Beta-carotene
Properties: Beta-Carotene is a strong antioxidant and is transformed into Vitamin A in the body.
Sources: apricots, broccoli, carrots and all coloured fruits and vegetables.
For further information please see under Vitamin A.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
The Body Mass Index is commonly used to asses whether a person’s body weight is within the normal range, or whether it is too high or to low. The BMI is calculated by taking body weight in kilogramms [kg] and dividing it by the square of the body height in meters [m]. The unit of the BMI therefore is [kg/m2]. The formula is
BMI = (body weight in kg) / (body height in m)2. The easiest way to calculate your BMI is to use our BMI calculator.
Calcium
Properties: it is essential for the development and maintenance of strong healthy bones and teeth. It also helps nerves, muscles (including the heart), and other body systems work properly.
Sources: milk and dairy products, including cheese.
Cephalic presentation
Usual head down position of the baby in the uterus during the final phase of pregnancy, leading to head first presentation during birth.
Chromium
Properties: it regulates utilisation of blood glucose and helps maintains appropriate blood sugar levels.
Sources: meat, fish, dairy products, potatoes, cereals, fruits and eggs.
Copper
Properties: Copper is a mineral found in very small amounts in all tissues in the body and it is involved as part of enzymes in many processes of the metabolism.
Sources: animal flesh (especially liver), oysters, fish, whole grains, nuts, and legumes.
DHA
DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) is a member of the omega-3 family of fatty acids. This fatty acid is found in cold-water fish and in some types of algae.
Disaccharide
sugar composed of two monosaccharides, e.g. sucrose (disaccharide) is composed from glucose and fructose (monosaccharides).
Embryo
Unborn child at an early stage of development between fertilisation and third month of pregnancy.
Fallopian tubes
Ducts through which the ova are led from the ovaries to the uterus after ovulation.
Fertilisation
The union of sperm and ovum that starts off the development of an embryo.
Fetus
Developing child between the third month of pregnancy and delivery.
Fluoride
Properties: Fluoride helps to protect the teeth and strengthens them.
Sources: fish, seafood, mineral water, tea and fluorided salt.
Folate/Folic acid
Folate belongs to the group of B-vitamins and plays a key role in vital processes of our bodies. Folate is needed for all growth and development processes because it is essential for the production of nucleic acids (the information carriers in the cells).
Fructose
simple sugar (monosaccharide) found in many foods, especially in fruits. It is also called fruit sugar.
Ginseng extract G115® (Standardised )
Intensive analytical-, preclinical- and clinical- research has been carried out during the last 30 years to study the quality, efficacy and safety of the standardised Ginseng extract G115®. 54 preclinical studies have been published on G115® and 46 clinical studies have been published on Pharmaton® Vitality.
The standardised Ginseng extract G115® influences positively the body resistance against infections, stress and fatigue, mainly as a consequence of an increased immune response, enhanced utilization of the energy in brain and muscles, and body cells protection against free radicals damages. Several species and qualities of Ginseng exist. In Pharmaton® Vitality the standardised Panax ginseng, C.A. Meyer extract G115® is used. The manufacturing method of the standardised Ginseng extract G115® is proprietary of Pharmaton SA and grants that every batch of capsules of Pharmaton® Vitality has the same level of active principles. The pharmacological, clinical effects and the safety of the standardised Ginseng extract G115® can not be extrapolated to other Ginseng extracts or Ginseng products.
Glucose
simple sugar (monosaccharide) that serves as the chief source of energy in the body. Glucose is the principal sugar the body makes. The body makes glucose from proteins, fats and, in largest part, carbohydrates. Glucose is carried to each cell through the bloodstream. Cells, however, cannot use glucose without the help of insulin. Glucose is also known as dextrose.
Glycaemic index
the glycaemic index (GI) is a quantitative measure for ranking foods according to their effect on blood glucose levels. Carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion and release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream have a high GI; carbohydrates that break down more slowly, releasing glucose more gradually into the bloodstream, have a low GI. PalatinoseTM has a much lower GI (GI Palatinose = 32) compared e.g. to sucrose (table sugar, GI= 67).
As a reference:
High GI: above or equal to 70;
Medium GI: 56-69;
Low GI: lower or equal to 55;
Very low GI: lower than 40.
Glycogen
also known as stored sugar, it is a carbohydrate stored in the liver and muscles. Glycogen is used as a fuel during exercise. The body generally has enough glycogen stored to sustain 65-85 minutes of exercise.
Hormone
Substance produced by gland that via the bloodstream reaches the predestined organ where it has a specific effect.
Hyperglycemia
or high blood sugar level. It is a condition in which an excessive amount of glucose circulates in the blood plasma. Temporary hyperglycemia is not harmful. However, chronic hyperglycemia at levels more than slightly above normal can produce a very wide variety of serious complications over a period of years, including kidney damage, neurological damage, cardiovascular damage, damage to the retina etc. In diabetes mellitus (by far the most common cause of chronic hyperglycemia), treatment aims at maintaining blood glucose at a level as close to normal as possible, in order to avoid these serious long-term complications.
