When you read the “Nutrition Facts” label on the food you buy, you’ll see the per-serving calorie, carbohydrate, sodium, cholesterol, protein, and fats contents. But if you continue reading, you’ll see the fine print about RDA (Recommended Daily Amount) of specific vitamins and minerals that are present, too. These are the essential micronutrients your body needs every day. Most people know that we can access vitamin C in orange juice, calcium in milk, and vitamin A in carrots. But few people have a clue as to what they should eat to access the infinitesimal but critically important trace minerals–the micronutrients.
Read on and get educated.
Where do trace minerals come from?
The nutritional quality of the food you eat is largely dependent upon the health of the soil it was grown in. Soil that is nourished with natural compost, instead of with toxic fertilizers and pesticides, yields fruits, grains, and vegetables that are virtually free of chemical contamination. Healthy soil also has a higher concentration of naturally-occurring micronutrients essential to your vitality and longevity. And, if that healthy soil is irrigated by glacial waters, which are very high in trace minerals, the resulting food will be even more nutritious than conventionally-grown products.
People who live near rocky, glacial waters tend to live longer, healthier lives than people who don’t, and scientists think it’s at least partially because of their natural access to trace minerals like zinc, selenium and copper.
People who live in places like that (think Norway, Japan, Nova Scotia) also eat a lot more seafood than do people living in landlocked countries. It’s already well established that diets high in seafood are much richer in trace minerals and other good stuff like omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E than you’ll find at a Happy Meal birthday party or a Super Bowl buffet or the church potluck barbecue. Food for thought…
Micronutrient deficiency
In war zones, natural disaster areas, refugee camps and chronically impoverished countries, starvation and malnutrition are an ever-present threat, especially for children, pregnant women, the elderly and the chronically ill. Extreme situations like drought or crop failure or epidemic impact local agriculture, food distribution systems and, ultimately, proper nutrition.
Whatever the cause, too little of the trace minerals can lead to chronic deficiencies and debilitating disorders like iron deficiency, which leads to anemia, the most common form of malnutrition worldwide. We have seen the ravages of kwashiorkor (protein deficiency) in the swollen bellies of Biafran children, the malformed leg bones of children with rickets (vitamin D deficiency). Too little iodine in the diet is the most common (but preventable) cause of mental retardation worldwide.
But deficiencies in trace minerals in the Western diet are completely unnecessary–and irresponsible.
Overfed but undernourished
Trace mineral deficiencies in the developed world are largely a result of Western-style agriculture, commercially-processed food products and our own everyday food choices. The modern Western diet is not conducive to long-term health, in part because so much of what we eat has been processed and stripped of trace elements, the micronutrients that help maintain proper development and functioning of our bodies. We need a steady flow of these micronutrients for proper functioning of the many systems and processes in our bodies throughout our lives.
Refined and processed foods have been bleached-and-leached of the natural micronutrients we need–and then they get pumped full of the commercial chemical version of vitamins, minerals, and fiber that got stripped out in the first place. Throw in preservatives, colorings, and a lot of other unnecessary ingredients and you’ve got a veritable witch’s brew of unhealthy stuff on your plate.
And this is what the majority of Americans are eating every day, if only because it’s cheap, accessible and fast. Obesity and cardiovascular disease and diabetes are rampant in the “land of plenty” as a result.
A dangerous export…
When people in developing countries switch over to the modern Western diet, they quickly succumb to the degenerative ailments and shortened life span that plague Americans and Europeans. They stop eating the fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and fish of their ancestors, and consume the fatty, salty, empty-calorie junk food so typical in America.
According to a United Nations study, the prevalence of starvation, malnutrition and chronic undernutrition in developing countries like China, Egypt, Mexico, the Philippines and India has plummeted in recent decades, a result of improving economies and greater access to foods.
Likewise, infectious diseases have been rapidly declining as each country’s economic fortunes and public health services have improved.
However, these countries are now seeing new problems resulting from the introduction of Western-style diets, especially the consumption of meats, salt and processed foods: over-nutrition resulting in obesity and an increase in non-infectious degenerative diseases like diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease. In China, 23 percent of the adult population is now either overweight or obese, and diet-related chronic diseases have become the leading cause of death. In Egypt now, more children are overweight than underweight, which is a dangerous trend given that early-onset obesity can lead to Type 2 diabetes. In all of these countries, especially in urban areas, increasing incomes has meant greater access to non-vegetable-based foods and processed foods, and the results are proving deadly.
Should you take supplements?
It’s important that you get your daily dose of micronutrients from the foods you eat, rather than from pill-form supplements you can buy at CVS or Wal-Mart. Too often, people will take more than the recommended daily amount (RDA) of these supplements, and that could backfire.
