P

A whole-food dietary pattern that avoids sugar, grains and ultra-processed foods. It can overlap with LCHF, but it is not the same as keto because many paleo versions include fruit, honey and starchy roots.

A monounsaturated Omega-7 fatty acid found in macadamia nuts, sea buckthorn oil, some fish fats and human adipose tissue. It is often discussed as a metabolic signal, but in practice the priority is overall fat quality rather than chasing separate capsules.

The pancreas combines digestive and hormonal work: enzymes help digest fats, proteins and carbohydrates, while insulin and related signals regulate blood glucose. In nutrition, the key issues are the lipase-bile partnership, the role of bicarbonate and how lower carbohydrate exposure can reduce the workload on beta cells.

This pancreatic hormone helps coordinate digestion, appetite signaling, bile flow, and exocrine pancreatic activity. It is not a lifestyle marker to optimize on its own; it becomes clinically relevant mainly in narrow contexts such as rare pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors or complex pancreatic disease assessment.

Vitamin B5 is required for coenzyme A formation and therefore participates in fatty acid metabolism, acetyl-CoA, steroid hormone synthesis, acetylcholine, and cellular energy production. Deficiency is uncommon, but poor diets, malabsorption, alcohol use, and long-term restriction can make its role clinically relevant.

Pellagra is a state of niacin deficiency or impaired niacin availability that may affect skin, the GI tract and the nervous system, so it should be understood not only through rash but also through malnutrition, malabsorption, exhaustion and systemic consequences.

Short amino acid chains may be fragments of dietary proteins, hormones, signaling molecules, or medicines. Their meaning depends on the exact structure, dose, route of administration, evidence, and purpose, not on the fashionable word “peptide” itself.

Salts of phosphoric acid and the form in which phosphorus participates in bone, ATP, phospholipids and buffering systems. Phosphorus from whole foods is necessary, but excess phosphate additives from processed foods and impaired kidney excretion require special attention.

A major membrane phospholipid and choline source important for liver fat export, bile composition, lipoproteins, acetylcholine, and cellular membranes.

A membrane phospholipid especially relevant to neurons, signaling, stress response, and cognitive function; supplemental forms require caution with anticoagulants, sleep problems, and complex medication use.

Vitamin K1 from green leafy vegetables, required for normal blood clotting and vitamin-K-dependent proteins. In people using warfarin or other vitamin K antagonists, the key is not eliminating greens but keeping intake stable.

A compound in seeds, grains, legumes, and nuts that stores phosphorus in plants and can bind iron, zinc, calcium, and magnesium. It should not be demonized, but intake, soaking, fermentation, mineral status, and tolerance of low-carbohydrate sources matter.

Plant sterols and stanols partially compete with cholesterol for absorption in the intestine, so they can moderately lower LDL levels with regular consumption. It is important to understand that this is not a standalone treatment for atherosclerosis, but one of the supportive dietary tools that should be evaluated in conjunction with the overall diet, lipid profile, and tolerance.

A plant lignan from olive oil, sesame, cruciferous vegetables, and some seeds; it should not be confused with pinoxaden and belongs to the broader polyphenol profile of food.

The main endocrine gland under hypothalamic control: it regulates thyroid, adrenal, reproductive, growth, prolactin, and water-balance signals.

Plant bioactive compounds from berries, cocoa, olive oil, coffee, tea, spices, and vegetables influence taste, color, microbiota, vascular function, and inflammatory signaling. Their value depends on food context and tolerance, not on the idea that more antioxidants are always better.

Polyphenolic compounds from cranberries, grape seeds, cocoa, berries, and some plant barks are studied for vascular support, microbiota interactions, and urinary tract health. They should not be treated as simple antioxidants; source, dose, form, tolerance, and medications matter.

These enzymes break proteins into peptides and amino acids and work in the stomach, pancreas, intestine, and cells. They matter for protein digestion, but protease supplements do not replace diagnosis when heaviness, pain, bloating, or poor food tolerance appears.

The main structural macronutrient: amino acids form muscle, enzymes, immune proteins, transporters and many signaling molecules. In low-carb eating, protein should be regular and sufficient, but assessed by quality, tolerance, body size, activity and kidney, liver and digestive context.

Urine strips that change color show excess acetoacetate in urine, not ketosis quality or fat-burning speed. They can be useful early in low-carb eating, but hydration, adaptation, medications, timing, and strip storage easily distort the result.

This form of vitamin B6 participates in amino acid metabolism, nervous system function, neurotransmitter synthesis, hemoglobin formation, and homocysteine handling. Food intake and high-dose supplementation should be separated clearly because excess B6 can cause neuropathy.

Pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy is a rare vitamin B6-related metabolic disorder that requires a distinct clinical approach rather than generic seizure management.