Nutrition demystified: now you can eat healthfully ever after: Heather King is a certified diet counselor and a graduate student in nutrition at Bastyr University

Editor's note: Better Nutrition, in collaboration with Bastyr University, a world leader in the advancement of natural health sciences, has established a grant program to foster well-researched articles by graduate students. Each article is vetted by a Bastyr faculty member. The intent of the program is to provide readers with new and reliable information while encouraging future leaders in various health disciplines.

"Contains Essential Fatty Acids," "No Trans Fat," "Good Source of Antioxidants." What do these claims really mean? After seeing them over and over, you may think you know, but a clarification of common nutrition terms can make you a wiser consumer.

Antioxidants

Free radicals are atoms that contain unpaired electrons--they are unstable and always looking to steal all electron from other atoms.

In our bodies, free radicals destabilize other molecules and cause damage--known as oxidation. Our cells produce compounds called antioxidants that share electrons with flee radicals, thereby stabilizing them. In our environment, however, pollution, food processing and toxins overwhelm the body's ability' to stabilize free radicals. As a result, we become susceptible to oxidative damage and disease.

Dietary antioxidants, especially lycopene and vitamins A, C and E can help. They function much like our naturally occurring antioxidants: They share electrons with free radicals, resulting in stable atoms that don't damage cells.

Antioxidant food sources include berries, brightly colored fruits and vegetables--especially kale, broccoli and cabbage-and green and white tea. Antioxidants can also be taken in supplement form and are present in most multivitamins.

Essential Fatty Acids

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are truly essential! Because of a lack of certain enzymes, our bodies are unable to synthesize these fats. But, our bodies use EFAs to create the other fats we need.

The main groups of EFAs are referred to as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6s are found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. Most Americans get enough omega-6s because of our high consumption of vegetable oils. Omega-3s are anti-inflammatories that support the circulatory and nervous systems as well as skin, eyes, cell membranes and sperm. They're found in cold-water fish, such as salmon and tuna, and in some plant foods, such as flaxseeds and walnuts.

Less important than the amount we consume is the ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s. Most people consume too many omega-6s and not enough omega-3s. The recommended ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is between 4:1 and 10:1. But most Americans consume between 20:1 and 30:1, so you should try to increase your intake of omega-3s and decrease your intake of omega-6s.

Trans Fat

Partially hydrogenated oils contain trans fat--terms often used interchangeably. Hydrogenation turns oils into semi-solid fats that are resistant to spoilage and thus give products a longer shelf life. The change allows the fats to stack up, becoming more densely packed and resisting the intrusion of oxygen, a main cause of rancidity. But the fat's unnatural shape doesn't fit into receptors in our enzymes and membrane structures; so they aren't efficiently metabolized. They tend to become sticky and coat the arteries, predisposing us to atherosclerosis. Research by the American Heart Association associates trans fat consumption with heart attack risk.

Trans fat is broken down slowly, resulting in weight gain. It has been linked to cancer, liver toxicity and other problems. Unfortunately, trans fat is in many processed foods, especially packaged cookies, pastries and chips. Natural foods companies offer trans fat--free alternatives.

Probiotics

These good bacteria reside in our digestive tracts, and at healthy levels, protect us from intruders such as infectious bacteria and viruses. Like many natural defenses, probiotic levels are depleted by processed foods and toxins. When levels of good bacteria fall, we are more susceptible to illness and imbalance.

Healthy levels of natural flora can be easily restored. Yogurt, kefir, miso, raw sauerkraut and kim chee all contain probiotics. These cultured and fermented foods also conrain high levels of vitamins and antioxidants, helping to strengthen the immune system and ward off cancer, cardiovascular disease and inflammation. The most effective probiotic supplements contain L. acidophilus and B. bifidus and should be refrigerated.

Essential Amino Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. And protein is crucial for numerous body functions. Animal products, such as meat, dairy and eggs, contain all of the essential amino acids and are considered "complete" proteins. Plant products may contain amino acids, but few contain sufficient amounts to be considered complete. However, a combination of plant foods can compensate for these deficiencies. For example, beans are low in one of the EAAs, methionine, but high in another, lysine; rice is the opposite, low in lysine and high in methioninc. This is why rice and beans together are considered complete.

Certain EAAs are more fragile than others and are susceptible to food processing and high-heat cooking. Lysine, for instance, is often destroyed by food preparation techniques. While individual amino acid supplements, such as lysine, are available, check with your health care practitioner before supplementation. The body tries to keep a balanced ratio of amino acids, and increasing the amount of one EAA can result in an imbalance.

Understanding good nutrition isn't so mysterious after all. It's just a matter of reading labels, understanding some basic nutrition terminology, incorporating whole foods and traditional foods into your diet and eliminating or reducing your intake of processed foods.

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