Are you getting enough nutrients in your diet?

Nutrient deficiencies:

Are you getting all the nutrients that you need? Is your diet providing you with enough nutrition?

The standard American diet is leading to preventable chronic diseases as well as continually increasing rates of obesity. The standard American diet tends to be high in calories and sugar but low in nutrients which leads to many Americans exceeding their caloric needs but not meeting micronutrient (vitamin and nutritionally essential mineral) requirements. More than 80% of the US population do not consume the recommended intake of vegetables (1).

Approximately one-half of American adults have at least one preventable chronic disease (1), and additionally, obesity is a major public health problem in the US, with more than one-third of adults (2) and 17% of children and adolescents (3) classified as obese. The most common inadequacies for micronutrients in the US population, with more than 38% not meeting the daily requirements for them, are vitamin D, vitamin E, magnesium, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium.

  1. Vitamin D is essential for immune function, bone health (by helping maintain normal calcium levels), and also plays a role in energy and mood. Vitamin D also helps regulate blood pressure. Vitamin D can help in the treatment of eczema (atopic dermatitis), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease), and cardiovascular disease. The best source of vitamin D is from the sun but you can get some vitamin from your diet. Supplementation is often necessary if you cannot get the required amounts from sun exposure and diet.

    • Food sources: fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines), egg yolk

  2. Vitamin E is essential for hormone and brain function, neurologic function, muscle function, eye health, chronic disease prevention (including cardiovascular disease), and acts as an antioxidant in the body.

    • Food sources: oil such as olive and avocado oil, nuts, whole grains, green leafy vegetables and avocado

  3. Magnesium is essential for bone and muscle health and helps regulate your body’s calcium levels. Low magnesium has been associated with several chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and potentially osteoporosis.

    • Food sources: green leafy vegetables, fish, whole grains, beans, and nuts

  4. Calcium is essential for bone health and preventing and treating osteoporosis (along with vitamin D and magnesium). It is also helpful in treating PMS and high blood pressure.

    • Food sources: Greens (kale, broccoli), sardines, beans, Chinese cabbage, and dairy products.

  5. Vitamin A is important for eye health and immune function. Low levels of vitamin A are associated with increased susceptibility to infections, and thyroid and skin disorders.

    • Food sources: beef liver, fish oil, eggs, butter, yellow and orange colored vegetables such as sweet potato, bell pepper, carrots, pumpkin, butternut squash, cantaloupe and mango. It is also in greens such as spinach, broccoli, kale, and collards. 

  6. Vitamin C is an essential vitamin in our bodies that we must get from our diet. It helps prevent cardiovascular disease, cataracts, gout, immune dysfunction (such as auto-immune disease). It also plays a role in treating cardiovascular disease, diabetes, the common cold, and asthma.

    • Food sources: broccoli, red bell pepper, spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, and citrus fruit

  7. Potassium is an electrolyte which helps balance sodium concentration in our cells. Low potassium can cause fatigue, muscle weakness, muscle cramps, and bloating, constipation and abdominal pain. Potassium can even help treat high blood pressure.

    • Food sources: vegetables and fruits such as potatoes, banana, prunes, citrus fruits, beans, raisins, spinach, almonds, and molasses.

There are so many nutrients that our bodies need that we can get from the food we eat but the diet of many people in the United States lacks these key nutrients. Make sure your diet has plenty of vegetables, animal protein, healthy fats, and a variety of foods to make sure you are getting all of the nutrients you need. These nutrients help show why I emphasize vegetables and animal protein in all of my recipes - they help provide a wide variety of nutrients to ensure that you are not lacking any single one. Check out our recipes to get inspiration on improving your diet and getting all of the nutrients you may be lacking.

Contact Dr. Sahni today to find out how to get your nutrient status checked and what you can do about any deficiencies that you may have.

 

 

References

1.  US Department of Health and Human Services and US Department of Agriculture. 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans December 2015. Available at: https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/.

2.  National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Overweight & Obesity Statistics. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity.

3.  US Preventive Services Task Force, Grossman DC, Bibbins-Domingo K, et al. Screening for obesity in children and adolescents: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2017;317(23):2417-2426.  (PubMed)

4.  Micronutrient inadequacies in the US Population: an Overview. Linus Pauling Institute. Available at: https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/micronutrient-inadequacies/overview.

Christina Sahni