Important Nutrients To Complement Nutritious Meals
Aside from the six essential nutrients that we need there are others that we need to incorporate in our diet. We all know what are the six nutrient groups are. They are needed to facilitate all bodily functions, regulate it, maintain and bring energy to our bodies. The leading commandment of nutrition is always about “balance” diet that every nutrient group is effective only if taken with the right amount and the right kind. At the same time, eating nutritious meals should be done regularly to prevent overcompensating that will lead to an imbalance.
Nutrition should also be supplemented in order to maximize the potential for improvement of health and wellness. Education has led us to believe that eating the right food that supplies the right vitamins and minerals is enough to ward off illnesses. However, it is no longer enough to have just the basics. It is time to accept the fact that there are supplements that our bodies need aside from the basic nutrients that can slow down the aging process and to prevent the development of disease. These discoveries could one day help you fight off the disease and add more years to your life.
Let us take a look at some of the supplements that we need to consider when we are planning our nutritious meals. These supplements are a combination of nutrients, parts of a plant that may not give some nutritional benefits but is essential for good health and beneficial microorganisms that can help in the overall well-being of a person.
Phytochemicals
Phytochemicals are compounds that occur naturally which is responsible in giving color to plants. It is also responsible for a plant’s organoleptic properties. An example of the influence of phytochemicals includes the smell of garlic or the redness of an apple. It is not an essential nutrient, which means humans can live without having such chemicals but can supplement nutrition towards achieving significant impact in preventing certain diseases from affecting humans. It is noted that there are potentially around 10,000 phytochemicals that exist that has a potential ability to help people fight certain cancers, heart ailments, stroke or diabetes.
The use of phytochemicals as medicine is as old as medicine itself. The use of certain herbs or plants have been used to treat certain ailments as simple as the common cold or fever to more complex infections such as those caused by fungi or any other bacteria. Recently, phytochemicals have been seen to also able to help the body fight off cancerous cells and prevent cancer from developing. Some phytochemicals acts with other non-nutrient supplement to help fight certain cancer or with antioxidants to boost the immune system.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are molecules that prevent the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation refers to the transfer to an oxidizing agent of electrons or hydrogen. Oxidation releases free radicals that start chain reactions that could cause some damage to a cell. An antioxidant reverses this process of oxidation by preventing the release of free radicals and protecting the cell from being destroyed. Antioxidants are reducing agents like vitamin C or polyphenols.
Oxidation is needed to sustain life but it can cause some damage. It can prevent certain cancers, coronary heart disease and other illnesses. In some experiments, consumption of antioxidants may increase the life expectancy because of better health and wellness.
Probiotics
Probiotic refers to the use of live microorganisms that can be beneficial to other organisms. Yogurt is the prime example of a probiotic food because it provides the body a steady supply of vitamin K and is anti-microbial. Some probiotic organism help the body fight off parasites and other bacteria and promotes a healthy digestive system.