Hypoglycemia
condition of low blood sugar levels, which can produce a variety of symptoms and effects but the principal problems arise from an inadequate supply of glucose to the brain, resulting in impairment of function. Effects can range from mild dysphoria (depressive mood) to more serious issues such as unconsciousness, and (rarely) permanent brain damage or death. The cause of hypoglycemia can be the low intake of carbohydrates or e.g. when doing intense or prolonged sport activities demand in glucose is usually very high and requested for a long time but can not be satisfied continuously.
Insulin
is a hormone that is central to regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in the body. Body uses glucose coming from the food and being transported in blood. As soon as glucose is available in blood, pancreas produces insulin, which causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, either to burn it and transform it into readily available energy, or storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle. Insulin is produced after each meal in amounts depending on the amount of carbohydrates eaten, however too high blood level of insulin is bad for the organism (insulin inhibits the release of growth hormones, which in turn depresses the immune system, and can increase over time blood pressure and raise the risk for kidney failure and blindness, as well as heart disease).
Iodine
Properties: Iodine is essential for neurological and mental development and it is needed for growth and function of the thyroid gland and for the production of thyroid hormones.
Sources: iodised salt, milk, eggs, green vegetables and seafood.
Iron
Properties: red blood cells need iron to help transport oxygen throughout the body and it is also important for an adequate functioning of the nervous and immune system. During pregnancy iron demand is increased. The required daily uptake is not covered by the usual diet. Taking Pharmaton® Matruelle® helps to prevent iron deficiency.
Sources: meat, eggs, nuts, cereals and seeds.
Labour pains
Contractions of the uterine musculature before and during birth. Irregular early contractions can occur days or weeks before delivery.
Lanugo hair
Fine downy hair on the child’s body during mid-term pregnancy.
Lysine
Properties: it is an essential amino acid, which needs to be provided to the body through the food. It is needed to build the various kinds of proteins that are needed to grow, to heal and to maintain normal body functions. Lysine is especially important for healthy muscle development and to conserve the absorbed calcium in the body. An adequate amount of Lysine in children supports the immune system, growth and promotes a natural normal appetite.
Sources: meat, cheese, eggs and nuts.
Magnesium
Properties: it is present in nearly all cells of the human body and is needed to build healthy bones and teeth, as well as for a proper functioning of the nervous system and for the regular muscles function, including the function of the heart muscle.
Sources: nuts, cereal grains, meat, bananas, green, and leafy vegetables.
Manganese
Properties: it enables the body to metabolize fats and protein. It maintains the immune system and the nervous systems. It is important for bone growth and a healthy reproductive system.
Sources: whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
Micronutrients
Micronutrients, so called because they are needed by the body only in minute amounts, play leading roles in the production of enzymes, hormones and other substances, helping to regulate growth, activity, development and the physiological functioning, e.g. of the immune and reproductive systems. Adequate intake is especially crucial during early childhood and other periods of rapid growth, pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Molybdenum
Properties: it supports an optimal amino acid (which are protein building blocks) metabolism and proper cells function.
Sources: beens, eggs, vegetables and cereals.
Nausea
A feeling of sickness in the stomach marked by an urge to vomit, often occurring in the morning during the first months of pregnancy.
Nidation
The process whereby a fertilised ovum becomes implanted in the lining of the uterus, starting off pregnancy. Nidation takes place five to ten days after ovulation (or embryo transfer in the case of in-vitro fertilisation).
Oedema
Painless swelling, often in the limbs, caused by an excessive accumulation of serous fluid in tissue spaces or a body cavity. Oedema often occur during pregnancy.
Omega-3 fatty acids (incl. DHA, docosahexaenoic acid)
Properties: Omega-3 fatty acids, and particularly DHA, are the major building blocks of the brain, playing an important role in how fast our brain works. DHA intake by the mother is essential for baby's development as it brings benefits to the development of the nervous system of the foetus, for an optimal brain development and eyesight. Women at risk of developing postpartum depression may benefit from a prophylactic treatment with omega-3 fatty acids containing DHA, as it helps in strengthening the nervous system, thus preventing depression, improving mood, maintaining in this way a positive mental state. Omega-3 fatty acids play also an important role in the cardiovascular system, by helping to regulate blood fat levels, and promote appropriate heart health. Sources: fatty fish, seafood and nuts.
Ovary (plural: Ovaries)
Paired female reproductive organs that produce ova and certain sex hormones, including estrogen.
Ovum (plural: Ova)
The female reproductive cell, also called ovocyte or oocyte.
Oxytocin
A hormon that causes the labour pains during delivery. Therefore it is substituted if labour is insufficient (powerless labour, uterine inertia). Oxytocin also plays an important role for the production of milk.
Phosphorus
Properties: together with Calcium, Phosphorus helps ensure that growing bones, as well as teeth, are strong and healthy. It also helps filter out waste in the kidneys and contributes to energy production in the body by aiding in digestion.
