L

Milk sugar made of glucose and galactose. For keto, the important questions are the lactose amount in a specific product and lactase tolerance: milk is usually more carbohydrate-rich than hard cheese, while fermented products may work better, but not for everyone.

A low-carbohydrate, higher-fat approach that limits sugar and starch while using fat and adequate protein for energy and satiety; often used for appetite, glucose, and insulin resistance.

A low-carbohydrate, low-fat approach that restricts both major energy sources; it may create a calorie deficit but easily leads to hunger, low energy, and nutrient gaps.

This mixture of phospholipids, especially phosphatidylcholine, participates in cell membranes, choline metabolism, fat transport and bile function. In food it comes from eggs, liver, soy and sunflower; as a supplement it can act as an emulsifier or phospholipid source, but it does not replace treatment for liver or gallbladder disease.

This fat-tissue hormone informs the brain about energy stores and helps regulate appetite, energy expenditure, reproductive function, thyroid signaling and immune responses. In obesity leptin is usually high, but the signal may be poorly perceived; improving leptin sensitivity through sleep, visceral fat loss, sustainable diet and recovery matters more than trying to “add leptin.”

White blood cells participate in defense against infection, inflammation, allergy, tissue repair and immune surveillance. In a complete blood count, both the total count and the differential matter: neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils; results should be interpreted with symptoms, medications, stress and trend over time.

These plant polyphenols from seeds, berries, whole plant foods and especially flax can be converted by the microbiota into enterolactone and enterodiol. Their mild phytoestrogenic activity is not hormone therapy; on low-carbohydrate diets, lignans matter as part of fiber, polyphenols and a supportive gut environment.

An essential Omega-6 fatty acid that must be obtained from food, but modern diets usually provide too much rather than too little. The practical issue is not banning linoleic acid, but reducing excess refined seed oils and keeping balance with EPA/DHA.

This enzyme breaks dietary triglycerides into fatty acids and monoglycerides so fat can be absorbed in the intestine. Pancreatic lipase is central, but bile, food mixing and a healthy intestinal lining are also required; blood lipase testing is used mainly when pancreatic injury is suspected, not as a simple measure of fat digestion.

A broad class of fat-like molecules: triglycerides, phospholipids, cholesterol, fatty acids and their derivatives. In food they provide energy, while in the body they build membranes, travel in lipoproteins and appear in blood tests as part of metabolic risk assessment.

This process of making and storing fat helps the body preserve excess energy, but it increases with chronic overeating, excess sugar, high insulin load and low activity. On keto and LCHF, lipogenesis often falls through lower carbohydrate intake and insulin stimulation, but excess calories from fat can still slow loss of stored fat.

The breakdown of triglycerides in fat tissue releases fatty acids and glycerol, but it does not automatically mean fat loss. Fatty acids must be used for energy or they can be stored again; on keto, lower insulin can support lipolysis, but the outcome still depends on energy deficit, movement, sleep and hormonal context.

This central metabolic organ manages glycogen, bile production, fat and protein metabolism, medicines, toxins, hormones, and blood proteins. In low-carb nutrition, the priority is not “liver cleansing,” but bile tolerance, nutrient density, metabolic risk control, and proper interpretation of liver markers.

An eating pattern that reduces sugar, starch and refined carbohydrates without necessarily pushing the body into ketosis. It is used for glucose, appetite, weight and metabolic health when the diet remains complete and sustainable.

LDL particles carry cholesterol and other lipids to tissues, but vascular risk is driven mainly by excess ApoB-containing atherogenic particles. LDL-C shows the mass of cholesterol inside LDL, not particle number; on keto, marked rises in LDL and ApoB require assessment of diet, genetics, thyroid status and overall risk rather than reassurance from high HDL alone.

This respiratory organ performs gas exchange: oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide leaves the body. Lung function depends on airways, alveoli, vessels, diaphragm, inflammation, smoking, infections, body weight and fitness; nutrition supports recovery, but it does not replace evaluation of breathlessness, chest pain or falling oxygen saturation.

A plant flavonoid from parsley, celery, thyme, chamomile, peppers, and vegetables; it is studied for inflammatory signaling, mast cells, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation.

This red carotenoid from tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit and rosehip is a fat-soluble marker of the plant part of the diet. It is absorbed better from cooked tomato products with fat; on keto, portion size, sugar-free sauces and the overall context of vegetables, fats and tolerance matter most.