86. The Power of Micronutrients: Vitamins, Minerals, and the Importance of Food

It might surprise you to learn that one of the secrets to good health lies in the tiny but mighty micronutrients—vitamins and minerals—that we often overlook or don't take the time to think about when we are making everyday food choices. Join me as I unpack the essential roles of these nutrients in our diet, distinguish between macronutrients and micronutrients, and explore why getting your vitamins from food, not supplements, is crucial for your health. 

In this episode: 

• I shed light on fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins, along with the importance of minerals like calcium and magnesium. Our discussion underscores the benefits of whole foods in enhancing nutrient absorption and overall health;
• Discover the history behind the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) and how they’ve evolved since the early 20th century;
• Why there is no regulation when it comes to supplements and the dangers of this;
• Learn why whole foods are nutritional powerhouses and why it is so important to adopt a food first attitude;
• Why more isn’t always better when it comes to micronutrients. We advocate for balanced, food-based nutrition to meet your body's needs efficiently;

Navigate the complex and often confusing world of dietary supplements with me. Uncover the risks associated with contaminants and the importance of third-party testing and certifications.

Download the Guide!

Click HERE to download your vitamin and mineral guides! These guides are a comprehensive (and beautiful!)  way to quickly find out about each vitamin and mineral and the best sources. You don't want to miss this!

Links mentioned in the episode

• Consumer Labs is an excellent resource for finding credible supplements, click HERE
• The FDA has an Alerts tab to keep you up to date with any supplements that have been recalled, click HERE
• Health Canada Alerts if you live in Canada click HERE

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Hang out with Heather on IG @greenpalettekitchen or on FB HERE.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:40

Hey everybody and welcome back to Real Food Stories. I have been going back to the basics with nutrition because, as you might know, food is confusing. It is so confusing sometimes as to what to eat, especially when we are on social media and the internet and there's so many messages on how we should be eating. The most asked request I get from my clients, when I first see them, is just tell me what to eat. So today and for the last couple of episodes, I am doing just that.

Speaker 1: 1:13

In the world of food, there are two categories there are macronutrients and there are micronutrients. We need all of these nutrients to survive and thrive in life. In the last few episodes, I explained the macronutrients, and those are protein, carbohydrates and fats, and I went into some detail about what kinds are the best and what you might want to avoid. I also talked about some fads and untruths that have developed over the years when it comes to these very important nutrients. We all need to get a good education on food. Food is the one thing that we do every single day. We need food for our health, for our nourishment, our energy, and we need to enjoy our food. Food is one of the few pure pleasures we have in life and we can't live without it all at the same time. So today I am wrapping up my conversations about food by introducing micronutrients. If you've been following along, then you now know that we need macronutrients protein, fats and carbs in larger amounts in our everyday eating. Micronutrients are equally as important, but we need these in lesser amounts. Micronutrients are our vitamins and minerals. Where macronutrients are typically interpreted in grams and calories, micronutrients are known in milligrams, and minerals, where macronutrients are typically interpreted in grams and calories, micronutrients are known in milligrams and units. So today I am going to talk about the essential micronutrients that we need and why, and I am also going to talk about the out-of-control supplement industry, the quackery surrounding supplements and what you need to watch out for. So let's jump in. Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals we need to survive, and within vitamins and minerals are more subcategories.

Speaker 1: 3:17

Let's start with vitamins. Vitamins are tiny organic compounds our bodies need in very tiny amounts to function properly. Think of them as little helpers that assist with a wide range of bodily functions, such as energy production, immune function and blood clotting. Not so little tasks in our body, but we only require a very little amount, unlike macronutrients, which we need in larger amounts. Vitamins are micronutrients. We only need them in tiny doses, but they play crucial roles in keeping us healthy. Here's a simple way to look at it. Imagine your body is like a car. Macronutrients are the fuel that gives you energy to go, but vitamins are like the oil and the spark plugs. Without them, your body would not run smoothly, even if you had enough fuel.

Speaker 1: 4:15

So there's 13 essential vitamins that we need, and they can be grouped into two main categories. The first one is fat-soluble vitamins, and these vitamins are stored in the body's fatty tissue and liver. We need to be really careful with fat-soluble vitamins, because if we take too much, we can develop a toxicity. The excess from these supplements simply does not flush out, but gets stored instead in our bodies. Now, note that I say from supplements. When you get these fat-soluble vitamins from food, there is little chance in taking too much, but when we take them from supplements, that is a totally different story. Now, these vitamins are vitamin A, which is great for your vision, skin health and immune function. Vitamin D helps with calcium absorption and your strong bones, your immune system and lots of other things. Vitamin E, which acts like an antioxidant protecting your cells from damage, and vitamin K, which is very important for blood clotting and bone health.

