Obtaining the 7 essential nutrients your diet may be missing might seem insurmountable without supplements, but more often than not, food can solve the shortfalls.
Think your Diet is Healthy with Essential Nutrients?
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans says many adults lack seven essential nutrients necessary for healthy nutrition.
Calcium: Essential Nutrients for Muscles, Bones, and More
You don’t outgrow your need for calcium just because you’re all grown up. While calcium is necessary to bolster developing bones, it’s also needed to keep your skeleton strong throughout life. And that’s not all. Besides participating in maintaining a normal heart rhythm, calcium plays a role in blood clotting and muscle function.
Studies have shown a link between adequate calcium intake and lower blood pressure and weight control.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM), the group of experts that sets quotas for essential nutrients, has determined that calcium needs increase with age. Here’s what you need every day:
- 19- to 50-year-olds: 1,000 milligrams
- 51 years and up 1,200 milligrams
As part of a balanced diet, three servings of dairy foods each day provide most people with the calcium they need. Try to get calcium from foods, preferably dairy. Calcium is best absorbed in the presence of lactose, natural milk sugar.
Some examples of foods that provide around 300 milligrams of calcium per serving:
- 8 ounces of milk or yogurt
- 8 ounces calcium-added orange juice
- 1 1/2 ounces hard cheese
- 8 ounces fortified soy beverage
Bonus nutrients: Dairy foods and soy supply magnesium; orange juice packs potassium.
Fiber: Essential Nutrients for Overall Health
Fiber is best known for keeping bowel movements regular and preventing other intestinal woes, including diverticular disease and intestinal inflammation. Years of research on fiber underscores its importance in overall health, too.
Fiber-rich foods lower the risk of developing chronic conditions, including heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Fiber is also filling, and it’s found in foods that are relatively low in calories, so it’s central to weight control.
Fiber needs are based on calorie requirements. That’s why men and women generally differ in their daily fiber needs and why quotas decline with age:
- Men 19-50 years: 38 grams; 51 and older: 30 grams
- Women 19-50 years: 25 grams; 51 and older: 21 grams
It’s beneficial, so why don’t many people get enough fiber? Experts blame a lack of plant foods, including whole grains.
Here are some easy ways to boost fiber intake:
- Snack on whole-grain crackers, fruit, or vegetables, or popcorn (a whole grain) instead of cookies, candy, and chips.
- Choose whole-grain bread and cereals, whole-wheat pasta, and other whole grains, such as quinoa, millet, barley, cracked wheat, and wild rice.
- Look for bread with more than 3 grams of fiber per slice; go for cereals with five or more grams of dietary fiber per serving.
- Start a meal with bean-based soups, such as lentil or black bean. Add canned, rinsed chickpeas to salads, soups, egg, and pasta dishes.
- Include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains at every meal.
Bonus essential nutrients: Fresh and lightly processed fruits and vegetables and beans are rich in potassium; beans also supply magnesium.
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