A glossary of health terminology: H

Eating and living healthy doesn't have to be complicated. Here's an easy glossary to refer to of terminology for the letter "H".

In your quest to eat and live healthy, there might be some words you come across that you may not recognize. Here are a couple — focusing on the letter "H" — and the definition for each one.

Heme iron: Iron is a super important part of your everyday diet, and heme iron can be found in things like red meat, pork and eggs (as opposed to non-heme iron, which is found in plants). Your body absorbs roughly four times as much heme iron as it does non-heme iron.

Hemoglobin: It's the part of your red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout your body, and contains the iron pigment on it to give your blood that red colour.

Hesperidian: It's a flavonoid that can improve the strength of the linings of your capillaries, and can be found in citrus fruits and juices.

High-density lipoproteins (HDLs): This is known as the "good" type of cholesterol and they're the smallest and heaviest lipoproteins in your body. They take the cholesterol from your tissues and transport it to your liver so it can be removed from your body, and one of their benefits is they can lower the risk of heart disease.

Histamine: When you suffer from an allergic reaction, your body's immune system releases this chemical as a way of fighting back. You notice it through signs like swelling, itching, rashes and sneezing.

Homocysteine: This compound is made when your body breaks down methionine (an essential amino acid) in the blood. If it's at really high levels in your body, it can increase your risk for atherosclerosis and other conditions. There are some vitamins, like folate, B6 and B12, that can possibly help lower homocysteine levels.

Hormones: These are chemicals your endocrine glands secrete, and they act as little molecular messengers in your body. They trigger changes like growth, development and reproduction.

Hydrogenation: Manufacturers use this process to help make liquid oils more solid at room temperature so the shelf life of products is lengthened and stabilized. However, one byproduct of this process is it creates trans fatty acids, which are not so good for your body. They raise the amount of "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and lower the amount of "good" cholesterol (HDL), leading to an increased risk of heart disease.

Deciphering what fancy words mean doesn't have to be complicated or difficult, especially when it relates to your health.