Speaker 1: 5:25

The next type of vitamins are called water-soluble vitamins. These vitamins are not stored in your body and need to be consumed more regularly. If you take too much, you will simply just pee them out. They include vitamin C, which helps with hair growth and repair of tissues great for your skin and your immune system and the B vitamins, and in this group are vitamin B1, which is thiamine, b2, riboflavin, b3, niacin, b5, pantothenic acid, b6, b7, which is biotin, b9, folate and B12. And they all play different roles in energy production, brain function and cell metabolism.

Speaker 1: 6:13

Now, our bodies can't produce most vitamins on their own, like vitamin D, for example, that we manufacture through sun exposure, so we need to get them from our diet first. Exposure, so we need to get them from our diet first. That is why it's so important to eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains, and I'll talk later about what foods are the very best for what vitamins. Now let's talk about minerals. Minerals are also essential elements that our bodies need to function properly. Minerals come from the earth through rocks, soil and water, and are absorbed through soil, from plants and then into our bodies through the food we eat and the water we drink.

Speaker 1: 7:02

There are two main categories of minerals macrominerals and trace minerals. Macrominerals are called macro because they are needed in larger amounts, and those include calcium, which is essential for building strong bones and teeth, aiding in muscle function, nerve signaling and blood clotting. Phosphorus, which works with calcium to build bones and teeth and energy production. Magnesium, involved in over 300 biochemical reactions. Magnesium supports muscle and nerve function, blood sugar control and bone health. We need macrominerals from sodium helps maintain fluid balance, supports nerve function and muscle contractions. Potassium, essential for heart function, muscle contraction and fluid balance. Again Chloride, which works with sodium to maintain fluid balance and aids in digestion. And sulfur, which is important for protein synthesis and found in amino acids and remember, amino acids are the essential building blocks of protein.

Speaker 1: 8:12

And then we have trace minerals, which are needed in much smaller amounts but are just as crucial for our health, and those are iron, which is essential for making hemoglobin, which is your red blood cells, and carrying oxygen into your blood. Zinc, supports immune function. Copper helps with iron absorption, red blood cell formation. Manganese, important for bone formation, blood clotting, inflammation. Iodine, essential for thyroid hormone production, which regulates metabolism. Selenium acts as an antioxidant and supports thyroid health as well. Cobalt, which is part of vitamin B12, helps with red blood cell production. Fluoride, important for dental health. Molybdenum, which helps with enzyme function, and chromium, which is involved in insulin regulation and metabolism.

Speaker 1: 9:11

We want to think of trace minerals as the tiny screws and components in a complex machine. Even though they're small, even though we need very little, minuscule amounts, they are vital for keeping everything running smoothly in our bodies. So how do we know how much we need? When you look at a bottle of vitamins and it says micrograms or milligrams and there's percentages, how do we even know how much we need? How exactly do we know how much of any nutrient we need, even protein, fats and carbohydrates? Well, let me introduce you to the RDA, the Recommended Dietary Allowances. The RDA are a set of nutrient intake values established to meet the nutritional needs of most healthy individuals, and here's how the RDA came about.

Speaker 1: 10:04

In the early 20th century, scientists began to recognize the importance of vitamins and minerals for preventing disease and promoting overall health. Before this period, the focus really was about getting enough calories just to avoid starving to death. However, as researchers discovered more about nutrients, they realized that simply eating enough wasn't enough. The quality of the diet mattered greatly. Now the real push to establish RDAs came during World War II. With the war impacting food supplies and the health of soldiers being a top priority, the US government needed a reliable way to ensure that both military personnel and civilians were getting the nutrients they needed to stay healthy and strong.

