Antioxidant
Antioxidants are substances that can prevent or slow damage to cells caused by free radicals; unstable molecules that the body produces as a reaction to environmental and other pressures. They are sometimes called “free-radical scavengers.”
Clinical Evidence
Clinical evidence is a compendium of summaries of the best available evidence about what works and what doesn't work in health care. It is designed to be useful in daily practice by answering common and important clinical questions.
Clinical Trial
Clinical trials are research studies that are aimed at evaluating a medical, surgical, or behavioural intervention. They are the primary way that researchers find out if a new treatment, like a new drug or diet or medical device is safe and effective in people.
EU
European Union
Flavonoid
Flavonoids are a group of phytonutrients (plant chemicals) found in almost all fruits and vegetables. They are responsible for the vivid colors in fruits and vegetables and have an important role in promoting health by preventing cell damage in the body.
GPhC
General Pharmaceutical Council - regulatory body of Pharmacists and Pharmacies in Great Britain.
HFMA
Health Food Manufacturers’ Association
HPLC
High Performance Liquid Chromatography: is a technique in analytical chemistry used to separate, identify, and quantify each component in a mixture.
mcg
Microgram. unit of weight measurement.
mg
Milligram. Unit of weight measurement.
Nutraceutical
A food or fortified food product that not only supplements the diet but also assists in maintaining and protecting health, so provides benefits beyond basic vitamin and mineral supplementation.
NRV
Nutritional Reference Value. NRV are set for 13 vitamins and 14 minerals for the purposes of food labelling and are EU guidance levels on the daily amount of vitamin or mineral that the average healthy person needs to prevent deficiency.
Organic
Organic means working with nature, not against it. It means nurturing the soil as a living organism, restricting pesticides and no manufactured herbicides.
P value
Research value. This tells the reader or researcher how effective the study product is likely to be. Any p-value <0.05% has a significant clinical effect. The lower the p- value the more effective the product.
Pharmaceutical
A compound manufactured for use as a medicinal drug.
Polyphenol
Polyphenols are antioxidant compounds found in many plant foods. They protect the body's tissues against oxidative stress and associated illnesses.
Prebiotic
Prebiotics are types of dietary fibers that feed the friendly bacteria in your gut.
Probiotic
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts promoted as having various health benefits.
Potency
Potency is an expression of the activity of a drug or bioactive in terms of the concentration or amount required to produce a defined effect
Randomised controlled trial
This is a study in which a number of similar people are randomly assigned to 2 (or more) groups to test a specific drug, treatment or other intervention.
Raw material - ingredient
The basic material from which a product is made.
Soil Association
The UK's leading food and farming charity and organic certification body
TNP
The Naked Pharmacy