If You Do This With Your Nutrients, You'll be Ahead of the Pack!

The health benefits of individual nutrients are well researched and documented; but in recent times, there’s mounting evidence that the combination of certain nutrients found in the same food or across different types of foods produced better results when it comes to their overall effect on our health. Nutrient synergy is the concept of combining foods for greater health benefits than if the individual foods were eaten on their own. 

Let’s take a look at some synergistic food and nutrient pairings that help increase the healthfulness of our meals.

Iron and vitamin C: Iron aids oxygen transport to cells and prevent anemia. When foods high in vitamin C are paired with iron-rich foods, studies suggest that 67% more iron is absorbed than if the iron-rich food was eaten alone.

Vitamin D and calcium: Calcium regulates heartbeat and mineral balance. To increase the absorption of calcium, vitamin D is needed. If there’s not enough vitamin D to help increase calcium, your body will take it from the bones and teeth, increasing one’s risk of bone weakness, fragility, and breaks, and also dental decay.

Vitamin E and Selenium: Vitamin E works closely together with the mineral selenium. Together they play a major role in the protection of cells and cell structures. Selenium is a catalyst that accelerates a reaction in the body without being used up itself. It is also an important antioxidant and plays an important role in metabolism. Vitamin E and selenium are the two most popular dietary supplements used to prevent prostate cancer. Selenium and vitamin E also work together as a team to prevent lipid peroxidation. These two nutrients are important mediators for protection against oxidative stress. Recent work has demonstrated that deficiencies in either one of them result in increased viral pathogenicity and altered immune responses.

Turmeric and black pepper: Turmeric is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin, which is the active ingredient in turmeric, is not absorbed as well by the body when taken alone. Research has shown that when turmeric is consumed with black pepper absorption rates of curcumin increase by up to 2000%. This is because black pepper contains a compound called piperine, which helps to increase how much curcumin your body can absorb.

When synergistic foods are eaten together their individual nutrients interact to increase their effect, like improving nutrient absorption, increasing satiety, and even decreasing the risk of illness and disease. Getting your nutrients from food is always the best route. 

“The body is like a piano, and happiness is like music. It is needful to have the instrument in good order.”                                                                      

– Henry Ward Beecher