Speaker 1: 10:51

In 1941, about, the US National Academy of Sciences established the Food and Nutrition Board. Now, this board was tasked with creating guidelines for nutrient intake that would prevent deficiencies and ensure overall health. They reviewed the latest research, worked with nutrition experts to develop the first set of RDAs, which was published in 1943. The aim was really to set levels that would meet the nutritional needs of nearly all healthy individuals in the population, with a margin of safety to cover variations and needs. Now, since the inception of the RDA, there has been periodic reviews and updated research as new evidence becomes available. The list of nutrients covered has expanded and the guidelines have become more detailed and sophisticated. Covered has expanded and the guidelines have become more detailed and sophisticated. The updates ensure that the RDAs reflect the latest scientific understanding of nutrition and health and, believe me, this latest scientific understanding changes a lot. It has been changing decade after decade of what we really know, and it's still continuing to change. Of what we really know, and it's still continuing to change.

Speaker 1: 12:09

In 1997, the RDAs became part of a broader set of guidelines called the Dietary Reference Intake, dri for short. The DRIs included not only RDA but also other values such as estimated average requirements, that's the average daily nutrient intake level, estimated to meet the requirements of half the healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group. So that got divided into infants, children, teenagers, adults, men, women, et cetera. There's also tolerable upper intake levels, which is the maximum daily intake unlikely to cause adverse health effects, and then the adequate intakes. When they're in the range isn't enough evidence to establish an RDA. The AIs, the adequate intakes, are used as a guideline. So today, rdas are used to guide dietary planning and nutrition education.

Speaker 1: 13:04

I use it myself. I know that we need some sort of guidelines and some kind of rules, and this is where we usually start. They help ensure that people get enough essential nutrients to prevent deficiencies and promote optimal health, and they remain a cornerstone of dietary recommendations, helping people make informed choices about their nutrition. Now, just as a side note, there are, then, a lot of people who step in and question this and create sometimes crazy diets that don't really make sense. So not everyone follows the dietary recommendations, but it's always a good idea to start with what the RDAs recommend. So RDAs are great, but here's two takeaways that I want you to remember. So RDAs are great, but here's two takeaways that I want you to remember.

Speaker 1: 13:55

The first, when it comes to vitamins and minerals, or micronutrients, is that more is not necessarily better. So if you believe that taking a 60 milligram vitamin C supplement during cold season might help ward off colds, for example, taking 500 milligrams is not going to ensure that you never get a cold. Vitamins and minerals don't necessarily work this way. We need enough and not too much. Too much can cause other health issues. The second thing I want you to remember is that the very best way to get all these very important vitamins and minerals that we need to function at our best is through food. Vitamins and minerals are found in the food first, not pills. Look at food as your medicine. Right, they are filled with all of the nutrients that you need. So why food first? Whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and lean proteins are packed with a variety of nutrients that our body needs. When you eat these foods, you're not just getting vitamins and minerals, but also other beneficial compounds like fiber, antioxidants, phytochemicals, which all work together to support your health and to help assimilate those essential vitamins and minerals. So, for example let's go back to vitamin C again An orange doesn't just provide vitamin C.

Speaker 1: 15:29

In case you didn't know, oranges have a high amount of vitamin C in them. Oranges have a high amount of vitamin C in them. Oranges also contain fiber, potassium and a host of antioxidants that contribute to your overall well-being. So would it be better to take just the vitamin C pill or would it be better to take and eat the orange? I would always lean towards eating the orange. Another important reason to get your nutrients through food first is better absorption and utilization of your nutrients that you need. So let's take the orange example again. The vitamin C in an orange can help increase the absorption of iron from plant-based foods. Vitamin C and iron work together very nicely to help each other out. Similarly, the fat in avocados, for example, helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, d, e and K. So eating the avocado, eating the orange, rather than just taking these in pill form is definitely the way to go. So eating a varied diet ensures that you get a balanced intake of all necessary nutrients.

Speaker 1: 16:42

Relying on supplements might lead to excessive intake of some nutrients and insufficient intake of others, which can cause imbalances and potential health issues. Imbalances and potential health issues. But when might we need to add in vitamins and minerals as supplements? Because, honestly, the supplement industry is huge. There must be somebody taking those supplements and there might be good reason for them.

Speaker 1: 17:10

While getting nutrients from food is your best bet, there definitely are times when supplements might be helpful. The first one is a dietary restriction, and one of the best examples I have for this is eating a vegan diet. So when you eat a vegan diet, you do not eat any animal protein, and when you don't eat any animal protein, you do not get any vitamin B12, which is only found in animal protein. You might also be deficient in iron, which is also found in abundance in animal protein. So if you have a restricted diet, like being vegan, you might need to supplement. You would definitely actually need to supplement with vitamin B12 and possibly with iron, to make sure you are filling in those gaps. You also might have a medical condition. Certain health conditions or medications can definitely affect nutrient absorption, necessitating supplements. So, for example, the tendency towards osteopenia and osteoporosis in women goes way up when we hit menopause and midlife.

