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.
Hyaluronic acid is a long, unbranched chain of simple sugar molecules. The body uses it to provide connective tissue such as cartilage, and it’s also used to repair the skin. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun can cause skin cells to reduce their production of hyaluronic acid.
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Like all essential vitamins, folic acid and vitamin B12 are important for normal growth and development. Folic acid helps make DNA and new cells in your body. B12 is needed for metabolism and a healthy nervous system.
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Peripheral vascular disease, peripheral artery disease and intermittent claudication can all cause circulation problems in the legs and feet. In these conditions, your arteries become clogged with plaque and narrowed, making it harder for the blood to reach your extremities.
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The B-complex includes eight different water-soluble vitamins that perform various physiological duties, among which is helping you metabolize food into energy.
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The human digestive tract is home to a large and dynamic microbial habitat which consists of over 500 different species of bacteria. These “healthy” or “good” bacteria serve a variety of purposes from digesting foods to preventing disease.
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Olive oil is derived from the fruit of olive trees. There are many types of olive oils, each with unique flavors and qualities. Virgin olive oil, for example, refers to olive oil that has not been synthetically treated. Common uses of olive oil include the base for salad dressings and dips for breads.
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Zinc contributes to a large number of bodily processes including wound healing, immune response, growth and development and insulin activity. There is no part of the body that stores zinc, so a regular dietary supply is necessary. Unfortunately, some foods and supplements block zinc absorption, according to the 2000 "
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Vitamin C is known by several different names, including ascorbic acid, ascorbate, L-ascorbic acid and L-ascorbate. Ascorbic acid and ascorbate fulfill the same roles in your body. The "L" designation is specific to the vitamin’s shape, indicating the natural form of vitamin C.
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According to Drugs.com, most adults need about 4,700 milligrams of potassium in their daily dietary intake. Potassium is an essential mineral that helps regulate the electrolyte balance in the body. It affects heart function, contraction of muscles and stimulation of responses to nerves.
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If you're looking for non-dairy sources of calcium due to lactose intolerance, dietary restrictions or personal preferences, you can find this essential mineral in many plant-based foods.
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Although many people consider tomatoes to be vegetables, technically they are fruits. The best descriptor of tomatoes is that they are diverse, which describes their color, flavor, use and nutrients. Tomatoes can be red, orange, yellow, green or purple.
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Next time a snack craving hits, consider forgoing the crackers or chips and noshing on a handful of nuts instead. A growing body of evidence suggests that nuts, as part of a healthy diet, can have a tremendous health benefit, says the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The U.S.
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Your body needs iodine to promote normal thyroid activity, the Linus Pauling Institute reports. In order for thyroid hormone, thyroxine, to be produced, you must have iodine available in your body. The thyroid, a small gland in your neck, helps each organ in your body to function by its stimulating factor of thyroxine.
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Fulvic acid is an antioxidant that occurs naturally in certain soils, plants and plant-based foods. According to the "Fulvic Acid Report"
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Iron is a mineral found mostly in red blood cells, also known as erythrocytes. These are the most common blood cells in the bloodstream. Blood also contains white cells, or leukocytes, which are part of the immune system, platelets involved in healing, and a variety of proteins.
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Amla, or Indian gooseberry, is a sour and pungent fruit native to India. It is about the size and shape of a mini apple and is bright yellow-green when ripe. One amla has about 20 times the vitamin C of an orange. It is heavily used in Aryuvedic medicine as a laxative, anti-inflammatory and antacid.
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Cooking any type of food, including potatoes, could lead to vitamin losses. Choosing the proper preparation method for your potatoes can help you minimize these losses so you get the most vitamins from each serving you eat.
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The chlorine you get through your diet is mostly in the form of chloride, most of which comes from the amount of salt, or sodium chloride, you eat. Because people often get too much salt, they usually get plenty of chloride to meet their body's needs.
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Laetrile, also known as B-17, isn’t a vitamin at all, but rather a chemically-modified form of a substance called amygdalin. Laetrile does not occur naturally in any foods, although amygdalin does. Laetrile, used as a popular alternative cancer treatment, has shown no benefit for this in clinical studies.
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Potassium is one of the major electrolytes that your body carefully controls for proper heart and neuromuscular activity. A high potassium blood level, or hyperkalemia, is seen in a variety of medical conditions, including cancer and cancer treatment.
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