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List of Terms
Glossary
1) Adaptogenic: any substance that augments the body’s ability to resist a stressor

2) Analgesic: also known as a pain killer; is any substance that is administered to curtail pain without the loss of consciousness

3) Anemic: when one’s blood has a lower than normal number of red blood cells or lower than normal level of hemoglobin

4) Antiangiogenic: any substance that blocks the formation of new blood cells

5) Anticarcinogenic: anything that inhibits or postpones the development of cancer

6) Antiflatulent: any agent that decreases the amount of gases in the intestines

7) Antioxidant: any material that lessens oxidative damage produced by free radicals

8) Antiseptic: any agent that inhibits the growth or kills bacteria and microorganisms

9) Antispasmodic: any medication that decreases the occurrence of seizures or muscle spasms

10) Astringent: any substance that constricts tissues

11) Atherosclerosis: lining of arteries becomes thick because of fatty build-up; causes difficulty in blood flow

12) Ayurvedic: classification of traditional medicine or health-related care that is predominant in India; established upon the belief that various vegetables, minerals, and animals have medicinal value

13) Bile: also known as gall; yellow or green fluid emitted by the liver ; stored in the gallbladder and then released into the small intestine where it facilitates in the digestive process

14) Blood Pressure: consists of systolic and diastolic pressure; measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg)

15) Carnosol: natural antioxidant available in rosemary extracts, hinders development of tumors

16) Cholesterol: a waxy substance found amid the fats in the bloodstream and in all of the body's cells

17) Cirrhosis: a disorder where scar tissue develops in the liver and causes a hindrance to the function of the liver itself

18) CNS: Central Nervous System

19) Cold sore: also known as fever blisters, produced by the herpes simplex virus; contagious and common

20) Convulsant: any drug or substance that causes the body to tremble uncontrollably

21) Corticosteroids: commonly known as steroids; very strong medicine that decreases tissue inflammation;

22) Curcumin: chemical substance that is responsible for the yellow shade of turmeric

23) D.E.E.T.: chemical substance that repels insects; may be applied to clothing or skin

24) Diastolic Pressure: the force in the arteries when the heart rests

25) Dysentery: severe diarrhea that consists of the defecation of blood and feces

26) Estragole: organic compound that varies in color from colorless to pale yellow; found in tarragon oil, pine oil, certain perfumes, and turpentine; proven to be carcinogenic and genotoxic

27) Fibrosis: formation of scar-like tissue

28) Flatulence: when food is undigested in the large intestine because it did not completely decompose in the small intestine and stomach

29) Free Radicals: extremely reactive chemicals that attain electrons and thus transform chemical structures of molecules

30) Gallbladder: small pear-shaped sac; stores bile; located below the liver

31) Gastrointestinal: term dealing with the digestive system

32) Genistein: function as antioxidants, causes similar effects in the body as the hormone estrogen, acts as an antiangiogenic, and may inhibit cancerous cell growth

33) Genotoxic: agents that play a role in the distribution of tumors and have the ability to cause genetic mutations; radiation is proven to be genotoxic

34) Ginsenosides: steroid-like elements of ginseng that are responsible for its priceless properties

35) Give it the herbs: Australian Slang for using full power

36) Hemorrhoid: occurs when a person is not able to pass stool, this adds pressure to the veins around the anus or lower rectum and the veins become inflamed

37) Hemostyptic: any substance topically used to significantly stop bleeding

38) Incontinence: failure to control sexual appetite; inability to control passage of urine and feces

39) Insomnia: failure to sleep and/or the inability to remain asleep for a certain period of time

40) Intestinal flora: bacterial microorganisms that are located in the intestines

41) LDL Cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein; also known as “bad” cholesterol; too much will form plaque in the walls of the arteries; 100mg/dL is optimal level of LDL

42) Liver: largest organ found in the human body that deals with metabolic processes, plasma protein synthesis, glycogen storage, and drug detoxification; found in birds, mammals, and reptiles.

43) Malaria: parasitic disease transmitted among people; caused by the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito, which requires blood to cultivate her eggs

44) Monocotyledonous perennial: a classification of flowering plants that live for more than two years

45) Multiple sclerosis: also known as MS, is and inflammatory disease that impinges upon the Central Nervous System (CNS); may cause depression, muscle weakness, intense fatigue, and visual difficulties

46) Neuralgia: also known as nerve pain or postherpetic neuralgia; is a nerve-specific pain that results in a decrease of function of the affected body part, or muscle weakness

47) Phlegm: a thick liquid-like substance produced by the respiratory tract’s mucous membrane

48) Phytochemical: a chemical substance found in plants which are thought to augment one’s state of health

49) Platelet: also known as thrombocytes; main component in formation of blood clots

50) Platelet Activating Factor: also known as PAF, any compound that reduces inflammability by amplifying the permeability of blood vessels and contracting involuntary muscles

51) Pulmonary Edema: fluid in the lungs

52) Rheumatism: general term for any problem that disturbs the joints, bones, kidneys, skin, heart, or lungs

53) Rhizome: an underground plant stem that gives rise to roots and shoots, also known as creeping rootstalks or rootstocks

54) Sedative: any substance that slows down the CNS, which results in relaxation, calmness, sleepiness, reduction of anxiety, slowed breathing, slurred speech, staggering gait, poor judgment, and slow reflexes

55) Senile Dementia: disorder caused by the deterioration of brain cells, will eventually result in memory loss and personality changes

56) Stressor: a stimulus that initiates stress for an organism

57) Systolic Pressure: the force in the arteries when the heart beats

58) Tannin: substance that is prevalent in many plants that produce a mouth-puckering sensation

59) Tinnitus: a perception of a ringing sound in the ears even though there is no external source of sound

60) Uvea: layer in the eye; lies between the retina and sclera; includes iris, choroid, and ciliary body

61) Uveitis: inflammation of the uvea

62) Vermifuge: any substance that exorcises worms or parasites from the body

63) Vertigo: the sensation that you or your surroundings are in motion when in reality, there is no motion at all; also commonly known as dizziness

64) Volatile Oil: one that evaporates quickly; provides odor for aromatic plants