Speaker 1: 18:20

You want to be sure to focus on calcium and vitamin D at this time, because these are essential for your bones. Many people are deficient in vitamin D because they are not in the sun often enough. I know that I myself tested low for vitamin D a few years ago, and so I definitely supplement with D and make sure that I take that daily. So there's a couple more pros, I guess, of using supplements and, like I said, the first one is to fill in some nutritional gaps. If you feel like your diet is all McDonald's and alcohol, you might want to fill in the nutritional gaps with a good multivitamin. If you think you're just not getting enough of certain vitamins or minerals you hate eating vegetables, you'd never eat seafood then definitely consider supplementing. For example, if you're not a big fan of dairy, if you don't ever eat dairy, a calcium, a little bit of a calcium supplement can help you maintain strong bones. Now I want to be clear on calcium for a second, because taking too much calcium this is a perfect example, of over-supplementing, but taking too much calcium in pill form can lead to kidney stones. So you want to be very careful. You want to try to definitely get calcium from food, and if you can't, though, you might want to just add in some extra in a supplement form, but probably no more than about 500 milligrams. Supplements are also convenient and accessible. I mean, you can walk into any Whole Foods, walk into any CVS and buy a multivitamin. They're convenient. It's a way to boost your nutrient intake, especially if you are not eating your very best.

Speaker 1: 20:09

Taking a supplement can also possibly support specific health needs. Certain health conditions or life stages may require higher nutrient intakes that are difficult to achieve through diet alone, and there's many reasons why. I'm not going to get into too much detail in this podcast, because there's a lot of different reasons and that's something you might want to just discuss with your doctor. But one example, one obvious example, would be a pregnant woman who take folic acid supplements to prevent birth defects. I know that when I was pregnant, I definitely had to take a prenatal multivitamin that definitely had more folic acid in it. Here's a couple of good reasons to lean away from supplements, so you know by now that I'm probably more a fan of getting your vitamins and minerals from food first, before supplements.

Speaker 1: 21:11

Because here's a couple risk factors for adding in or depending on or leaning on supplements for your health. The first one I have talked about this a little bit is risk of overconsumption. It's easy to take more than the recommended dose of vitamins. I mean some of those vitamins that you see in the store are mega-dosed, so that can very easily lead to some toxicity and adverse health effects. For example, too much vitamin A can lead to liver damage and a lot of other health issues those fat soluble vitamins you do not want to take too much of.

Speaker 1: 21:50

Another one is that they are not a substitute for a healthy diet. You cannot out-supplement your diet. Supplements cannot replicate the complex mix of nutrients, fiber and beneficial compounds found in real whole foods. So, for example, relying solely on supplements can mean that you're missing out on the health benefits of a balanced diet that's rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are filled with antioxidants and phytonutrients. Those things matter when we absorb our micronutrients. There's also quality and regulation issues and I'm going to get into that more in a minute. But the supplement industry is not strictly regulated in a minute. But the supplement industry is not strictly regulated. It's definitely not as strictly regulated as pharmaceuticals, which means product quality and efficacy can vary widely and I'm going to get into that in just a few minutes.

Speaker 1: 22:47

And also the cost. Supplements can be expensive and the cost can add up over time, especially if you are taking multiple products and depending on who and where you are getting your supplements from. So, for example, high quality fish oil supplements can be costly compared to getting omega-3s Remember we talked about omega-3s and the healthy fats that we want. It could be much more expensive getting them from supplements than from just simply eating fatty fish and then also getting really high quality protein along with that. Lastly, I think that supplements give you a false sense of security. Relying on supplements can create a security that leads people to maybe neglect other healthy eating habits and lifestyle choices.

Speaker 1: 23:36

Again, you cannot out-supplement a bad diet. You cannot just take a multivitamin thinking that you're filling in the gaps for the three-day alcohol bender you had last weekend. It doesn't work like that. So supplements can be a helpful addition to your diet, especially if you have specific health needs or dietary restrictions. Right Like the vitamin B12 you absolutely need to supplement with if you are a vegan. However, they should not replace a balanced, nutrient-rich diet of whole foods. It's important to use supplements wisely, following recommended doses and consulting with a doctor or other healthcare professional that you trust to avoid potential risks and ensure they are appropriate for your individual needs.

