Important Nutrients Lacking in Diets
Americans are consuming more calories but fewer nutrients.
It seems a bit paradoxical: Even though many Americans are overconsuming calories, they are underconsuming several important nutrients. And this shortfall could be a health burden.
Using dietary recall data of 20,602 adults, investigators from the University of Connecticut found evidence that a greater intake of several important nutrients that many people fall short in (relative to the Recommended Dietary Allowance)—vitamin E, magnesium, iron, dietary fiber and potassium—was associated with lower all-cause mortality.
As reported in The Journal of Nutrition, higher intakes of essential amino acids as well as EPA and DHA, two fatty acids found in certain seafood that most people don’t get enough of, were inversely associated with all-cause and CVD mortality. Greater calcium intake was inversely associated with cancer death.
It’s not breaking news, but it’s worth repeating: A whole-foods-based diet that makes it easier to get these key components of nutrition is a recipe for longevity.
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, is a James Beard Award–winning food journalist, dietitian and author of the cookbook Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sport + Adventure (VeloPress 2016). He has written for dozens of magazines, including Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Shape, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness.