For example, while deficiencies of zinc, copper or selenium can cause infertility or skin disorders, if you take too much of them in pill form, there could be toxic consequences. Better you should find the needed “supplement” by changing your diet and eating foods that have a higher concentration of whatever it is you’re lacking.
Here’s a simple example. In many countries over many centuries, older men deliberately eating a lot of shellfish (like oysters, which just happens to be very high in zinc) was a folk “recipe” for long-term virility. (That factoid should sound vaguely familiar to some people…) But if shellfish is a budget-buster for you, make sure you switch to iodized sea salt, which contain naturally-occurring trace minerals, and eat more canned shellfish (clams, oysters, shrimp…) whenever you can’t find or afford fresh. (Chowder is good for you.)
Take trace mineral or vitamin supplements only on the specific advice of your doctor or dietician. Post-menopausal women will probably need vitamin D supplements, pregnant women will need more iron and calcium, and children need everything in steady supply. Except in extenuating circumstances (e.g., pregnancy, serious illness), you should be able to access everything your body needs just by eating a balanced diet. You can meet your minimum daily nutritional needs by eating a variety of healthful foods every day. For more info go to www.choosemyplate.gov.
Choosing your plate…
Sure, you want to buy food that will be tasty and affordable, but the proper absorption of any vitamin or mineral you just ingested is the real goal. You can amp up what gets absorbed by being more conscious of what’s on your plate. For example, foods high in vitamin C improve the proper absorption of almost all vitamins and minerals, so always include fruits or vegetables high in vitamin C as a regular side for every meal.
Calcium, so important for healthy bones and teeth, is present in many foods, but it cannot be properly absorbed in the absence of vitamin D, which comes from sunshine (think photosynthesis), so vitamin D supplements may be necessary in the winter months if you don’t eat a lot of oily fish, kale, fortified milk or fortified cereals. (Kale soup is good for you.) That’s why our grandparents got dosed with nasty nostrums like cod liver oil during the dark months.
But certain combinations of foods, when eaten together, can actually block or negate absorption of vitamins and trace minerals, no matter how much good stuff you eat. For instance, tea and coffee block absorption, so drink orange juice instead of tea or coffee with your meals.
And it gets worse. Alcohol, sugar and caffeine will actually deplete your body’s store of micronutrients, which thereby increases your need for whatever got cancelled on the morning after the night before. I think this is called a “hangover.”
Read the “Nutrition Facts” fine print on your groceries to make sure that you are regularly consuming foods that provide the micronutrients you need. Just from my own pantry, for example–a 6.5 oz. can of chopped clams contains almost a third of my daily selenium requirement. The raisin bran I eat every morning gives me 25 percent of both my daily iron and zinc requirements.
All it takes is some mindfulness when you shop–get the most nutritional bang for your food-budget buck. Read the fine print before you put it in your shopping cart.
Here are some of the most important trace minerals, many you’ve probably never heard of before:
Iron: Remember Popeye and his can of spinach? Iron is essential for transporting oxygen from our lungs via our blood throughout the body, especially to muscle cells. It plays an important role in the proper functioning of calcium, copper and B vitamins. It is also a key factor essential for proper growth, immune function and healing.
The body’s absorption of iron can be blocked by drinking too much tea, which might explain why iron deficiency is quite common in the British Isles. Good sources of iron are beef, fish, molasses, beets, chicken, spinach, peaches, raisins, beans and whole grains. Too little iron can cause chronic fatigue and anemia. Women of childbearing age and children, especially, need an iron-rich diet.
Iodine: Iodine is so critical to our health that it has been added to table salt in the US since 1924. It helps protect against breast cancer. It is critical for proper functioning of the thyroid gland: too little iodine can cause goiter and, in pregnant women, irreversible brain damage in the fetus.
Iodine deficiency is the leading cause of mental retardation worldwide. Yet iodine is readily available in asparagus, milk, seafood/shellfish, garlic, sunflower seeds, seaweed, eggs, soy milk and iodized salt. Like zinc, iodine is involved in multiple bodily systems.
Manganese: Manganese is critical to the formation and functioning of enzymes throughout our body, and it is essential for the proper functioning of vitamins C and E. It helps bones and wounds to heal, and functions as an antioxidant. Beans, berries, seaweed, ginger, nuts, pineapple and whole grains are good sources of manganese.
Fluoride: Fluoride is a partner with calcium in the proper formation and maintenance of our teeth and bones, as well as in cavity prevention. It has been added to public water supplies in most parts of the US since the 1940s, and has been a controversial topic in some circles ever since. In the 1950s and ‘60s, it was decried as a Communist plot to undermine public health, and/or as “compulsory mass medication,” thereby an assault on Constitutional rights. (Why does that rant still sound so familiar?)
