Essential nutrients for holistic wellness: Nurturing your body from within

Essential nutrients for holistic wellness: Nurturing your body from within

 

Did you know that the body requires a total of 13 vitamins and at least 18 minerals, which are essential for health and must be obtained from the diet? Food processing, intensive farming and prolonged food storage are just some of the factors that diminish the nutritional value of the food that we eat. Eating a seemingly healthy diet may still lead to nutrient deficiencies. 

How can a multivitamin and mineral support overall health?

Taking a good quality multivitamin and mineral formula, each day is a good way of supporting your intake of nutrients. A multivitamin is the foundation of any nutritional supplement program. It typically contains a variety of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that work together to help support metabolism, growth and physical wellbeing. Each nutrient has specific functions – but it is the synergy of all the essential vitamins and minerals that ensures optimal body function. 

A quality multivitamin and mineral formula can help fill nutritional gaps, support overall health, enhance immune function, and promote energy levels. Regular intake may also contribute to improved mood and cognitive function, making it easier to maintain a balanced lifestyle.1,2 

Why consider an iron supplement?  

Iron supports cognition, energy metabolism and reduces tiredness and fatigue. Iron also supports the normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin.3 Iron is present mostly in animal protein like lean meats, chicken and seafood, but also in nuts, tofu and white beans. Many enzymes throughout the body contain iron, including those involved in energy production.  Enzymes are catalysts (increase the rate of chemical reaction) that drive many cell functions. Iron supports the development of the central nervous system and iron-dependent enzymes are needed for myelination of nerves, production of neurotransmitters (including dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin) and neural energy metabolism.4,5   

A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials in children older than six years, adolescents, and women with iron deficiency, anaemia, or iron-deficiency anaemia suggested that supplemental iron could improve attention and concentration irrespective of participants’ iron status.6  Everyone needs iron yet growing children and adolescents, athletes, pregnant and breastfeeding women, vegetarians and vegans are all at risk of not obtaining sufficient amounts of iron from their diets.7,8 Iron supplementation can be quite harsh on the gut and can include unpleasant side effects like constipation, feeling unwell and stomach discomfort. Iron bisglycinate is a highly bioavailable form of iron that is gentle on the stomach, making it an excellent choice for individuals who may experience gastrointestinal discomfort with other forms of iron. This supplement is particularly beneficial for those with iron deficiency anaemia, as it helps increase haemoglobin levels and improve oxygen transport in the body. Additionally, it supports energy production and can enhance athletic performance by reducing fatigue.

What are the key nutrients for supporting healthy skin, nails and hair? 

The condition of your skin, nails and hair are affected by nutritional imbalances, stress, lack of sleep and other environmental factors, that can result in a lack-luster appearance. These seven essential beauty nutrients function to support normal collagen formation, to support skin structure and elasticity, and also protect against free radical damage:

  • MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) – is a source of sulphur, a mineral found in high amounts in the skin. As a component of collagen, sulphur helps support the skin and is also a building block of keratin, found in hair and nails.11,12     
  • Vitamin C: helps to make and stabilise collagen. Vitamin C is found in high amounts in both the outer and middle layer of skin, but as we age the levels of vitamin C in the skin tends to decline.13  
  • The two amino acids L- lysine and L-proline: Collagen is a protein high in three amino acids – glycine, lysine and proline.  And together they help to form the triple helix structure of collagen.14   
  • Zinc citrate: Zinc is helpful for managing problem skin and helps protect cells against oxidative stress.15,16 And despite zinc being found in some plant sources and nuts, vegans and vegetarians are vulnerable to zinc deficiency.17   
  • Copper bisglycinate: is also needed for collagen formation in skin.  In addition, copper is known to support normal pigmentation of both hair and skin. And also protects cells from oxidative stress.
  • Red algae powder (source of silica): Silica is known to help strengthen your skin, nails and hair and can also increase collagen production. 

