ABSTRACT
As with any discipline, nutrition science has its own vocabulary and terminology. This chapter gives the reader several tables providing this terminology. The rst is a table giving the conversion factors for converting the results of laboratory analysis to standard units called SI units. Many scienti c journals require the use of these units in manuscripts reporting the results of laboratory investigations. The result, or common component from clinical laboratory assessment, is given in its common form with reference interval and present unit, followed by the conversion factor that is used to convert the result into SI units, its reference intervals, signi cant digits, and suggested minimum increment. These standard units for expressing biological data are listed in Table 6.1.1
Over the years, there has been some confusion over the names of the vitamins. Vitamins were named according to (a) their function; (b) their location; (c) the order in which they were discovered; or (d) combinations of a, b, or c. Some of these names became obsolete as their proposed functions or their isolated structures were found to duplicate already named and described vitamins. Obsolescence also occurred as research showed that certain of these compounds were not needed dietary factors, but were synthesized by the body in needed amounts. Table 6.2 provides a list of vitamin names (both obsolete and current), and it is hoped that the reader will nd this useful. Following this is a list (Table 6.3) of all the compounds having vitamin A activity. This is a fairly lengthy list, as this vitamin is found in a variety of foods, both of animal origin and plant origin. The body can convert these forms to its useful and most active form, all trans-retinol. These conversions are not 100% ef cient, and correction factors must be applied to determine vitamin A activity.
