The Importance Of Nutrients In My Diet

A daily diet of macaroni-and-cheese dinners, soft drinks and chips for snacks is not likely to yield the nutrients you need to sustain your health. Eating whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean meats and nuts, meanwhile, is likely to provide you with nutrients you need for energy, bone and joint health and a healthy heart. The consequences of not having a nutritious diet can be detrimental to your health, affecting your weight and even your skin and hair.

Benefits

Nutritive substances from food support every system and function in your body. You sustain your cardiovascular system by eating foods rich in potassium, iron, calcium and magnesium. You support the skeletal system by eating foods high in calcium and vitamin D and K. The list of nutrients your body needs is extensive. That is why it is important to eat a variety of foods to ensure that your body gets those nutrients that are only obtained from eating certain foods, the Australian government's Department of Health and Aging explains. For example, omega-3 fatty acids come from eating cold-water fish such as salmon.

Prevention of Disease

Nutrients such as potassium can help treat and prevent high blood pressure. Certain cancer-fighting foods are labeled as superfoods because of antioxidant properties that enhance your immune system. For example, canned tomatoes contain a carotenoid, also an antioxidant, called lycopene. Berries are packed with antioxidants called polyphenols that help the heart by preventing arteries from becoming clogged with fatty blockages, the Mayo Clinic explains.

Skin Restoration

Essential fatty acids and vitamins C and A are vital nutrients for the skin. Precursor vitamin A, or beta carotene, is found in carrots and tomatoes. These foods contain antioxidants that act as a defense against free radicals. Vitamin A stimulates skin cell growth and builds collagen, which is essential for skin elasticity. Vitamin C, also an antioxidant, is crucial for collagen formation. Eat citrus fruits such as strawberries. Essential fatty acids are needed to replenish collagen and help with skin integrity, according to "Today's Dietitian" magazine.

Hair Growth

Essential vitamins and minerals crucial for hair strength and growth are found in protein-rich foods, and from other sources such as leafy green vegetables and whole grains. The B vitamins, such as B5, B6 and B12, not only aid in preventing hair loss, but they are also responsible for maintaining natural hair color and producing shiny hair. Vitamin B12 is found in yogurt, eggs and fish. Chicken, spinach, legumes, milk and bananas are good sources of B6 and B5. Eating red meat, iron-fortified foods and legumes can help prevent hair loss because these foods are natural sources of iron. An iron deficiency is linked to non-scarring alopecia, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Losing and Maintaining Weight

The B vitamins play a role in breaking down foods to process carbohydrates, protein and fats as nutrients for your cells and energy for you. Three or more daily servings of calcium-rich dairy products reduces the size of fat cells, thus helping you lose weight, according to research published in 2004 in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."