Sources: meat, fish, milk, whole-grain bread and cereals.
Placenta
A membranous vascular organ that develops during pregnancy, lining the uterine wall and partially enveloping the fetus, to which it is attached by the umbilical cord. The placenta permits the absorption of oxygen and nutritive materials into the fetal blood and the transfer of wastes from it, without the direct mixing of maternal and fetal blood. The placenta also produces hormones that are needed for pregnancy. Following birth, the placenta is expelled.
Polyunsaturated fats
Polyunsaturated fats are healthier than saturated fats. The fat is found in vegetable oils like olive, soyabean, corn, sunflower and safflower. They also occur in oily fish in form of omega-3 fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fats remain liquid at room temperature. The good news: polyunsaturated fat provides essential fatty acids for healthy skin and the development of body cells.
Potassium
Properties: Potassium is necessary for water and electrolyte balance throughout the body and is essential for keeping a healthy blood pressure. It is moreover needed for muscle function including the heart muscle. Sources: potatoes, fruits and vegetables, as well as eggs and dairy products.
Pre-eclampsia
Development of hypertension (high blood pressure) with albuminuria (lost of blood proteins through urine) and oedema (local liquid retention in body) between the 20th week of pregnancy and the end of the 1st week post-partum with several severe consequences of mother and foetus/baby. Uterus A hollow muscular organ, also called womb, located in the pelvic cavity, in which the unborn child develops up to birth.
Selenium
Properties: it is necessary for cells protection, thanks to its strong antioxidant properties. It further supports the function of the immune system.
Sources: nuts, eggs, legumes, fish and cereals.
Uterus
A hollow muscular organ, also called womb, located in the pelvic cavity, in which the unborn child develops up to birth.
Vitamin A (Retinol)
Properties: Vitamin A is essential for normal growth and development of the body, especially for healthy bones and teeth, for the proper functioning of the immune system and for normal vision.
Sources: liver, milk or egg yolk.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
Properties: it helps the body cells to convert carbohydrates into energy and is important for the correct functioning of the heart, muscles and nervous system.
Sources: potatoes, cereals, whole grain, lean meat, liver, fish, dried beans and peas.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
Properties: it is important for the breakdown of carbohydrates, fats and proteins, for the normal release of energy from food. It is essential for growth and helps maintain healthy skin and mucous membranes, the cornea of the eye and nerve function.
Sources: meat, eggs, nuts, green leafy vegetables and dairy products.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin, Nicotinamide, Vitamin PP)
Properties: it helps to produce energy for all our body cells from the food we eat. In addition, Vitamin B3 promotes a healthy nervous system and normal mental function. It is needed for the proper function of the circulatory system, and helps to keep the skin and mucous membranes healthy.
Sources: dairy products, poultry, fish, lean meats, nuts, and eggs.
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)
Properties: it promotes wound healing and building of tissues and hormones in the body. It also plays a role in the breakdown of fats and carbohydrates for energy.
Sources: eggs, fish, milk and dairy products, whole-grain cereals, vegetables of the cabbage family.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
Properties: it plays an important role for building red blood cells, muscles and skin tissues, for normal brain development and function, and for growth.
Sources: meat, liver, fish, potatoes, dairy products, whole meal products, bananas and yeast.
Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid)
Properties: it is crucial for proper brain function and for a healthy brain development. It aids in the production of DNA, the body's genetic material, and is especially important during periods of growth. Folic Acid is necessary for the normal development of the baby in the maternal womb.
Sources: beans and green vegetables such as spinach and cabbage, citrus fruits and juices, wheat bran and other whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables, poultry, pork, shellfish, and liver.
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)
Properties: it is important for maintaining a healthy immune system, for a normal mental function and good mood balance.
Sources: eggs, meat, poultry, shellfish, milk and dairy products.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
Properties: it supports the immune system and it is needed for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of the body. It is necessary to form collagen, an important protein that forms skin, scar tissue, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, bones, teeth and blood vessels. Vitamin C contributes also to iron absorption from food and it has strong antioxidant properties to protect body cells.
Sources: citrus fruits, black currants, parsley, and paprika.
Vitamin D
Properties: the body converts Vitamin D from food sources or is able to produce it upon exposure of the skin to sun ultraviolet light to its active form. It is essential for building and maintaining healthy bones and teeth, because it helps the body maintain correct levels of Calcium and Phosphorus.
Sources: cheese, butter, margarine, cream, fortified milk, fish, and fortified cereals.
Vitamin E
Properties: Vitamin E is essential for proper growth and development of the muscles, proper functioning of the body's circulatory, nervous, digestive and immune systems. Like Vitamin C, it is an antioxidant. This means that it protects the cells from damage by free radicals in the body.
Sources: vegetable oils, nuts, whole grains, and green vegetables.
Vitamin H (Biotin)
Properties: it is necessary for the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and amino acids (the building blocks of protein). It supports healthy bone growth, and is often recommended for strengthening hair and nails and for a healthy skin.
Sources: egg yolk, liver, bananas, milk, soy and barley.
