CAM: Complementary and Alternative Medicine. A group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine. Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine. Check specific terms related to CAM from NIH.

Amino Acid: One of the building blocks of protein.

Antioxidant: A substance that blocks or inhibits the actions of free radicals, molecules that speed up the aging process and contribute to illness. Free radicals are found in rancid fats and oils and environmental hazards.

Arteriosclerosis: Condition in which the walls of arteries become hard and thick, sometimes interfering with blood circulation.

Botanical: A plant-based product.

Chelation: A process that wraps or binds the minerals in amino acids. Uses an agent, such as the chemical compound, EDTA, to remove heavy metals from the body.

Dietary Supplement: Congress defined the term dietary supplement in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 as a product taken by mouth that contains a dietary ingredient intended to supplement the diet. The dietary ingredients may include vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, or dietary substances to supplement the diet by increasing the total dietary intake. Dietary supplements can be concentrates, metabolites, constituents, or extracts. They may be found in tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, liquids, or powders. They can also be in other forms, such as a bar; in this case, information on the label must not represent the product as a conventional food or a sole item of a meal or diet.

DSHEA: Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. Passed in 1994, this law amended the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. It created a new regulatory framework for the safety and labeling of dietary supplements, placing them in a special category under the general umbrella of foods and requiring that they be labeled as dietary supplement.

Enzyme: A complex protein produced by cells that acts as a catalyst in specific biochemical reactions.

Genetically Engineered Food: A food substance that has foreign genes inserted into its genetic code. Genetic engineering can be done with plants, animals, or micro-organisms. Scientists can move desired genes from one plant into another, or even from an animal to a plant or vice versa.

Herb: A plant lacking a permanent woody stem.

Homeopathy: A CAM alternative medical system. In homeopathic medicine, there is a belief that small, highly diluted quantities of medicinal substances are given to cure symptoms, when the same substances given at higher or more concentrated doses would actually cause those symptoms.

Holistic Medicine: An approach to medical care that emphasizes the study of all aspects of a person's health, including physical, psychological, social, economic, and cultural factors.

Labeling: The product label and accompanying material that is used by a manufacturer to promote and market a specific product.

Mineral: A naturally occurring inorganic substance with a definite and predictable chemical composition and physical properties.

New Dietary Ingredient: A dietary ingredient not sold in the U.S. in a dietary supplement before October 15, 1994.

Nutraceutical: The term was coined in the 1990s by Dr. Stephen DeFelice, who defined it as "any substance that is a food or a part of a food and provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease. Such products may range from isolated nutrients, dietary supplements, and specific diets to genetically engineered designer foods, herbal products, and processed foods such as cereals, soups and beverages." Since the term was coined, its meaning has been modified. Health Canada defines nutraceutical as "a product isolated or purified from foods, and generally sold in medicinal forms not usually associated with food and demonstrated to have a physiological benefit or provide protection against chronic disease."

Nutrient: Any substance that can be metabolized by an organism to give energy and build tissue.

Potentiated: To enhance or increase the effect of a drug.  To promote or strengthen a biochemical or physiological action or effect.

Vitamin: An organic substance essential in small quantities to normal metabolism.