Incorporating specific supplements into your daily routine can offer targeted support for different facets of health and beauty, assisting individuals in reaching their wellness objectives.

 

References: 

1. Comerford KB. Recent developments in multivitamin/mineral research. Adv Nutr. 2013; 4(6):644-656. doi:10.3945/an.113.004523.

2. Grieger JA, Nowson CA, Jarman HF, Malon R, Ackland LM. Multivitamin supplementation improves nutritional status and bone quality in aged care residents. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009; 63(4):558-565. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602963.

3. European Food safety Authority. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to iron and formation of red  blood cells and haemoglobin (ID 374, 2889), oxygen transport (ID 255), contribution to normal energy-yielding metabolism (ID 255), reduction of tiredness and fatigue (ID 255, 374, 2889), biotransformation of xenobiotic substances (ID 258), and “activity of heart, liver and muscles” (ID 397) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA J. 2010; 8(10). doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1740.

4. Doom JR, Georgieff MK. Striking while the iron is hot: Understanding the biological and neurodevelopmental effects of iron deficiency to optimize intervention in early childhood. Curr Pediatr Rep. 2014; 2(4):291-298. doi:10.1007/s40124-014-0058-4 JR.

5. J B, B T. Iron status and exercise. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000; 72(2 Suppl). doi:10.1093/AJCN/72.2.594S.

6. Falkingham M, Abdelhamid A, Curtis P, Fairweather-Tait S, Dye L, Hooper L. The effects of oral iron supplementation on cognition in older children and adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr J. 2010;9:4. Published 2010 Jan 25. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-9-419.

7. Petti A, Palmieri B, Vadalà M, Laurino C. Vegetarianism and Veganism: Not Only Benefits but Also Gaps. A review. Prog Nutr. 2017; 19(3):229-242. doi:10.23751/pn.v19i3.5229.

8. Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian diets. J Am Diet Assoc. 2003; 103(6):748-765. doi:10.1053/jada.2003.50142.

9. Milman N, Jønsson L, Dyre P, Pedersen PL, Larsen LG. Ferrous bisglycinate 25 mg iron is as effective as ferrous sulfate 50 mg iron in the prophylaxis of iron deficiency and anemia during pregnancy in a randomized trial. J Perinat Med. 2014; 42(2):197-206. doi:10.1515/jpm-2013-0153.

10. Coplin M, Schuette S, Leichtmann G, Lashner B. Tolerability of iron: A comparison of bis-glycino iron II and ferrous sulfate. Clin Ther. 1991; 13(5):606-612.

11. Beneficial Effects of a Sulfur-Containing Supplement on Hair and Nail Condition | Natural Medicine Journal. https://www.naturalmedicinejournal.com/journal/2019-11/beneficial-effects-sulfur-containing-supplement-hair-and-nail- condition. Accessed August 25, 2020.

12. Scheinfeld N, Dahdah MJ, Scher R. Vitamins and minerals: their role in nail health and disease. J Drugs Dermatol. 2007; 6(8):782-787. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17763607/. Accessed August 25, 2020.

13. Jin HC, Jin YS, Hai RC, et al. Modulation of skin collagen metabolism in aged and photoaged human skin in vivo. J Invest Dermatol. 2001; 117(5):1218-1224. doi:10.1046/j.0022-202X.2001.01544.x.

14. Shoulders MD, Raines RT. Collagen Structure and Stability. Annu Rev Biochem. 2009; 78(1):929-958. doi:10.1146/annurev.biochem.77.032207.120833.

15. Ogawa Y, Kawamura T, Shimada S. Zinc and skin biology. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2016;611:113-119. doi:10.1016/j.abb.2016.06.003.

16. Ogawa Y, Kinoshita M, Shimada S, Kawamura T. Zinc and skin disorders. Nutrients. 2018; 10(2). doi:10.3390/nu10020199

17. Prasad AS. Zinc deficiency. Br Med J. 2003; 326(7386):409-410. doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7386.409.

 

Information supplier by Solgar.

 

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