Why Getting Enough of the World's Healthiest Foods, Rich in Nutrients, Can Hurt Your Health and Weight

The modern American diet is frequently criticized for being prone to overindulgence. Too many calories, too many sweets, too much salt, too much meat, and too much fried food! This is precisely how many health analysts view obesity—as a problem brought on by excessive consumption and excess.

However, the opposing side of the equation, which involves nutrient deficiency and under consumption, is also true when it comes to health and weight maintenance. The American diet is also characterized by malnutrition and deficiency. The daily diet of the typical adult in the United States does not meet the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) level for the following nutrients:

vitamin A

• vitamin K

• choline

It also provides less than 50% of the DRI for:

• vitamin D

• folate

• calcium

• magnesium

• selenium

• fiber

• the omega-3 fatty acid, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)

• the omega-3 fatty acid, DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)

What happens when we don't get enough nutrients? Usually nothing if it only lasts a few days. Our bodies have reserves of nutrients that they can use to meet our nutritional requirements when we are healthy.

However, chronic disease and 51 Nutrient-Rich World's Healthiest Foods Key to Healthy Weight Loss52 Healthy Weight Loss — Without Dieting unhealthy weight gain can begin if we are deficient in nutrients week after week and month after month. The process of developing a serious illness as a result of nutrient deficiency is not quick or obvious.

We have traditionally viewed nutrient deficiency conditions as involving the rapid onset of unusual symptoms and the complete absence of a single nutrient. A good illustration is the vitamin C-deficient disease known as scurvy.

This condition, which can be seen as damage to the gums of the mouth, first appeared in sailors during long journeys where there were no fruits or vegetables on board.

A single nutrient deficiency—vitamin C—is directly linked to a distinct set of symptoms (damage to the gums) in this instance, which develops fairly quickly.

Nutrient deficiency diseases of today do not follow this pattern like scurvy. There is not a single nutrient in today's diet that is below the recommended daily intake. We consume all of them in quantities far below what we need, making it more like a dozen nutrients. It's possible that these nutrient deficiencies will continue to go unnoticed over a period of several years.

Instead, we might just feel tired more often than we ought to. or that we don't get enough sleep or don't feel well rested when we wake up. or that we are exhausted and unable to concentrate effectively.

Even though we may not yet have observed any observable signs of these issues, our persistent nutrient deficiency is unquestionably leading us toward more serious health issues.

Long-term nutritional deficiency alters our body's functions beneath the surface, at the cellular level. Nutrients in unique combinations are required for virtually every body function. Vitamin E is required to maintain the integrity of our cell membranes, and copper, zinc, and selenium are required to shield the cell's internal structures from oxygen-induced damage. Manganese is absolutely necessary in our cells' energy-producing mitochondria. Without a specific blend of B-complex vitamins, our muscles cannot use carbohydrates as fuel. All of these processes are disrupted by a lack of nutrients over time.

They don't completely stop, but rather continue to function suboptimally. What begins as sub-optimal evolves into fully problematic over time.

A well-researched factor that contributes to obesity and virtually all chronic diseases is nutrient deficiency. Additionally, many commonly consumed processed foods that increase our risk of chronic disease also increase our risk of obesity.) Vitamins B6, B12, and folate are clearly involved in these deficiencies associated with cardiovascular disease. Biotin, magnesium, vitamin E, coenzyme Q, and lipoic acid have all been implicated as nutrients that may contribute to disease risk when chronically deficient in the body, but the role of nutrient deficiency in diabetes is not yet as clear as in the case of cardiovascular disease. When it comes to chronic disease and nutrient deficiency, a growing number of anti-inflammatory nutrients, such as the flavonoids and carotenoids found in the majority of fresh fruits and vegetables, are becoming a particular focus. Because so many chronic diseases and obesity appear to have an inflammatory component, a lack of these anti-inflammatory nutrients may be especially important.

As you can see, the link between chronic disease and nutrient deficiency isn't easy to make, simple, or immediately apparent. However, the main point here is unquestionably straightforward and obvious:

If we want to lower our risk of obesity and chronic disease, we need to do everything in our power to make sure that our meal plans don't leave any nutrients out.

The World's Healthiest Foods help with that. They give you every nutrient you need to be healthy. With the Healthy Weight Loss Eating Plan, you can see how simple it is to eat a variety of these foods to make delicious meals and get all the nutrients you need to stay healthy and prevent malnutrition or nutrient deficiency.

We will go one step further on this topic of nutrients and health in the following chapter. We'll go over the specific reasons behind their significance to healthy weight loss and good health.