Health Dictionary

Building blocks of protein. There are 9 essential amino acids that the body cannot make — they must come from food. Lysine is one that's critically low in wheat.

A condition where you don't have enough healthy red blood cells. Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type in Pakistan, causing fatigue, pallor, and weakness.

A B vitamin (B9) essential during pregnancy. It prevents neural tube defects in babies. Found in lentils, leafy greens, and fortified flour.

Adding essential nutrients to staple foods (like adding iron to flour or iodine to salt) to prevent deficiencies at a population level.

A number from 0-100 that ranks how quickly a food raises blood sugar. Low GI (<55) is best for sustained energy; high GI (>70) causes sugar spikes.

Combines GI with portion size to show the actual blood sugar impact of a serving. GL = (GI × carbs per serving) ÷ 100. Low: <10, Medium: 10-19, High: 20+.

The protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Low hemoglobin means less oxygen reaches your muscles and brain, causing tiredness and brain fog.

An essential amino acid critical for growth, calcium absorption, and immune function. Wheat is very low in lysine — eggs, dairy, meat, and legumes are better sources.

Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score — the gold standard for measuring protein quality. Eggs score 1.0 (perfect), wheat scores 0.42 (limited by lysine).

When a child is too short for their age (below -2 standard deviations of WHO median). Usually caused by chronic malnutrition or repeated infections in the first 1000 days of life.

The 'sunshine vitamin' needed for bone health and immune function. Despite Pakistan's climate, deficiency is widespread due to indoor lifestyles and cultural practices.

International benchmarks by the World Health Organization that define healthy growth for children worldwide. Used to identify stunting, wasting, and underweight children.