What are you doing to to fight inflammation and age healthfully? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
When we picture malnutrition, many of us recall the images of bony, ashen children or adults that compel us to donate to organizations fighting global hunger. What we don’t picture is a fleshy arm grabbing a large order from the drive-thru window when we are in the car behind said diner at Popeye’s.
But a group of Polish researchers report in the journal Nutrients that “malnutrition…an imbalance at the cellular level between the demand for nutrients and their intake… should not be associated only with skinny people with an anorectic appearance. It is a common clinical problem, with numerous causes, such as poverty, [caregiver] negligence, aging, chronic somatic diseases, or deliberate action to reduce weight.”
The study authors point to impoverished countries that have high rates of malnutrition and growing rates of obesity. The 2020 study notes, “The same applies to adults for whom stressful lifestyle and increasingly inappropriate eating habits lead to dietary deficiencies. In obese people, malnutrition can result from a shortage of nutrients, vitamins, and microelements which are necessary for the proper functioning of the body.”
When diet damages DNA as much as pollution and radiation
As we get older, notes the study, oxidative damage to molecules in our cells speeds up, thereby disrupting healthy aging by damaging DNA. What makes this slope heading to numerous diseases so slippery? Not getting enough microelements such as vitamin C, E, iron and magnesium. Severe deficiencies, the authors note “can be as harmful as DNA lesions resulting from UV rays and chemical agents’ activity.”
Hormone havoc (think hot flashes, moodiness, low libido, insulin resistance) may also result. “If you’re eating a low-nutrient diet and you’re not getting those fruits and vegetables and all the necessary nutrients, then you may not have the available raw materials to be able to make the hormones that you need in proper levels in order to feel good,” Melissa Groves Azzaro, R.D.N., L.D., founder of The Hormone Dietitian, told Sisters.
Pay attention to micronutrients
If you’ve been on any kind of nutrition plan or diet, you’ve likely kept track of your daily “macros” in addition to calories. “Macronutrients are the nutrients that your body needs in large amounts, which include fat, carbohydrates, and protein. They're the nutrients that give you energy,” Web MD confirms. You measure your protein, fat and carb intake in grams. That drive-thru order likely had an overabundance of all three macros.
On the other hand, “micronutrients describe vitamins and minerals that the body requires in very small amounts. Although the body only needs small quantities, micronutrients are vital for supporting health,” confirms Medical News Today. Not getting enough can harm our physical and cognitive function, general health, mental health and quality of life.
Our intake of dozens and dozens of micronutrients are measured in either milligrams (mg), micrograms (mcg), or international units (IU). You’ll see this on the label if you take a multivitamin. You may also see RDA (recommended dietary allowance) or AI (adequate intake) to help you hit your nutrition targets.
These micronutrients include water-soluble vitamins such as B6 and C, fat soluble vitamins such as D and E, macrominerals (they have a bigger RDA) such as calcium and potassium and microminerals such as iron and zinc. There are many more.
The study in Nutrients suggests that taking supplements may not be the best way to fill those dietary gaps.
More reasons to read labels and eat more salad
Nutrition apps such as Cronometer, MyFitnessPal and FatSecret allow users to track micronutrients. These can be useful for learning your dietary patterns. But if that’s too much data to keep track of, an app like WW, which only tracks points (no calories and no grams or milligrams of anything), takes into account the nutrient density in all foods.
The easiest way to get more micronutrients is to eat a variety of whole foods each day, including fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, proteins, and fats. Food pyramids, advice to “eat the rainbow” and nutrition campaigns such as the 30 plants a week challenge all support that goal.
What are you missing?
There is one micronutrient that most of us get in excess, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center at Oregon State University. Have you guessed it? Sodium.
Most micronutrients are harder to come by in the Western Diet. Common “shortfall micronutrients,” according to the institute, include calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Vitamin E.
Here are 8 foods that can help you fill the gaps and keep your DNA happy:
1. Yogurt
Low-fat yogurt is a great source of calcium, confirms Healthline. Others are sardines and salmon, beans and lentils, almonds and leafy greens.
2. Shellfish
Clams, oysters and mussels are a good source of iron. Others are spinach, liver, beans peas and lentils, pumpkin seeds, red meat and quinoa.
3. Dried Apricots
These are a great source of potassium, according to verywellhealth. Others are bananas, leafy greens, watermelon, chicken, beef and beans.
4. Dark Chocolate
A lower sugar, high cacao square is a plentiful source of magnesium, according to Cleveland Clinic. Others are black beans, avocados, spinach, potatoes and quinoa.
5. Sweet Potato
The tuber is a powerhouse when it comes to Vitamin A, thanks to its beta carotene. Other sources are beef liver, cod liver oil, spinach and carrots, confirms Medical News Today.
6. Oranges
Citrus fruits and juices offer a Vitamin C boost, notes Harvard Health. So do spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, bell peppers and Brussels sprouts.
7. Fortified milk
Dairy and plant milks with added Vitamin D can help you boost your intake. So can fortified cereals and fatty fish such as salmon.
8. Nuts
Snacking on nuts will help you get Vitamin E, confirms Harvard Health. So will leafy green vegetables and whole grains.
What are you doing to to fight inflammation and age healthfully? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
