At a glance • Are There Holes In Your Daily Diet? |
We all want to be healthy — and a key aspect of being healthy is eating right. However, everyone is different — and so are their eating habits – so there isn’t exactly one uniform solution to achieving a healthy diet. But if you prioritize certain nutrient-rich ingredients, chances are you do so to target multiple areas of your heath every day.
But just because your diet contains more healthy constituents than the traditional American diet, that doesn’t mean it provides all the nutrients your body needs. And though everyone’s needs are different — especially when it comes to our health — many people are missing out on key ingredients that are typically not found in ordinary diets.
That’s why we put together this list of some of the top vitamins, minerals, and co-factors that may be absent from your diet. From Lutein to Grape Seed Extract to high-absorption Magnesium, we’ll bring light to 8 nutrients that normally take a back seat to more popular ingredients found in common diets — and highlight why they deserve a spot in your daily eating habits.
1. Lutein
A carotenoid produced by plants, Lutein is responsible for the vibrant red, yellow, and orange color of fruits and vegetables. But aside from its role in supplying some color to your garden, this vital nutrient is an antioxidant that helps defend your cells and tissues against oxidative stress caused by free radicals — the unstable molecules that can affect energy levels, cause wrinkled skin, and could even lead to joint, heart, and brain health concerns.
Clinical data shows that Lutein can benefit multiple areas of health, especially your eyes — which use Lutein for protection from harmful blue light waves — and your brain — where Lutein supports continued brain development.
But aside from its role in eye and brain health, this powerful antioxidant has been shown to benefit your skin as well.
- A 2016 study published in the journal Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology found that subjects who supplemented with Lutemax® 2020 Lutein (a compound that contains 10 mg of Lutein and 2 mg of Zeaxanthin) daily for 12 weeks experienced improved skin conditions. And test subjects saw significant improvement in overall skin tone as well.
- Another clinically studied form of Lutein, FloraGLO® Lutein, is extracted from marigold flowers and delivers the same form of Lutein found in spinach, corn, kale, and peppers. It is also backed by 25 years of research that shows this powerful Lutein can increase skin hydration by 38%, sharpen your brain function, and play an important role in your vision health.
2. Resveratrol
If you’re looking to incorporate dynamic support for healthy aging into your diet, then you will want to supplement with Resveratrol.
- Resveratrol is a polyphenolic compound naturally present in grapes, peanuts, berries and, perhaps most notably, red wine. In fact, scientists suggest Resveratrol may be the reason behind why red wine benefits cardiovascular function.
Like Lutein, Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that helps manage oxidative stress. Resveratrol is renowned for its healthy aging capabilities, and the compound plays an important role in circulatory health.
- According to Cleveland Clinic, the antioxidative properties of Resveratrol provides a protective lining for your blood vessels.
- Consequently, Resveratrol could possess neuroprotective qualities that help support brain and memory function.
3. Quercetin
Supporting the immune system is one of the most important boxes to check when listing what you want your healthy diet to achieve. That is why Vitamin C — one of the most popular dietary supplements among American Adults —– is a staple ingredient that contributes to immune defense by supporting various cellular functions within the immune system. Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient that traditionally receives most of the attention when it comes to immune health.
But it may be time to pay attention to other nutrients that play a role in immune health as well: Dietary supplements that contain Quercetin — a flavonoid found in food such as apple peels, asparagus, and onions — have started to fly off shelves.
- Like Lutein and Resveratrol, this flavonoid is an antioxidant that helps protect cells and tissue from oxidative stress brought on by free radicals.
- Quercetin has also been associated with benefiting lung and respiratory health, cardiovascular function, and exercise performance.
Quercetin supplements have perhaps experienced an uptick in popularity, but most contain ordinary forms of Quercetin that are hard to absorb by our bodies. That is why it is important to find a bioavailable Quercetin with greater absorption.
- A PhytoActivated Quercetin Phytosome® known as Quercefit® blends plant-derived Quercetin with special lipid phytosomes to deliver superior bio-absorption.
- In fact, Quercefit® contains 20X the absorption power of ordinary Quercetin formulas. This is one powerful Quercetin to that deserves a spot in your diet and other immune health formulas.
4. Grape Seed Extract
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Grape Seed Extract dietary supplements are marketed to help veins that have difficulty sending blood from the legs back to the heart, as well as to heal wounds and reduce inflammation.
- It also states that Grape Seed Extract may play a role in lowering cholesterol, as a recent review of studies found it could help lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, and the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein.