Many European countries add fluoride to salt, instead of to water. Too little fluoride in the diet can lead to bone loss and tooth decay, but it is naturally available in saltwater fish, cheese, coffee and tea, organ meats, seaweed, as well as in fluoridated-water, salt and toothpaste.
Selenium: Along with vitamin E, selenium works as an antioxidant to prevent cell damage, including some cancers. It also helps maintain proper functioning of the thyroid gland and slows the aging process.
Low selenium levels can increase the risk of heart disease and cancer. As with iodine, too little selenium in a pregnant woman’s diet can lead to mental retardation. Foods rich in selenium include shellfish, nuts, canned tuna, cottage cheese, oatmeal, brown rice and meat.
Copper: Copper is a natural antioxidant, and thereby helps prevent cell damage; it is also essential for the formation of healthy blood cells, connective tissue and bones. Too little copper in your diet can lead to arterial weakness, which can cause aneurysms. A copper deficiency also raises cholesterol levels.
People who survive on junk food are at high risk of copper deficiency. It is readily available in grapes, organ meats, shellfish, chocolate, beans, seaweed and whole-grains.
Molybdenum: It may be unpronounceable, but molybdenum maintains proper cell and enzyme functioning, detoxifies the body, prevents cavities, and protects against certain cancers.
Whole-grains, milk, barley, beans, milk, legumes and nuts are good sources of molybdenum. (Barley soup is good for you.)
Zinc: Zinc affects virtually all of our bodily systems and processes: it supports the body’s immune system, the formation of enzymes, and blood clotting. It’s also important for normal brain development, skin health, and our senses of smell and taste.
Too little zinc in fetuses and children has been linked to dyslexia. A deficiency in adults can trigger a drop in testosterone and libido. Vegetarians and people on low-protein diets are at risk of zinc deficiency. You can get the necessary amount of zinc in your diet by regularly eating eggs, whole grains, red meats, nuts and seeds, shellfish, lamb, maple syrup and yoghurt.
Chromium: Chromium is critical for the proper functioning of insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels. It also plays a role in metabolizing proteins, fats and carbohydrates. A chromium-deficient diet can increase the risk of diabetes. Cheese, whole grains, mushrooms, molasses, black pepper, brewer’s yeast and nuts are good sources of chromium.
Potassium: While technically not a trace mineral, potassium is so critical to our health that it bears special mention. Potassium is an electrolyte which helps conduct electrical charges throughout our body, maintains normal blood levels and nerve transmission, and is important for kidney health and stable blood pressure.
It normally acts in balanced concert with sodium and other electrolytes, but our American diet has shifted too far into salty processed foods, and our potassium levels have dropped as a result. People who experience sudden bodily fluid loss, whether through perspiration, diarrhea or excessive vomiting, need to replenish their body’s potassium supply quickly. That’s why athletes drink special “sports drinks” that have added electrolytes (think Pedialyte for infants).
Eating potassium-rich foods regularly is sufficient for most people. Best sources are Swiss chard, bananas, sweet potatoes, nuts, citrus fruits, spinach and beans, especially lima beans.
Be aware that boiling leafy green vegetables destroys a lot of the potassium, so try steaming them instead. Chronic potassium deficiency is linked to high blood pressure, infertility, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and digestive disorders.
A recipe for better health
Did you notice that the same foods were mentioned over and over in the descriptions above? When was the last time you ate (unsalted) nuts and seeds or fresh shellfish or lima beans or Swiss chard or barley or lamb or whole-grain anything? Sounds a lot like the food your grandparents ate back in the old country, doesn’t it?
Optimal health and longevity is as much a function of your diet as it is of your genetic inheritance and your current environment. You can’t change the first, and it’s not always easy to change the second, but you can take control of what you eat and thereby your long-term health. Bon appétit!
[sidebar] Nana Knows Best…
No matter what your ethnic heritage, you can get healthier and access a lot of your needed trace minerals by eating more soups, stews, and bean dishes/chili every week. Get the recipe from granny and learn how to make your own, freeze some for quick dinners or ready-to-eat lunches. Here on the South Coast, we’ve all eaten the following homemade comfort foods at one time or another:
French-Canadian pea soup (with leftover ham bone)
Clam or fish chowder (no tomatoes, please)
Portuguese kale soup
Minestrone (Italian vegetable soup)
Black bean soup (an Hispanic classic)
Polish cabbage soup (aka borscht)
New England baked beans (especially on Saturday nights)
Chicken noodle soup (aka Jewish penicillin)
English-Irish barley soup (lamb or beef)
Three-bean salad (not just for picnics anymore…)
Turkey rice soup (especially after Thanksgiving)
