), needed by the body but… Lutein and zeaxanthin Carotenoids that accumulate in the retina (macula), where they filter harmful blue light and protect the eyes from… Lycopene A red carotenoid and powerful antioxidant, typified by the tomato, which is far more available when cooked than…

Magnesium A mineral involved in more than 300 enzyme reactions (energy production, muscle contraction, nerve transmission), whose deficiency is… Maltose A simple sugar (a disaccharide of two glucose units) formed from the breakdown of starch, found in sprouted… Manganese An essential trace element that acts as a cofactor for many enzymes, involved in metabolism, bone formation, wound… Milk A liquid secreted by mammals, rich in calcium, protein and lactose, sold with different heat treatments that determine… Minerals Essential inorganic elements that the body cannot make and must get from food, involved in bone structure, fluid… Molybdenum An essential trace element that acts as a cofactor for detoxification enzymes, notably those that break down sulphites… Monounsaturated fatty acids Fatty acids with a single double bond (including omega-9/oleic acid), known to benefit the heart and typical of…

Oily fish Fish whose flesh contains more than 5% fat (salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, anchovies), the main dietary source of… Omega-3 A family of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (ALA, EPA, DHA) that the body cannot make, important for heart… Omega-6 A family of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (including linoleic and arachidonic acid), needed by the body but often… Omega-6 / omega-3 ratio The balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acid intakes, heavily skewed in Western diets, and discussed as a… Omega-9 A family of monounsaturated fatty acids (including oleic acid) that the body can make itself, so not essential,…

Pectin A soluble fibre found in fruit (especially apples and citrus) that forms a gel, used to set jams… Phospholipids Special fats that form the basic structure of the membranes of every cell, with a "water-loving" head and… Phosphorus A very abundant mineral, working with calcium for strong bones and teeth, and involved in energy production (ATP)… Phytonutrients (phytochemicals) Bioactive compounds made by plants (beyond vitamins and minerals) that serve as their defence and bring humans a… Plant protein Protein from pulses, cereals, nuts and seeds, often low in one essential amino acid when eaten alone, but… Plant sterols (phytosterols) Plant compounds structurally close to cholesterol that reduce its absorption in the gut, used in some "cholesterol-lowering" products. Polyphenols A vast family of antioxidant plant compounds (over 8,000 identified) made by plants for defence, with beneficial effects… Polyunsaturated fatty acids Fatty acids with several double bonds, including the essential omega-3 and omega-6 families, which are indispensable but fragile… Potassium The main electrolyte inside cells, essential for blood pressure, heart and muscle function, and often lacking in the… Protein A macronutrient made of amino acids, essential for building and repairing tissues (muscles, organs, skin) and for making… Pulses Seeds of plants in the legume family (lentils, chickpeas, dried beans, broad beans), rich in plant protein, fibre…

Resistant starch The fraction of starch that escapes digestion in the small intestine and reaches the colon intact, where it… Resveratrol An antioxidant polyphenol found in grapes, red wine and some berries, popularised as an "anti-ageing" molecule that activates…

Saturated fatty acids Fatty acids whose carbon chains are saturated with hydrogen (no double bond), generally solid at room temperature and… Selenium An antioxidant trace element essential for thyroid and immune function, whose intake depends heavily on how rich the… Simple sugars Carbohydrates with a short molecular structure (monosaccharides and disaccharides) that are absorbed quickly and cause a rapid rise… Sodium An electrolyte mineral essential for fluid balance, nerve transmission and muscle contraction, but eaten in large excess through… Soluble fibre Fibre that dissolves in water to form a gel, slowing digestion, regulating blood sugar and cholesterol, and feeding… Starch The main complex storage carbohydrate of plants (cereals, tubers, pulses), made of long chains of glucose, and a… Sucrose Ordinary table sugar, a disaccharide made of glucose and fructose, extracted from sugar beet or sugar cane. Sulforaphane A sulphur compound formed when cruciferous vegetables are cut or chewed, derived from the conversion of glucoraphanin, and…

Tannins Astringent polyphenol compounds found in tea, wine, cocoa and some fruits, with antioxidant properties but which can reduce… Trans fatty acids Unsaturated fatty acids with a modified (trans) spatial configuration, mainly produced industrially by partial hydrogenation of oils and… Triglycerides The main form in which fat is stored in the body and in which lipids circulate in the… Tryptophan An essential amino acid that is the precursor of serotonin (mood) and melatonin (sleep), directly linking diet to…

Unsaturated fatty acids Fatty acids with at least one double bond, generally liquid at room temperature (oils), covering monounsaturated and polyunsaturated…

Vitamin A (retinol) A fat-soluble vitamin essential for vision, immunity, reproduction and skin health, found as preformed vitamin A (animal) and… Vitamin B1 (thiamine) A water-soluble vitamin essential for carbohydrate energy metabolism and a properly functioning nervous system, whose historic deficiency caused… Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) A water-soluble vitamin essential for red blood cell formation, the nervous system and DNA synthesis, found almost exclusively… Vitamin B3 (niacin) A water-soluble vitamin essential for cellular energy production (via NAD), metabolism and DNA repair, which the body can… Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) A water-soluble vitamin that acts as a cofactor for more than 100 enzymes, essential for protein metabolism, the… Vitamin B7 (biotin) A water-soluble vitamin involved in the metabolism of fat, carbohydrate and protein, popularised for the health of hair,… Vitamin B9 (folate / folic acid) A water-soluble vitamin essential for DNA synthesis, cell division and the formation of red blood cells, crucial in… Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) A water-soluble antioxidant vitamin essential for collagen synthesis, immunity and iron absorption, which humans are unable to make. Vitamin D A fat-soluble vitamin (in fact a pro-hormone) made by the skin under the effect of sunlight, essential for… Vitamin E (tocopherol) An antioxidant fat-soluble vitamin that protects cell membranes from oxidation, found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. Vitamin K A fat-soluble vitamin essential for blood clotting (K1) and for keeping calcium in the bones rather than the…

Water A vital nutrient making up ~60% of the human body, essential to all physiological functions, whose requirements and… Water-soluble vitamins Vitamins that dissolve in water (the B group and vitamin C), which the body stores little of and…

Xylitol A polyol (sugar alcohol) with sweetening power close to sugar but a very low glycaemic index, known for…

Zinc A trace element involved in over 300 enzymes, essential for immunity, wound healing, protein synthesis, fertility and taste.