10 Essential Nutrients You May Be Missing

Fiber

A non-digestible phytochemical, fiber promotes bowel health, lowers cholesterol and stabilizes blood sugar. “Fiber has wonderful mechanisms in the diet for health. It may not be the most glamorous,” says Blake, but research suggests it may help reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity. It also promotes a sensation of fullness that can aid in trimming your waistline.

Who needs it: Everyone—considering that the typical American diet doesn’t even meet half of the daily recommended goals —in particular seniors, who tend to eat fewer calories overall and may have difficulty chewing certain foods.

Get it now: Beans and peas, including split peas, lentils, lima beans and black beans. Also found in vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains (like oats bulgur) and whole grain cereals.

How much: The recommended intake for older children and adults is 20 to 35 grams (g) per day . A cup of frozen peas contains 6 g of fiber, a cup of raspberries provides 8 g, and a cup of cooked black beans provides 15 g, about half your daily needs.

Reviewed by Elaine Brown, MD on January 14, 2014

Sources

https://ods.od.nih.gov/Health_Information/Dietary_Reference_Intakes.aspx

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf

https://www.cdc.gov/nutritionreport/pdf/Nutrition_Book_complete508_final.pdf#zoom=100

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002402.htm

https://www.cdc.gov/nutritionreport/pdf/Nutrition_Book_complete508_final.pdf#zoom=100

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/#h3

https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminB12/index.html#function

https://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6793#.UM45dXPjmFc

NIH quick facts, https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-QuickFacts/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/vitamin-b12-deficiency-can-be-sneaky-harmful-201301105780

https://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6793#.UM45dXPjmFc

Personal telephone interview, 12/13/12, Joan Salge Blake, MS, RD, LDN - Author: Nutrition & You, 2012, Nutrition & You, Core Concepts for Health, 2011; Clinical Associate Professor / Boston University; National media spokesperson for Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; salgeblake@comcast.net; 978 443 0172

https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-QuickFacts/

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002403.htm

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/

https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminB12/index.html#function

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/#h3

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-QuickFacts/

https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminC/

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-QuickFacts/

https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminC/

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002404.htm

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-QuickFacts/

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/#h3

https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2307?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=Abridged&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=orange

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/781.html

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-QuickFacts/

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/#h3

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-QuickFacts/

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-QuickFacts/

https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminD/drefs.html#ref27https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf

Holick MF. Vitamin D deficiency. N Engl J Med. 2007;357(3):266-281. (PubMed)

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-QuickFacts/

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamin-healthprofessional

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/#h3

https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminE/; https://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6792#.UM5vu3PjmFc;

Fulgoni VL 3rd, Keast DR, Bailey, Dwyer J. Foods, fortificants, and supplements: where do Americans get their nutrients? J Nutr. 2011;141(10):18-47-1854. (PubMed)

https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/lifestages/olderadults/index.html

https://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6792#.UM5vu3PjmFc

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProffesional

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-QuickFacts/

https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf

Howarth NC, Saltzman E, Roberts SB. Dietary fiber and weight regulation. Nutr Rev. 2001;59(5):129-139. (PubMed)

https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf

https://nil.nih/gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002470.htm

https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3043?fg=&man=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=25&offset=&sort=&qlookup=Peas%2C+green%2C+frozen%2C+unprepared

https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fiber-foods/NU00582

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/

https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf

https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/fa/

https://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vitamin-b9-000338.htm

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/; Blake

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/

https://healthfinder.gov/prevention/ViewTopic.aspx?topicID=19&cnt=1&areaID=5&TopicContentID=128

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/#h3

https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/iron/

Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Iron. Dietary reference intakes for vitamin A, vitamin K, boron, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, vanadium, and zinc. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press; 2001:290-393. (National Academy Press)

https://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6798#.UM5l7XPjmFc

https://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/iron-000309.htm

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/#h2

https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/potassium/

https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf

https://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/potassium-000320.htm

https://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/DRI/DRI_Water/186-268.pdf

https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf

https://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6801#.UM5tCXPjmFc

https://umm.edu/altmed/articles/potassium-000320.htm

https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002413.htm