Speaker 1: 24:25

So I wanted to get back to one point I just mentioned quickly, and that is the unregulation of the supplement industry. Supplements have absolutely to almost no regulation, unlike pharmaceutical drugs, which are very highly regulated and testing. It is alarming to me that you can actually walk into Whole Foods and buy any vitamin, mineral, herb or even hormones, and there is no one guiding you on this. These supplements are not benign and can get you into health trouble and, at the very least, waste your money. But let's not forget that the supplement industry is a multi-billion dollar business. So why then, are they not regulated? Like other drugs I mean vitamins, minerals, herbs, other kind of supplements go into your body every single day and really affect you, and lots of people can have toxicity issues and lots of health issues related to supplements. Issues related to supplements.

Speaker 1: 25:39

Let me give you a little history. In the 1990s, the dietary supplement industry was growing rapidly and there was a strong push from both the industry and consumers for more freedom to access a wide variety of supplements without heavy regulation. This is when supplements really started booming. So in response, congress passed the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, which is long for D-S-H-E-A, and that was in 1994. And this law established a framework for how dietary supplements would be regulated, focusing more on ensuring that consumers have access to supplements while providing some safety measures. So under DSHEA, dietary supplements are defined as products taken by mouth that contain a dietary ingredient intended to supplement the diet and, like I said, these include vitamins, minerals, herbs, amino acids, enzymes. This would fall into protein powders, hormones and herbs.

Speaker 1: 26:45

Dshea classified supplements as a subset of food rather than drugs. Now, this means they do not undergo the same rigorous testing and approval process as pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceuticals must demonstrate both safety and efficacy through extensive clinical trials before being approved by the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration. Unlike drugs, dietary supplements do not need pre-market approval from the FDA. Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that their products are safe and that their claims are truthful and not misleading. However, they do not need to provide evidence of safety or efficacy to the FDA before marketing their products, which is amazing to me, since it is such an outrageous industry and for the amount of supplements that people use on a daily basis.

Speaker 1: 27:43

Now there's something called the good manufacturing practices GMP is short for that that states that the FDA does set standards for good manufacturing practices to ensure that supplements are produced in a quality manner and do not contain contaminants or impurities and are accurately labeled. But if you visit a site like consumerlabscom, which does independent testing of supplements, you will quickly learn that many supplements have been shown to contain lead, arsenic, cadmium and other toxic substances or they have varying amounts of what they even claim to have in their supplement. I'll put the link to consumerlabscom in the show notes. It is definitely worth checking out. I wouldn't take a single supplement with going on to consumer labs and seeing what they think of it first. With going onto Consumer Labs and seeing what they think of it first.

Speaker 1: 28:46

So if there's good manufacturing practices and the FDA claims that they do their best to make sure that supplements are good quality and free of impurities, why are there so many supplements that have impurities? I mean, you hear about products all the time just in the news that get pulled from the market. About products all the time just in the news that get pulled from the market. And again, if you go on consumerlabscom and look up some of these products, you will see that they are filled with a lot of impurities. So why is this?

Speaker 1: 29:12

The first one is just the raw material sourcing. The quality of raw materials that go into supplements and formulations can vary greatly, so if a raw material is sourced from regions that have polluted soil or water, they will contain contaminants. Also, the manufacturing practices. Not all manufacturers follow the GMP good manufacturing practices rigorously. Lapses in cleanliness, improper handling and lack of thorough testing can lead to contamination and also regulatory gaps. The dietary supplement industry is less regulated than pharmaceuticals, like I said. So this means that supplements do not need pre-market approval from the FDA, which can lead to variability in product quality.

Speaker 1: 30:04

So how do we protect ourselves when we are going out and buying supplements? Definitely look for certifications. Choose supplements that have been third-party tested and certified by reputable organizations like consumer labs. These certifications indicate that the product has been tested for quality, purity and potency and check for GMP compliance, ensure that the manufacturer follows good manufacturing practices. Gmp compliance indicates that the supplement is produced under conditions that meet FDA standards for cleanliness, consistency and quality, but it's anyone's guess. Sometimes, especially if you go on Consumer Labs, you'll see that there is a lot of discrepancy.

