6 Nutrients Your Diet May Be Missing

Think your diet is healthy? Guess again. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans says many adults lack six essential nutrients -- and certain groups of people are missing even more. Filling in so many nutrient gaps seems insurmountable without supplements, so check out the following nutrient gaps your diet may be low in and check out the supplements that I use that can help.To make it really easy for you to improve your health in this way, you can even order them for yourself and those you love right from the link. Remember, a healthy diet that is low in refined carbohydrates (sugar and white flour) and high in a variety of fruits and vegetables is also invaluable.


Magnesium: Essential Nutrient for Bones, Immunity & More


Magnesium is an unsung hero of sorts. This mighty mineral participates in hundreds of bodily functions that foster good health, yet few people know that magnesium contributes to bone strength; promotes peak immunity; maintains healthy blood pressure; and normalizes muscle, nerve, and heart function.

Magnesium is involved in well over 300 different enzymatic reactions and in many of your biological functions. It is often referred to as the “can-do” mineral because it does so many different things in its quest to keep you healthy.

Vitamin C: Essential Nutrient for a Healthy Immune System

It's touted for helping the body repel germs and strengthen our immune system, but that's the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the myriad of roles it plays in maintaining our health.

Vitamin C is also vital for the production of collagen, the connective tissue that keeps muscles, skin, and other tissues, including bone, healthy. And, like vitamin E, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps ward off cellular damage. Your body can't store vitamin C or make it, so you need some every day.

Vitamin A and Carotenoids: Essential Nutrient for Eyes

An important player in good health, vitamin A is essential for normal vision, gene expression, tissue growth, and proper immune function, among many other duties.

Vitamin A comes in two forms: as retinol and carotenoids, the raw materials the body converts to vitamin A. Americans usually have no trouble consuming adequate retinol, but they don't get nearly enough carotenoids.

Vitamin E: An Essential Nutrient to Combat Free Radicals

A misplaced fear of fat may harm health by preventing you from getting the vitamin E you need.

Vitamin E, found primarily in fatty foods such as nuts, seeds, and oils, is a potent antioxidant. It combats free radicals, the unstable oxygen molecules that result from normal metabolism as well as from exposure to air pollution, cigarette smoke, and strong ultraviolet rays.

Calcium: Essential Nutrient 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, as well as weight control. The Institute of Medicine (IOM), the group of experts that sets nutrient quotas, has determined that calcium needs increase with age.

My favorite way to get my calcium is with the Osteomatrix - calcium combined with Vitamin D and Magnesium.
Fiber: Essential Nutrient for Overall Health

Fiber is best known for keeping bowel movements regular and preventing other intestinal woes, including diverticular disease, an 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

Vitamin D - The Unknown Champion Vitamin
Vitamin D production is initiated in the skin in response to sunlight. People who avoid the sun may not make enough vitamin D. Ditto for people with darker complexions, who have a higher level of melanin, a natural sunscreen.

Age decreases the body's ability to make vitamin D, so older people may easily become deficient, even when they get enough sun. To make matters worse, vitamin D needs double after age 51 to 400 international units (IU) a day (the equivalent of four glasses of milk), and increase to 600 IU daily after age 70.

Vitamin D is so important, I wrote a whole article about why we need vitamin D. Check it out!

The VitaD supplement is so inexpensive, everyone can afford to get their vitamin D!!

Remember, vitamins and nutrients are fuel for you body! Feed your body what it needs, and it will thrive!SOURCES:


Hillary M. Wright, MEd, RD, Boston.


Marissa Moore, RD, spokeswoman, American Dietetic Association.


National Institute of Medicine.


United States Department of Agriculture, on-line nutrient data base,


Agricultural Research Service.


National Academies Press, "Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids," "Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, Fluoride," "Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline," "Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium and Carotenoids," "Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc,"