Essential

Essential refers to something that is absolutely necessary or extremely important in a particular field of study or in a particular situation. In the context of medicine, it can refer to essential nutrients, essential medicines, essential oils, and essential amino acids, among others.

Essential Nutrients

Essential nutrients are compounds that the body can't make or can't make in sufficient quantity. According to the World Health Organization, these nutrients must come from food, and they're vital for disease prevention, growth, and good health.

Essential Medicines

Essential medicines, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), are the medicines that "satisfy the priority health care needs of the population". They are selected with due regard to public health relevance, evidence on efficacy and safety, and comparative cost-effectiveness.

Essential Oils

Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts that retain the natural smell and flavor, or "essence," of their source. They are used in aromatherapy, a complementary therapy designed to treat the whole person and not just the symptom or disease by assisting the body's natural ability to balance, regulate, heal and maintain itself.

Essential Amino Acids

Essential amino acids are amino acids that cannot be made by the body. As a result, they must come from food. The nine essential amino acids are: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

See Also

• Essential Nutrient
• Essential Medicine
• Essential Oil
• Essential Amino Acid

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