3 Powerful Nutrients You Need to Know About

The words nutrient and nourish are both derived from the Latin word nūtrīre which means ‘to feed, nurse, support and preserve.’ In other words, it’s really important to nourish your body with the right nutrients to support and preserve your health. While plants get their nutrients from the soil, we get ours from the foods we eat.

Yet many of us don’t consider whether the foods we put into our bodies are full of healthful nutrients or garbage. We’re more concerned with taste and if we can microwave and eat the food in under 6 minutes.

If you want to stay healthy for many, many years, you’ve got to start paying attention to the foods you eat, choosing ones that are loaded with beneficial nutrients. There are three powerful nutrients that every body needs for good health.

Potassium

You know bananas have a lot of potassium, and that it’s a fun word to say, but beyond that, what do you know about this super nutrient?

Let’s start with some key facts: Potassium is both a mineral and an electrolyte and is critical in order for your cells, tissues and organs to function properly. Potassium is very important in heart health as well as digestive and muscular function. Want healthy bones as you age? You’d better make sure you get enough potassium in your diet.

While potassium is found in a variety of foods like fruits, veggies, and dairy products, it is estimated that only 2% of US adults get the recommended daily amount of 4,700 mg. What’s even more troubling is that potassium is a nutrient that needs to be kept in perfect balance with sodium in your blood. With so many people eating a diet consisting mainly of salty processed foods, there is an increased need for potassium.

Benefits of Proper Potassium Intake:

This nutrient facilitates myriad health benefits:

• Maintains the electrolyte balance in your body’s cells
• Keeps your heart healthy and manages your blood pressure
• Also keeps the tissues needed for sending nerve impulses functioning properly
• Helps your muscles contract
• During the metabolic process, it helps release energy from fat, carbohydrates and protein
• Aids in the waste removal process
• Helps deliver oxygen to the brain for proper cognitive functioning

Effects of Too Little Potassium

Not getting enough of this powerful nutrient into your diet can lead to a whole host of health problems. To start, if you’re not getting enough oxygen to your brain you can begin to develop symptoms such a fogginess, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

You may also experience muscle cramps or twitching, muscular weakness, fatigue, and an irregular heartbeat. Bones become increasingly brittle and there is also the risk of lung and kidney failure. If you suffer from any of these symptoms and would like to find out if you have a potassium deficiency, your doctor can order a simple blood test.

The Best Sources of Potassium

As we mentioned before, everyone knows that bananas are a terrific source of potassium, but for those people who happen to dislike (or even hate) bananas, fear not, there are plenty of other sources.

Avocados, for instance, have more than twice the amount of potassium as a banana and also contain a beneficial amount of monounsaturated fat. You may also consider:

• Swiss chard (960 mg of potassium per cup)
• Spinach (838 mg per cup)
• Crimini mushrooms (635 mg in 5 ounces)
• Broccoli (505 mg per cup)
• Brussels sprouts (494 mg per cup)

Zinc

Our next powerful nutrient is zinc, which simply doesn’t get the attention it so rightly deserves. This nutrient is responsible for numerous functions in your body. It also happens to be in charge of stimulating the activity of 100 different enzymes. So you could kind of say it’s like your body’s DJ who is in charge of getting the party started and everyone on the dance floor.

It doesn’t take much zinc in your diet to reap the huge benefits, either. Just 8 mg per day for women and 11 mg per day for men will do the trick. Low levels of zinc make us much more susceptible to illness and disease. In fact, it has been reported that zinc deficiency is responsible for more than 800,000 childhood deaths globally every year.

Amazing Health Benefits of Zinc

Just a little bit of zinc helps your body do some amazing things. It keeps your immune system healthy, properly synthesizes DNA, helps to heal wounds and promotes proper growing during childhood.

Though our bodies only need a trace amount of this nutrient, it’s still important we get the recommended amounts so our bodies can activate our T lymphocytes (T cells) and our immune systems can fight infection and cancerous cells.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition stated that “zinc-deficient persons experience increased susceptibility to a variety of pathogens”.

