Foods rich in magnesium, potassium, and calcium are essential for heart health and muscle function. Discover the best dietary sources for iron and B12, and learn how steaming vegetables compares to boiling for nutrient preservation.
Vitamin D is commonly referred to as the "sunshine vitamin" because it's the only vitamin that can be made by the human body from sun exposure. It plays a very important role in health. The active form of vitamin D is known as vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol.
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Iron and vitamin D are essential nutrients to ensure that your blood, cells, bones and muscles remain in good health. Iron is crucial for the formation of red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body.
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The acidity of foods, or other substances, are measured by their pH value -- their place on a 14-point pH scale. Acidic substances have a low pH -- the lower the pH, the more acidic -- while neutral and basic substances have higher pH levels of 7 or above.
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Calcium is the most abundant mineral found in the body, with 99 percent stored in bones and teeth. Calcium helps your body perform essential functions including muscle and blood vessel contraction, as well as hormone and enzyme secretion, explains the Office of Dietary Supplements.
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If youβre experiencing rapid growth, are childbearing, or engage in regular intense exercise, you may be at increased risk of iron deficiency. Also, the Linus Pauling Institute says the modern diet in general is deficient in potassium.
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Because of the variety of potential causes for water retention, there is no single therapy that can be used to treat each case. However, for cases of water retention caused by high levels of sodium in the body, increasing dietary potassium can be an effective treatment.
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It is hard to believe that a product first isolated from ox bile in 1849 would play such an important role in the poultry industry. Choline--also known as vitamin B4 or, more formally, as 2-hydroxyethyl-trimethyl ammonium hydroxide--is a common dietary supplement in the livestock and poultry industries.
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Although the body produces a small amount of choline, humans must consume some in the diet as well to maintain good health, explains the Linus Pauling Institute, or LPI, at Oregon State University.
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All of the B vitamins are important for your body's growth and development. Without the proper amount in your diet, you could have problems with muscle and nerve function, red blood cell development and much more.
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The body creates uric acid during the processing of chemical compounds called purines, which occur naturally in the body and are found in a wide array of foods as well. Although most uric acid dissolves in the blood and is excreted as urine, excessive levels of uric acid can cause health problems, most notably gout.
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Supplements containing glucosamine have been used extensively to combat the symptoms of osteoarthritis. According to the National Institutes of Health, glucosamine effectively relieves pain, swelling and stiffness in people with this chronic and debilitating condition.
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Fruits are an essential part of any healthy diet because they supply several key nutrients such as vitamin C and potassium. These nutritious foods also supply varying amounts of the eight B vitamins you need for energy production.
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Potassium is an essential nutrient that contributes to normal nerve and muscle function. The Linus Pauling Institute suggests that children under a year old get 400 to 700 mg of potassium daily through diet; children from ages 1 to 14 should take in 3,000 to 4,500 mg.
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Calcium is an essential mineral that can be found naturally in foods such as dairy products, added to foods such as soy milk, or as a dietary supplement as calcium carbonate or calcium citrate. Calcium carbonate is a mineral naturally derived from the earth's limestone, marble or sedimentation of crushed marine shells.
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Silicon is a mineral that, like calcium and vitamin D, can help improve the strength of your bones and lower your risk for osteoporosis, according to an article published in the "International Journal of Endocrinology" in 2013.
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Doctors may prescribe prostaglandin inhibitors to help fight against such diseases as cancer of the bladder, lungs, breasts and colon and rectum. Prostaglandins, essentially, are types of fatty acids that can cause inflammation, pain and swelling in various areas of the body.
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Different types of salt aren't created equal. Table salt, for example, is edible and it's used to flavor a variety of foods, but Epsom salt isn't for eating, and it isn't actually true salt.
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While calcium oxalate is a natural product in many foods, people with hyperoxaluria, oxalosis or a history of calcium oxalate kidney stones should know that many common foods are high in oxalates. Calcium oxalate stones are the most common type of kidney stone, formed when calcium crystallizes with oxalates.
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As a mineral that's essential for a normal heartbeat and the function of your muscles, potassium should have a prominent place in your daily diet.
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Benzoic acid is found both naturally, in foods such as berries and milk products, and as an added preservative in processed foods such as baked goods, candy, chewing ice cream, jams, pickles and soft drinks. It is also found as a preservative in cosmetics and personal care items, such as mouthwash.
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