Below is a list of nutrients and their benefits based on research! You can learn how to easily incorporate these nutrients into your weekly meals with the FREE Meal Plan Checklist.
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About the Research
The MIND, Mediterranean, and Blue Zone diets as well as Gut healthy foods, ALL encourage eating a diet high in the nutrients listed below. All of these diets have been shown to reduce the risk of a multitude of diseases and conditions. Moreover, the studies that were done on each individual nutrient on the list show the same benefits.
I have listed a huge sample of the research articles at the bottom of this article. Please feel free to look up these studies on your own. They are absolutely fascinating and exciting. You can find research in the reference section that discusses the Mediterranean diet, MIND diet, gut health, individual nutrients as well as how specific food, nutrients and diets relate to specific medical conditions.
So why the MIND, Mediterranean, Blue Zone, and Gut Health Diets?
The Mediterranean Diet
In my opinon and based on research, the Mediterranean and MIND diets are two of the most impactful diets when it comes to health and quality of life. Maggie Moon talks about both the Mediterranean and MIND diet in her book, The MIND Diet, when she says “…studies have shown that Mediterranean-style eating patterns are linked with lower risk of neurodegenerative diseases and now the MIND diet has been shown to protect against cognitive decline in aging”.”
MIND Diet
Based on the research, I can concur with Maggie Moon when she writes, “The two key MIND diet studies show how the diet keeps the aging brain seven and a half years younger and reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by 53%.”
Blue Zone Foods
In business, we look to the businesses that are getting it right and try to follow their lead. We use the term benchmark to refer to something that serves as a standard best practice. Perhaps we should do this with nutrition as well. Are there areas where people seem to be getting this “living a healthy life” thing right? Maybe we should see what they are doing and try to incorporate some of their practices into our lives. Turns out we already have our “healthy living” benchmark. We call these areas the Blue Zones.
The Blue Zone research is a bit different. The Blue Zone refers to areas in the world where people are living long, high-quality lives. The people living in these 5 Blue Zones have lower rates of chronic disease, and have reported a higher satisfaction with their quality of life and well-being. The 5 regions where you can find the world’s longest living people who are living without significant memory or physical problems are:
- Loma Linda, California
- Ikaria, Greece
- Okinawa, Japan
- Nicoya, Costa Rica
- Sardina, Italy
So what are these Blue Zone guys and gals doing that the rest of us aren’t?
These Blue Zone inhabitants share several common characteristics.
First, their diets are 90-100% plant based. Their diets are mostly beans, legumes, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts. They also eat small amounts or fish, lean meats, and eggs; and the most common oil used in the Blue Zones is olive oil. They eat foods that contain natural sugar but rarely eat foods that contain added sugar or heavily processed foods. Fermented vegetables are common in the Blue Zone areas. They mainly drink water, but also drink coffee, tea, and small amounts of red wine. (Since this post focuses on the top most impactful nutrients, I highly recommend reading books that go into more detail about the science behind the benefits of these nutrients. For further reading on the subject I recommend: Health Takes Gutsby Diane Rishikof, RDN; The MIND Dietby Maggie Moon, MS, RD, and Anti-inflammatory Eating for a Happy, Healthy Brain by Michelle Babb, MS, RD, CD)
A Little Caveat
One last thing before we get to the much-anticipated list….
I do want you to read this with a grain of salt. Yes! Let’s celebrate that these foods are strongly linked to all kinds of benefits and can reduce the risk and improve all kinds of conditions, but there is no guarantee.
The point is, I don’t want you to food obsess. These foods are amazing, and we should try to eat them and enjoy them often. But when you are craving foods on the “less healthy list” and decide to occasionally eat them, that is okay too.
The Impact of Nutrients in Our Bodies
I think a lot of us have heard of many of these nutrients, and we know that they are beneficial. But when I say these nutrients are crucial, I hope I have convinced you of the magnitude of this statement.
