Nutrition
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With an account, you can revise, criticize, and comment on ideas.Here I will build a list of essential vitamins and minerals, and their sources. It is my amended version of the list featured in How to Heal Your Metabolism by Kate Deering. Sources described are for the diet I have designed for myself, and are not exhaustive.
Vitamin A
Functions:
- Supports proper differentiated growth and development of the body
- Supports immune function
- Supports storage of glycogen in the liver
- Healthy skin
- Vision
- Cholesterol conversion into pregnenolone
Sources: milk, cheese, eggs, beef liver, beef kidney
Vitamin B
Consists of eight water-soluble vitamins described below (these cannot be stored in the body)
B1: Thiamine
Functions:
- Supports proper mitochondrial utilisation of metabolic fuels
- Suppresses the production of lactic acid
- Helps break down sugar and amino acids
- Needed to form the neurotransmitters acetylcholine and GABA
Sources: potatoes, coffee, eggs, oysters, beef liver, beef kidney
B2: Riboflavin
Functions:
- Needed for fat, ketone, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism
- Protects against PUFA toxicity
- Anti-estrogenic
Sources: milk, cheese, yoghurt, eggs, beef liver, beef kidney
B3: Niacinamide
Functions:
- Essential to glucose metabolism
- Helps with skin conditions
- Inhibits oxidation of fat in the tissues
Sources: beef, oysters, shrimp, beef liver, beef kidney
B5: Pantothenic Acid
Functions:
- Needed to metabolise protein, fats, and carbohydrates
- Required for healthy hormone production
Sources: milk, cheese, yoghurt, eggs, beef, oysters, shrimp, beef liver, beef kidney
B6: Pyridoxine
Functions:
- Amino acid breakdown in the intestines
- Healthy immune system
- Opposes estrogen and prolactin
- Essential to dopamine production
- Mitigates PUFA toxicity
Sources: potatoes, eggs, beef, beef liver, beef kidney
B7: Biotin
Functions:
- Needed for cell growth
- Needed for metabolism of fats and amino acids
- Takes part in the transfer of CO2
- Liver support
Sources: eggs, beef liver, beef kidney
B9: Folate
Functions:
- Repair and formation of DNA
- Production of healthy red blood cells
Sources: orange juice, eggs, beef liver, beef kidney
B12: Cobalamin
Functions:
- Brain and nervous system function
- Blood production
- Metabolism of every cell in the body
Sources: milk, cheese, yoghurt, eggs, beef, oysters, shrimp, beef liver, beef kidney
Vitamin C
Functions:
- Needed for growth and repair of tissue
- Supports the immune system
- Antioxidant
Sources: potatoes, orange juice, kiwi, watermelon
Vitamin D
Functions:
- Needed for proper calcium absorption
- Suppresses parathyroid hormone
- Improved immune system modulation
Sources: sunlight, eggs (depending on quality of eggs), oysters, shrimp, beef liver
Vitamin E
Functions:
- Antioxidant
- Opposes estrogen
- Promotes progesterone
- Protects cells from damage caused by iron excess
- Protects cells from damage caused by PUFA excess
Sources: kiwi, eggs, shrimp
Vitamin K
Functions:
- Proper calcium absorption
- Proper blood clotting
Sources: aged hard cheeses, kiwi, eggs, beef liver, beef kidney
Calcium
Functions:
- Needed for bone and teeth formation
- Needed for nerve function and muscular contraction
- Suppresses parathyroid hormone
- Supports glucose metabolism
- Protects against excitotoxic damage of cells
- Needed for heartbeat regulation
- Lowers blood pressure
Sources: milk, cheese, yoghurt, powdered egg shells
Magnesium
Functions:
- Important for the efficient utilisation of ATP in cells
- Supports thyroid hormone
- Improves management of calcium in the body
- Inhibits stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol)
Sources: potatoes, coffee, orange juice, oysters
Potassium
Functions:
- Important for cellular stability
- Supports carbohydrate utilisation
- Opposes calcification of soft tissues
- Improves CO2 retention
Sources: potatoes, milk, yoghurt, orange juice, kiwi, watermelon, beef liver, beef kidney
Sodium
Functions:
- Suppresses stress hormones (aldosterone, adrenaline, cortisol)
- Required for cellular energy production
- Spares magnesium from being lost in urine
- Pro-thyroid
- Protects brain and nerve cells from excitotoxic damage
- Supports restful sleep
- Key component of stomach acid and bile
- Supports the thermogenic effect of food (helping the body convert calories into heat rather than storing them as fat)
Sources: salt, cheese, shrimp, oysters
Zinc
Functions:
- Opposing heavy metal toxicity
- Essential for proper thyroid function (conversion of T4 into T3)
- Important for maintaining androgen levels
- Suppresses aromatase (aromatase converts testosterone into estrogen)
- Indispensable to protein synthesis and wound healing
- Helps maintain the integrity of the intestinal lining
- Supports immune system regulation
- Improves CO2 management in the body
Sources: oysters, beef, beef liver, beef kidney, shrimp, cheese, yoghurt, eggs
Copper
Functions:
- Key to iron regulation
- Key to production of ATP (the key unit of energy required by every cell in the body)
- Helps prevent 'age spots' forming on skin
- Key to maintaining the structure of tissues (required for the cross-linking of collagen and elastin)
Sources: potatoes, oysters, shrimp, beef liver, beef kidney
Selenium
Functions:
- Essential for proper thyroid function (conversion of T4 into T3)
- Protects against PUFA toxicity
- Neutralises the toxic effects of heavy metals in the body
Sources: oysters, shrimp, beef liver, beef kidney, beef, eggs
Iron
Functions:
- Essential for cellular energy production
Sources: beef liver, beef kidney, oysters, beef, shrimp