Do you keep a healthy diet? Your body requires proper nourishment to perform at its best as well as to maintain its general well-being.
Through the different vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and other healthy substances, your body gets its source of energy, immune system boost, and other essentials to sustain itself.
It’s pretty hard to keep track of the various nutrients you’re consuming, even more to determine whether you’re getting enough of what you need. Even if you eat well as a rule, there could still be nutritional gaps in your diet.
Some people address the possibility of a nutritional gap by taking food supplements. If this is your preferred course of action as well, make sure that you choose one of the top multivitamins available on the market.
What are the usual nutrients that you might not be getting enough of?
Your body should have a balanced intake of omega-3 and omega-6. Not enough omega-3 leads to higher risk of many diseases. Omega-6 sources include refined goods, common cooking oil, peanut butter, and fast food. Make sure that you limit consumption of these.
In children, omega-3 deficiency stunts brain development and growth. Natural sources include salmon, walnuts, chia seeds, and canola oil.
Iron is necessary for making blood, so a deficiency could lead to anemia. Meanwhile, the B vitamins are used for building blood cells and keeping nerve cells healthy. When your stores of B vitamins are depleted, it could lead to autoimmune disorders.
These are vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that help lower the risk of different diseases. When you limit your intake of phytochemicals, you diminish your ability to ward off diseases, be they minor like the common cold or serious like cancer. To get plenty of phytochemicals, eat lots of fruits and vegetables daily.
This is essential for bowel movement. Insufficient fiber intake causes digestive issues such as gas and constipation. Prostate cancer also has associations with low fiber consumption.
On the other hand, with enough fiber in your diet, you can also lower your risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Sometimes, the nutritional gap is caused by the nature of a diet being followed. Whether you’re restricting certain foods because of convictions and persuasions or because you have sensitivities, it’s important to know where the gaps lie.
Gluten is the mixture of two proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. It is also what gives dough its elastic texture. Many people are sensitive to it, but especially those with celiac disease.
If you’re doing a gluten-free diet, it’s possible that you are low in fiber, B vitamins, and magnesium. You can remedy this by taking the appropriate supplements.
Those who are sensitive to dairy are usually allergic to either lactose, the sugar in dairy, or casein, the proteins in it.
If you’re doing a dairy-free diet, pay special attention to your calcium and vitamin D intake since you’ll have to get them from other sources.
Potential nutritional gaps would vary depending on what kind of vegetarian you are. Vegetarians, as a rule, avoid eating meat, but some of them may be okay with eating eggs, dairy products, and fish.
A vegetarian diet is actually a good one as long as it’s a balanced one. Nutrients from meat can be sourced elsewhere.
The difference between vegans and vegetarians is that vegans don’t consume anything at all that comes from animals even if they didn’t die in the process of providing it. The restriction includes dairy and honey.
Studies have shown that many vegans are deficient in vitamin B12. Maintaining sufficient protein and calcium intake can also be a challenge for them.
Called the ‘Caveman Diet,” this eliminates all unnatural foods, as well as dairy and grains. This has become a healthy alternative diet of late, but you have to make sure to find other sources of your calcium and vitamin D.
Don’t delay in filling your nutritional gaps or you might just find yourself experiencing the uncomfortable tell-tale symptoms of a deficiency. Do your best to keep a balanced diet and take advantage of the health benefits of taking multivitamins.