These nutrients are crucial to the body because they have been shown to prevent or reduce the risk, treat, or reduce the symptoms of the conditions listed in the table below:
As you go through the nutrient list, you will notice that many of these nutrients help with the same condition in multiple ways. For example, leafy greens are a probiotic. Probiotics improve gut health, which can help with immune function. Leafy greens are also a source of folate and fiber. Both of these nutrients help with immune function as well!
Without further ado, let’s checkout these nutrients.
List of Nutrients and How They Help:
Antioxidants
Reduces oxidative stress and protects your cells from free radicals.
Vitamin A
Alpha-Carotene and Beta-carotene found in fruits and vegetables are a pre-cursor to vitamin A. In other words, the body makes Vitamin A from Beta-carotene.
- Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
- Promotes a healthy immune system
- Has anti-inflammatory properties
- Help with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
- Has Cancer fighting properties
- Reduces risk of heart disease and stroke
- Promotes healthy skin and hair
- Promotes healthy vision
- May improve energy levels/ fatigue
- May reduce cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
- Aids in addiction recovery
Vitamin E
- Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
- Boosts immune function
- Has anti-inflammatory properties
- Helps with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
- Reduce the risk of cancer
- Reduce risk of heart disease and stroke
- May improve energy levels/ fatigue
- May reduce cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
- Aids in addiction recovery
Vitamin C
- Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
- Promotes a healthy immune system
- Has anti-inflammatory properties
- May improve energy levels/fatigue
- Help with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
- Reduces the risk of cancer
- Promotes strong muscles and bones
- Supports healthy skin and teeth
- Reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke
- May reduce cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
- Aids in addiction recovery
Flavonoids
- Has anti-inflammatory properties
- Promotes a healthy gut (See benefits of a health gut)
- Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
- Reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke
- Reduces the risk of cancer
- May reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia
- Helps with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
- Aids in addiction recovery
Polyphenols
- Prebiotic (good bacteria in the gut feeds on prebiotics)
- Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
- May reduce the risk of cancer
- Has anti-inflammatory properties
- Promotes a healthy gut (See benefits of a health gut)
- Reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke
- May reduces cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia
- Helps with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
Selenium (Some nutrients like Selenium may fall into multiple categories. Selenium has antioxidant properties and is a mineral.)
- May reduce the risk of cancer
- Has anti-inflammatory properties
- Promotes a healthy gut (See benefits of a health gut)
- Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
- Reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke
- May reduces cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia
- Helps with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
Glutathione
- Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
- Promotes a healthy immune system
- Has anti-inflammatory properties
- Help with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
- Has Cancer fighting properties
- Reduces risk of heart disease and stroke
- May improve energy levels/ fatigue
- May reduce cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
B vitamins such as Folate/Folic Acid and B12
(B vitamins include: B1: Thiamine; B2: Riboflavin; B3: Niacin; B5: Pantothenic Acid; B6’ B7 Biotin; B12, Folic Acid/Folate)
- Helps with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
- May improve energy levels/ fatigue
- Helps your body use energy from food
- Promotes a healthy immune system
- Reduces the risk of cancer
- May improve GI Inflammation (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
- Aids in addiction recovery
- Supports healthy bones, muscles, and nerves
Minerals
Potassium
- Needed for heart and muscles function
- Helps maintain water and electrolyte balance in your body
Zinc
- Deficiency may increase depression and anxiety symptom
- Promotes a healthy immune system
- Aids in addiction recovery
Iron
- Promotes healthy immune function
Magnesium
- Helps your body use energy from food
- Supports healthy bones, muscles and nerves
- Deficiencies are associated with increase anxiety symptoms, breast cancer, increased risk of heart disease, and increased inflammation
Calcium
- Important for bone health
- Aids in sleep (Sleep also reduces the risk of these chronic conditions. Isn’t it amazing how connected everything it?!?!)
