Most of us are nutrient-deficient. You could have an amazing diet and still lack certain essential nutrients. Our soil is not what it was, and we have unprecedented external stressors that harm our bodies in a way that we don't even realize.
Nutrients are the pillar of life, and what our body uses to create everything from our DNA to our bodily systems! You are what you eat, but above all, you are what you absorb. You may eat well, but if your digestion is poor, you will have difficulty getting what you need from the food you eat.
We need nutrition for growth and development at all stages of life. If you experience fatigue, irritability, poor immunity, heart palpitations or aches and pains, you most likely have a nutrient deficiency and, if left untreated, serious disease will follow.
Let us look at the more common deficiencies.
Vitamin K2
We have two types of Vitamin K, 1 and 2. Vitamin K2 is known for its role in bone and heart health, and is found in grass-fed animal products.
The reason Vitamin K2 is so important is its role in calcium storage. Vitamin K2 activates two important proteins, Matrix Gla-Protein (MGP) and osteocalcin. You can probably see that osteocalcin involves the bone (osteo) and calcium (calcin).
Within the cells of the arterial wall, glutamic acid binds to calcium and removes it from the lining of your blood vessels. When removed, vitamin K2 helps transport this calcium into the bone matrix. Calcium is then placed in the bone.
Without a steady flow of K2 into the body, calcium transfer from the arteries to the bone cannot occur, which increases your risk of arterial calcification. The calcium must be somewhere!
Studies show that people with good K2 levels are 52% less likely to develop arterial calcification and 57% less likely to die from heart disease (1).
If you increase your K2 levels, you need to increase vitamin D and magnesium.
Testing for K2 is not easy, but if you suffer from heart disease, diabetes or osteoporosis, you can be sure your K2 levels are low.
Truehope's BMD with K2 is a great supplement that includes 7 properly balanced bone building and hormone-balancing minerals, 3 vitamins necessary for absorption and proper assimilation of calcium in the body, and uses proprietary absorption technology to ensure that the minerals get to where they need to go in the body.
Vitamin D
An outrageous number of people have low vitamin D levels, and a large proportion of these people are significantly deficient. Many factors are involved, but the fact that we spend most of our lives outdoors is a big factor.
The word vitamin massively downplays the importance of vitamin D. It acts as a hormone in the body and is necessary far beyond bone health. Vitamin D has a big influence on your genetics, and since we have vitamin D receptors all over the body, a deficiency could cause symptoms in any body system. Many common diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, chronic inflammation, and autoimmune diseases, can be traced back to vitamin D deficiency.
Get yourself tested before you try to change your levels. It is important to know where you are.
Starting with exposing your skin to the sun is a good first step, the noon sun is optimal. Obviously, be responsible for this exposure, do not burn yourself.
Vitamin D supplementation must be balanced with Vitamin K2, calcium and magnesium.
Truehope's BMD is a perfect supplement to supplement your Vitamin D intake.
Vitamin A & E
I combine these vitamins because Truehope's EMPower Plus acts as a beautiful broad-spectrum micronutrient that addresses so many deficiencies.
Half of us don't consume enough Vitamin A, you just have to look at the levels of macular degeneration to see that so many of us are essentially causing our own problems.
Vitamin A has different forms, a plant-based form (carotenoids) and an animal-based form (retinoids).
Your body needs both forms. Vitamin A influences the growth of your cells and plays a major role in the development of cancer.
Your body naturally produces free radicals, and Vitamin E is an amazing antioxidant to combat damage to free radicals.
Your body uses Vitamin E for many things, but the immune system especially needs it, and it reduces the risk of blood clotting.
Magnesium
Such a vital nutrient, which acts systemically. Magnesium activates ATP (energy), produces DNA and acts as a cofactor for enzymes.
You may have heard of glutathione, well, this impressive antioxidant depends on magnesium. Vitamin D is also dependent on magnesium to convert it into an active form.
Summary
I love how the body works and how complicated it is. Just one nutrient deficiency can have complex problems around the body, because your body is so brilliant at using nutrition for many functions. I am convinced that so many people can become healthy and avoid chronic diseases with proper nutritional supplementation.
When we visit the doctor with symptoms, we often look for a simple answer, or one solution, but nature does not work like that. Take vitamin D, for example, which is used in every body system, so a deficiency could cause symptoms in the brain, heart, digestive system, etc.
If we explain our neurological symptoms to the doctor, they will only look at this system and try to manage (band-aid) the problem. For chronic long-term problems, this never successfully addresses the underlying problem.
Consuming whole, nutrient-rich foods is a good first step, but be sure to work with a health professional, perform some tests and supplement accordingly.
Get to work.
Simon Brazier. Dip HN, NNCP
simon@truehope.com
References
The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 134, Issue 11, November 2004, Pages 3100–3105, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/134.11.3100