Speaker 1: 30:50

We also want to look out for some really blatant red flags when it comes to just buying supplements, because I understand there's seemingly a product for everything that ails you, and especially if you are in midlife and menopause or just going through middle age, we can get a little desperate. We want answers and we want to feel better and be good. So let's look out for some of these red flags. The first one is that too good to be true claim. Be wary of products that make bold health claims that seem just too good to be true, like balancing hormones or helping you lose weight. These products may be more likely to cut corners on quality than to deliver on their promises.

Speaker 1: 31:40

Another sign of red flags, and just what I like to call quackery in the supplement industry, is the claims of miracle cures. Products that claim to cure or prevent serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, help you balance hormones, help you lose weight, without any scientific evidence is a warning sign to you. So, for example, a supplement that promises to cure cancer or reverse heart disease is making unsubstantiated and really dangerous claims. If a supplement promises quick fixes and rapid results for complex health issues, such as significant weight loss in a short period, like lose 20 pounds in two weeks without diet or exercise, this is typical classic quackery. Be warned come with testimonials and anecdotal evidence personal stories from people who have lost the weight by taking their supplement. Jane lost 30 pounds and cured her diabetes with this supplement without any clinical evidence to back it up. That is a red flag of quackery and stay away. Testimonials are not research. Testimonials are just people saying that this supplement possibly worked for right now. You don't know what happened after they went off the supplement. You don't know anything, so I would stay away from just personal stories of success.

Speaker 1: 33:13

The all-natural claim the words all-natural on supplements is definitely a warning sign Claims that a product is completely safe because it is all natural. Implying that natural substances are always safe and effective is totally false. The words all natural are meaningless in the world of supplements and food. It has absolutely no definition to it. An example would be this natural herb will cleanse your body of toxins without any side effects. It overlooks the fact that natural substances can also be harmful or interact with medications. So natural can mean harmful or natural can mean nothing. It's just a marketing term.

Speaker 1: 33:59

There's a lot of conspiracy theories that go with some quacky supplements suggestions that the medical community or the pharmaceutical industry is hiding the truth from you and that only the supplement company has the real solution. For example, doctors don't want you to know about this natural cure because it would put them out of business. It's just pure red flag quackery. Stay away. And then a lack of scientific evidence. Supplements that are marketed without any backing from rigorous scientific studies published in reputable journals should absolutely be looked at with a lot of caution. So a supplement that claims to boost brain power but provides no references to peer-reviewed research is definitely one to question.

Speaker 1: 34:48

So how do we find good supplements and supplements that are reputable and okay to take? Before starting any new supplement, especially if you have health concerns, definitely consult with a healthcare provider or a registered dietitian or nutritionist. We all can recommend reputable brands and appropriate dosages based on your specific needs. Now, however, know that some alternative healthcare providers like naturopaths and functional medicine doctors, push and sell loads of supplements, many of them unnecessary and a waste of money and can be harmful. They are out to make money off of you, so be careful who you're getting advice from about supplements. Remember that supplements are meant to supplement any deficiencies you may have and they are not a panacea for all that ails you.

Speaker 1: 35:45

You can also stay informed about recalls and warnings. You can go on the FDA website and there are alerts. The FDA regularly issues warnings and recalls for dietary supplements found to be unsafe or contaminated and you can just stay informed by checking their website for updates. There's also Health Canada, if you're in Canada, also monitors and recalls unsafe health products, including supplements. So lastly, just enough about quackery and red flags. The FDA's role is primarily post-market, meaning they monitor the safety of supplements after they are on the market. If a product is found to be unsafe or if there are false or misleading claims, the FDA can take action to remove the product or correct the claims. But all supplements have to say somewhere in their labels something like the FDA has not evaluated these statements. So if, for example, you see your bottle of biotin that you're taking because your hairdresser said biotin was great for hair loss, just know that the bottle can say this without any evidence. Biotin which is vitamin B7, by the way has limited research done for hair loss. So now you're getting your advice from the person who cuts your hair and not from somebody credible. So, again, do your research, get yourself informed and educated and really only take supplements when necessary, and if you don't know if the supplements are necessary to take, definitely consult with a dietician or nutritionist.

