U

A number by which the NOAEL (or LOAEL) is divided to obtain the UL. UFs are used in risk assessments to deal with gaps in data (for example, data uncertainties) and knowledge (for example, model uncertainties). The size of the UF varies depending on the confidence in the data and the nature of the adverse effect.

A scale to evaluate symptom severity that includes an evaluation of mentation, behaviour and mood; activities of daily living; motor examination; and complications of therapy.

Unproven methods are procedures used in diagnosis and treatment that lack scientific credibility and have not been shown to have clinical efficacy.

A urine color chart is a tool to measure hydration status. Urine color is graded using the chart which has eight colors to assess urine color ranging from pale straw to greenish brown.

The density of urine compared to the density of water. The higher the value above 1.000 the more concentrated the sample. A urine specific gravity in excess of 1.020 is commonly used as the cut-off for euhydration.

Urticaria is a skin condition, common known as hives, characterized by the development of itchy, raised white lumps surrounded by an area of red inflammation.

US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) review of the safety and efficacy of dietary supplements is significantly less extensive than for drugs and foods. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 classify herbal products as dietary supplements. The labeling for dietary supplements cannot make claims on therapeutic efficacy, only claims of effects on body structure or function. (Ex: a manufacturer can claim that Asian ginseng gives the body energy but cannot claim that it treats chronic fatigue syndrome) The 1994 Act also established the Office of Dietary and Herbal Supplements at the National Institutes of Health, and charged it with conducting scientific research on dietary supplements. The FDA’s responsibilities are limited to overseeing the safety of supplements, establishing good manufacturer practices (GMPs) and ensuring that the product’s labeling, package inserts and literature is truthful. The FDA is not able to authorize or require testing of supplements prior

This is the individual's average intake over a long period of time. For most individuals, intakes vary tremendously from one day to the next, so intake of a nutrient on any one day (or three days, or seven days), will not reflect their "usual" long-term intake. Moreover, the number of days needed to accurately assess usual intake differs among nutrients, as well as among individuals.