What Nutrients Does My Body Need

By Olivia Cross


There are some things people cannot live without. These necessities are found in fresh, organically-grown food. Because food produced for the mass market may not be as wholesome as that grown or raised at home, taking targeted nutrients is now recommended by many health practitioners. "What nutrients does my body need?" often refers to vitamins, minerals, and other supplements.

Researchers have reported that American mass-produced food has less than fifty percent of the nutrition that the same items provided two generations ago. Mono-cropping and the over-use of chemicals in farming have robbed the soil of vital minerals. Fruits and vegetables picked before the peak of ripeness and transported in cold storage trucks loses vitamins along with freshness.

Basic needs for the human body are fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, with a plentiful supply of water to give the body the fluids needed for proper digestion and utilization of these elements. Unfortunately, not all foods provide adequate nutrition, even if the gross amount of calories ingested is sufficient.

Fat is another vital nutrient, needed for energy as well as proper development and maintenance of the nervous system. Unfortunately, some important fats go rancid easily, so manufacturers remove them from shelf-stable foods. Others are harmed by heat and turn into toxic substances that harm rather than nourish. Experts advocate supplementation of important fats like Omega-3 fatty acids.

Protein is another thing which may be deficient in the daily diet. People who limit the amount of meat, eggs, and dairy products they consume may be getting less than the forty grams that are recommended as a minimum for each day's consumption. Getting less than this amount can cause fatigue, loss of muscle strength, lack of mental alertness, weak hair and nails, and other conditions that affect health and well-being.

Carbohydrates tend to make up too much of the diet for many. Baked goods, sweets, sugary drinks, and fruit juices are often replacements for whole foods, fresh vegetables, and pure water. Especially when carbohydrates are refined, as in white flour and sugar, the resulting food products are hard to digest and provide little but empty calories. This can cause obesity, diabetes and hypoglycemia, and the fatigue that plagues so many of us today.

Fats are another category that many people don't understand. There are nutrients in fish oils, for example, that cannot be found in any other food. These fats are easily destroyed by processing and can contain environmental pollutants if not taken from cold-water, deep-sea fish. Careful processing and testing is needed to ensure that supplemental fats from fish oil are pure and undamaged.

Whole foods grown by sustainable agricultural methods provide good fats and the vitamins and minerals needed for health and vitality. If the diet is poor because of lack of time, knowledge, or access to quality food, supplementation with dietary aids from reputable manufacturers may be the answer.




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