Zinc also plays a crucial role in regulating how neurons communicate with each other, which in turn affects our memory and how we learn.

And, when you feel that cold coming on, take that zinc lozenge to shorten the duration and intensity of the illness.

Signs of zinc deficiency include:

• anemia
• slow wound healing
• altered cognition
• diarrhea
• hair loss

Great Sources of Zinc

Besides taking zinc lozenges and nose sprays when you have a cold, it’s a good idea to include the following foods in your diet so you ensure your body always has enough:

Oysters

Not only do just 6 oysters contains 32 mg of zinc, or 400% of your RDA, they are also a great source of protein and healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Beef

Just 3 ounces of beef contains 7 mg of zinc. Beef is also a great source of protein and provides a good amount of B12, a vitamin that keeps your nerve and blood cells happy.

Crab

One can of blue crab meat contains 4.7 mg of zinc along with vitamins A, B, and C, and magnesium, another really important nutrient for heart and muscle function. Whip up some crab cakes STAT!

Cashews

Who doesn’t love a handful of nuts every now and then as a healthy snack? 1 ounce if dry roasted cashews contains 1.6 mg of zinc as well as healthy fats and B vitamins.

Chickpeas

Just ½ a cup of cooked chickpeas contains 1.3 mg of zinc and 2 grams of resistant starch. The fiber and healthy starch helps lower cholesterol while improving blood sugar levels.

L-Arginine

And last but certainly not least on our powerful nutrient list is L-arginine, an amino acid that is crucial for the production of protein in the body. It also assists in removing ammonia (a waste product) from the body and stimulating the release of insulin.

Health Benefits of L-Arginine:

Studies indicate that L-arginine may help with the following conditions:

Angina

Eating foods high in L-arginine may help ease the symptoms of angina, as well as increase your tolerance for exercise. This nutrient has also been shown to improve blood vessel function.

Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

Some studies have indicated that L-arginine may benefit men with erectile dysfunction. In a 1999 study published in the journal BJU International, for instance, 50 men with ED were given either 5 grams of L-arginine per day or a placebo. After six weeks, more men in the L-arginine group showed improvement compared to those taking the placebo.

Congestive Heart Failure

According to a 2000 study published in Clinical Cardiology, L-arginine may improve cardiac performance in people with congestive heart failure.

L-arginine can also be used to boost the immune system and shorten recovery time after surgery. It has been shown to be effective for managing inflammation of the bladder, as well as relieving leg cramping and weakness caused by blocked arteries.

Great Dietary Sources of L-Arginine

Though you can walk into GNC or any other health store and buy L-arginine supplements, you can just as easily, and more deliciously, get this nutrient from the foods you eat.

Turkey

Believe it or not, turkey offers the highest amounts of dietary arginine, especially cooked turkey breast, which offers 16 grams of this powerful nutrient. So this Thanksgiving let us all give thanks for those turkey sandwiches that are giving us our RDA of arginine.

Pork Loin

Another high-protein food, pork loin offers 14 grams of arginine per rib. Plus it’s ridiculously delicious and one of the leanest cuts of pork.

Pumpkin Seeds

For vegetarians and vegans, you may also get your arginine from plant sources such as pumpkin seeds. Just one cup offers nearly 7 grams. Pumpkin seeds are also a great source of iron and zinc. These are, hands down, one of the healthiest salad toppers you can reach for.

Soybeans

One cup of roasted soybeans (which happen to be a delicious snack) contains 4.6 grams of arginine along with magnesium and that other powerhouse nutrient potassium.

Peanuts

One cup of peanuts contain 4.6 grams of arginine, along with a whole lot of protein, Vitamin E, folate and niacin. Be careful though, a whole cup of peanuts also has a lot of fat, so spread that cup out throughout the week.

If after you’ve read this post you realize you have not been getting enough of these powerhouse nutrients, now is the time to get your recommended daily doses and see and feel the health benefits for yourself.