But when it comes to supporting your health, you probably want a formula that contains stand out ingredients like Enovita®.
- This proprietary extract is made exclusively with grape seeds from white wine that delivers 95% oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC).
- Enovita® helps support the structural integrity of your veins, capillaries, and lymphatic vessels, as well as your collagen and elastin, and even healthy vision.
5. S7™ Nitric Oxide Support Matrix
Nitric oxide boosters like S7™ have gained popularity in recent years. This is a nitrate-free plant-based ingredient blend of blueberries, green tea leaf, cherries, and other nutrients that has shown in clinical studies to increase nitric oxide production by 230%.
So, why is nitric oxide important?
- Nitric oxide plays a key role in the health of your blood vessels.
- It has also shown to support healthy circulation and blood oxygenation — especially during physical activity.
The Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition published a study that examined the connection between exercise training and nitric-oxide related parameters by dividing 184 healthy adults into three groups: no exercise training, some exercise training each week, and daily exercise training each week. The findings suggested that exercise training supports the reduction of blood pressure due to an increase in nitric oxide. (Note: the sample size was small and the information on exercise training was obtained via self-reported questionnaires, which may have introduced reporting bias.)
6. Spectra™ Performance Blend
With an array of superfoods including Green Tea, Turmeric, Bilberry, Broccoli, and Spinach, the Spectra™ Performance Blend is an elite addition to your diet. This plant-based, scientifically validated blend of ingredients contains 29 fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
- Spectra™ has shown to hinder free radical production, optimize cellular activity, and raise nitric oxide levels in your body.
- This special blend of nutrients is a full spectrum antioxidant formula in a low dose that takes an ordinary diet to the next level.
7. High-Absorption Magnesium
Magnesium plays a role in over 300 biological and metabolic reactions that are vital for our health and wellbeing, including energy production, regulation of blood pressure, muscle contraction, mood, and nerve signal transmission.
Having multiple key responsibilities throughout the body makes Magnesium an important addition to your diet. And sure — there are foods that contain Magnesium, but modern farming techniques has robbed the soil (and the food produced) of the magnesium power it once provided.
- That is why your diet needs a high-absorption form such as 100% TRAACS Magnesium Bisglycinate Chelate Buffered — a bioavailable Magnesium combined with the amino acid Glycine that is designed to be easily absorbed by your body.
8. Methylcobalamin (Vitamin B12)
Most daily diets contain Vitamin B12 in the form of fortified foods.
- B12 an essential vitamin that the body cannot produce on its own.
- Like Magnesium, this B Vitamin is involved in many roles in the body, as it supports the normal function of nerve cells and is required for the formulation of red blood cells and DNA synthesis.
But most fortified foods and supplements contain cyanocobalamin — the syntenic form of B12 not found in nature. This manufactured form may have a longer shelf-life than natural forms, but that doesn’t necessarily make it the best option. Plus, your body spends energy getting rid of the toxic waste of actual cyanide so that it can convert the B12 into its active form.
Methylcobalamin is the naturally occurring form of Vitamin B12 found in animal-based foods. It does not contain any cyanide that your body needs to remove, which helps it to be more bioavailable than its syntenic counterpart.
- A 2017 study compared several natural forms of Vitamin B12 (including methylcobalamin) to cyanocobalamin.
- It found that supplementation with natural forms of B12 is preferred over the manufactured version, as it possesses superior bioavailability and safety.
Your Diet Can Play the Greatest Hits — But It Should Also Play the Deep Cuts
We all know that everyone has their own approach to developing a healthy diet. We also know that the average diet only contains the most well-known ingredients, including Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Calcium, Potassium, and Fiber, among others. That’s because these nutrients are commonplace in staple foods and deliver key support for multiple areas throughout the body such as immune health, brain function, cardiovascular health, energy, vitality, and more.
Unfortunately, many people routinely omit lesser-known nutrients — the ones that help fill in the cracks to deliver more comprehensive support for your health and wellbeing.
So, next time you’re drawing up new ways to enhance your diet, be sure to consider these 8 vitamins, minerals, and co-factors. Your mind and body will thank you!
References
https://balchem.com/our-company/innovation/chelated-minerals/
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/resveratrol-benefits/
https://www.futureceuticals.com/s7
https://www.futureceuticals.com/spectra
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/red-wine/art-20048281
https://www.indena.com/us/product/enovita/
https://www.indena.com/us/product/quercefit/
https://www.kemin.com/na/en-us/products/floraglo-lutein
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5063591/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5463976/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5707683/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC6164534/