Speaker 1: 37:30

Let's talk about the best foods now to get the most bang for your buck and the most vitamins and minerals into your diet. Now again, to ensure that you get a wide range of vitamins and minerals, it's essential to include a wide range of nutrient-dense foods into your diet. So here's a list of some foods that I think are the best and you can start to see if you look at what comes where, you can start to see a lot of overlap in these foods and you're going to hit and get a lot of bang for your buck. First one that I absolutely love are dark, leafy green vegetables, and that would include spinach, kale, collard greens, swiss chard, tons of vitamin A, c, k, folate, iron, calcium, magnesium. They are so low in calories and so high in nutrients that support bone health, immune function and overall well-being.

Speaker 1: 38:32

Include them everywhere in your diet. Anytime that you're eating something you can include them in. Put them in your scrambled eggs in the morning, throw them into soups, saute them up they're just a go-to staple for everyday eating. Next one are berries, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries. Vitamin C and K fiber antioxidants are loaded into berries. Berries are known for their antioxidant properties, which help protect cells from damage and support cardiovascular health. Amongst the million of other things, Citrus fruits, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits full of vitamin C, potassium, folate. Citrus fruits boost immune function, improve skin health and support heart health.

Speaker 1: 39:22

Nuts and seeds Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds and flax seeds are great examples. They are full of vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids and fiber, and these help reduce inflammation, support brain health and improve digestive health. Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and trout full of vitamin D and B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids they support heart health, brain function, bone health. Dairy products if you can tolerate dairy products are full and really great sources of calcium, vitamin D, b12, and phosphorus, and dairy products are crucial for bone health, nerve function and muscle function. Whole grains, brown rice, quinoa, oats, whole wheat just to start are full of B vitamins, iron, magnesium and fiber, and they support energy production, digestive health and heart health.

Speaker 1: 40:29

Legumes and beans, such as lentils, chickpeas, black beans and peas, are full of protein and fiber and iron and B vitamins and magnesium and potassium. And legumes and beans are a great source of plant-based protein. They support muscle function and improve gut health. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage are full of vitamin C and K, folate, fiber and other phytonutrients. These help reduce risk of chronic diseases and support detoxification processes in the body. Right, we can detox without having to use weird supplements. We have food for that. We have food for that. And eggs are full of vitamins B12, d, a and choline. Eggs are a complete protein source and support brain health and eye health. And finally, red and orange vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers, tomatoes, high in vitamin A and C and potassium, excellent for eye health, immune function and skin health.

Speaker 1: 41:43

Including a variety of these nutrient-dense foods in your diet ensures you get a broad spectrum of essential vitamins and minerals. This diverse diet supports overall health, boosts immune function, enhances energy levels and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. So I think if you've been listening to my other podcast about macronutrients and then my podcast now on micronutrients, I hope that you can see a pattern here of what we should be eating. We're eating the rainbow of fruits and vegetables. That's number one. We're eating the rainbow of fruits and vegetables. That's number one. We're eating really great whole grains. We're eating plant-based proteins, some animal proteins, especially from fatty fish. This is all ensuring that you get a wide variety of your best nutrients. Oh, and nuts and seeds, too. Don't want to forget those. Oh, and nuts and seeds, too. Don't want to forget those. As a bonus for listening, feel free to download my vitamin and mineral guide that will show you what each vitamin and mineral does for you, along with the best ways to get these micronutrients from food. That link will definitely be in my show notes.

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Now, I know there's so much to cover when it comes to micronutrients, just like I had felt with the macronutrients.

Speaker 1: 43:05

There's so much to cover.

Speaker 1: 43:07

So two things I definitely didn't cover today were number one micronutrients that you absolutely need as a woman in midlife and menopause, and the second one that I did not cover is the hugely controversial side of the supplement industry, and that is herbal formulas, hormone balancing supplements, protein powders and other supplements that are not vitamins and minerals, and there are an abundance of them, and I definitely want to debunk that too.

Speaker 1: 43:39

So, as before, like I said, I realized very early on while I was creating this podcast that the business of supplements was so enormous and this was going to take two podcasts to go over. So that will be up on the next episode next week, along with a Q&A of my most asked questions I get from listeners and clients on supplements. So stay tuned for that, as always. Thank you so much for being here today and taking a listen to my talk about micronutrients and how incredibly important they are for you and how to get your supplements, and the key takeaway is to get your micronutrients from food first and then fill in the gaps. Have a great day, everybody, and I'll see you next week.