Fiber
- Some fiber is Prebiotic (Good bacteria in the gut feeds on prebiotics; all prebiotics are fiber, but not all fiber is prebiotic)
- Promotes healthy gut bacteria and bacteria balance. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
- Reduce the risk of cancer
- Has anti-inflammatory properties
- Promotes healthy digestion
- Could reduce joint pain and arthritis inflammation
- Reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke
- Helps you feel full after eating; thus, helps with satiety and weight loss
- Reduces the risk of some cancers
- Help with mood and mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
- Protects against diabetes
Other Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamin D
- Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
- May improve mood and help with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
- May improve gut inflammation
- Low levels of Vitamin D have been associated with: Autoimmune diseases , Skin issues ,Reduced immune function, Increased inflammation, Cancer, Mood disorders such as depression, stress, anxiety, Increased symptoms from ADD and ADHD, and Joint pain and Arthritis
Vitamin K
- Has anti-inflammatory properties
- Important for Bone health, Heat Disease, and Blood clotting
*If you are taking a blood thinner, you may have to decrease your vitamin K intake
Healthy Fats
Omega-3 Polyunsaturated fat
- May help with joint Pain/arthritis
- Has anti-inflammatory properties
- May help with ADD/ADHD symptoms
- May improve energy levels/ fatigue
- Helps with mood and mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
- Reduces the risk of heart disease
- Improve Gut microbial health and gut inflammation (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above!!!)
- Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Again, remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
- May reduce cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
- May improve memory
- Aids in addiction recovery
Monounsaturated Fat
- Reduces the risk of heart disease
- Promotes a healthy immune system
- May reduce cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Prebiotics
- Promotes a healthy gut (Good bacteria in the gut feeds on prebiotics, and remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
- Promotes a healthy immune system
*Note that prebiotics can feed bad bacteria too, so if you have more bad bacteria in your gut and not enough good bacteria then eat foods that promote gut bacteria balance like probiotics, omega-3, and antioxidants, and limit foods that decrease gut health like heavily processed foods, fried foods, and refined sugars.
Probiotics (Live good bacteria found in foods)
- Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
- Boosts immune function
- Has anti-inflammatory properties
- Helps with mood and mood disorders like depression, anxiety, stress
- Reduce the risk of cancer
- Reduce risk of heart disease and stroke
- May improve energy levels/ fatigue
- May reduce cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia
- Aids in addiction recovery
Other Helpful Nutrients
L-glutamine
- Promotes gut health by repairing the gut lining. (Remember poor gut health, alone, has been linked to many of the medical conditions listed above)
L-Thiamine
- Anti-anxiety properties: relaxes or calms the brain without making you drowsy
Melatonin or Melatonin Precursors (Tryptophan and Serotonin)
- Helps you sleep better at night and relax during the day
- Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that makes you feel happy
- Aids in addiction recovery
About These Nutrients
I have not listed every essential nutrient for a couple of reasons. One being you only need trace amounts of many of the nutrients not listed, and we are currently getting plenty of them in the American diet. These are nutrients like Sodium, Chlorine, Phosphorus, and Copper. Plus many of the foods that contain these crucial nutrient listed above also contain these other essential nutrients so if you are eating the foods that contain the nutrients listed above then you are getting enough of the other nutrients.
Some of the crucial nutrients listed above are considered essential nutrients, meaning the body cannot function properly without them. Others listed are not considered essential, but are nutrients that promote health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases and conditions.
I also did not list every function of each crucial nutrients. In other words, these crucial nutrients do even more for your body than what is listed here!!!! In this post, I focused on how these nutrients aid in prevention or treatment of chronic conditions.
What Foods Should I Eat to Help My Mind, Body, and Spirit Function and Thrive?
So now that you know how impactful these nutrients are to your health, you may be asking, so how do I make sure I am eating these foods on a regular basis?
The Nourishing Meal Builder ebook can help with that! The Nourishing Meal Builder goes into MUCH more detail by providing food lists, Meal Builder Cards, and discussions of the research! BUT if you are looking for something FREE, I have something for you as well! I made a simple, easy Meal Plan Checklist you can use to make sure you are getting these amazing nutrients into your daily life! And all subscribers can print and start using the Meal Plan Checklist now! You can get the Meal Plan Checklist here!
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Healthy Living Books Written by Registered Dietitians
Nutrition Books for Specific Medical Conditions written by Registered Dietitians
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