Celebrate National Nutrition Month

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Functional Nutrition for a Balanced Life

March is National Nutrition Month, a time to celebrate the profound impact of nutrition on our health and well-being. Established by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 1973, National Nutrition Month started as a week-long initiative to highlight the importance of making informed food choices. If you’d like to learn more, check out this article linked here. Over the years, it has evolved into a month-long observance aimed at promoting a better understanding of nutrition’s role in preventing disease, enhancing energy, and improving overall quality of life.

What Is Functional Nutrition?

Functional nutrition takes the concept of “you are what you eat” to the next level. Unlike traditional dietary recommendations that focus solely on caloric intake or food group proportions, functional nutrition examines the unique needs of each individual. It emphasizes the powerful role of nutrients in supporting the body’s ability to heal and thrive.

Rather than treating symptoms alone, functional nutrition considers root causes. For example, if you are struggling to fall asleep and feel groggy in the mornings, you may rely on alcohol to get to sleep. But, you’ll likely wake up with the same (or worse) issues the next day. On the other hand, you may be low in magnesium and omega-3s. A diet rich in magnesium, through food and/or supplements, can raise circulating levels of magnesium, which will support muscle relaxation and improve sleep quality [1,2]. Omega-3 fatty acids, which you can get either by eating more fatty fish or taking a supplement, promote sharper cognition and balance inflammation in the brain and throughout the body [3]. 

By understanding how specific nutrients influence physiological processes, functional nutrition empowers people to use food and supplements as tools for healing and wellness.

Today’s Nutrition Challenges

Despite the growing awareness of nutrition’s importance, several challenges remain:

1. Nutrient Insufficiencies: The prevalence of nutrient-poor diets, even in developed countries, leads to insufficiencies in key vitamins and minerals. For instance, a lack of vitamin D is widespread and has been linked to immune dysfunction and mood issues, among other significant health problems [4].
2. Confusing Diet Trends: The internet is awash with conflicting dietary advice. From GLP-1 to keto, to intermittent fasting, individuals often struggle to determine what’s right for their bodies. Many of these “healthy” diets leave out important food groups and leave individuals lacking in certain important nutrients.
3. Processed Foods: Modern lifestyles often rely on processed and convenience foods, which are typically high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and sodium, while being low in essential nutrients. They may fill you up, but your body doesn’t get all of the vitamins, minerals, and other important macronutrients it needs to thrive.
4. Environmental Stressors: Pesticides, pollution, and even soil depletion have reduced the nutrient density of foods, making it harder to obtain adequate nutrition from diet alone [5,6,7]. Not to mention, the body must expend extra energy and resources breaking down toxins, reducing the available nutrition and energy for optimal function.

Why Supplementation Matters

While whole foods should always be the foundation of a healthy diet, supplementation can play a crucial role in filling nutritional gaps. Here’s why:

1. Soil Depletion: Over the past several decades, intensive farming practices and soil erosion have significantly reduced the nutrient density of our agricultural soils [8]. Even organic foods, while free from harmful pesticides, are often less nutrient-dense than their counterparts from decades ago [8,9]. Essential minerals such as magnesium and zinc are no longer balanced in the soil, leading to imbalanced levels in the crops we consume [10]. This makes supplementation a vital tool for ensuring adequate intake of these critical nutrients.
2. Personalized Support: Supplements can be tailored to meet individual needs, addressing specific dietary gaps or supporting particular health goals. While a daily multivitamin/mineral formula is a great catch-all for most individuals, your personal needs may extend beyond what a multivitamin can offer. You and your doctor should work together to decide if there are other standalone nutrients that could be added to your supplement regimen. Supplements can provide what your body needs more of to help you feel your best.
3. Convenience: Let’s face it—it’s not always easy to consume the recommended daily servings of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods. Supplements can ensure you’re getting what you need, even on busy days.
4. Nutrient Absorption: Some nutrients, like methylated B vitamins, are more bioavailable in supplement form than in whole food form [11]. This is especially important for individuals with genetic variations that impact nutrient metabolism.
5. Aging and Stress: As we age, our bodies become less efficient at digestion and less efficient at absorbing nutrients from what we do digest [12]. Additionally, stress can deplete essential vitamins and minerals [13]. Supplements help bridge these gaps, supporting vitality at every stage of life.

Steps Toward Better Nutrition

This National Nutrition Month, consider these actionable steps:

1. Assess Your Diet: Keep a food diary for a week to identify areas where you may be falling short.
2. Consult a Professional: Work with a healthcare practitioner or nutritionist to develop a plan tailored to your needs. They may recommend blood work, depending on your symptoms, to determine your current nutritional profile.
3. Incorporate Supplements: Explore high-quality supplements, such as those from Metabolic Maintenance^®, to address any insufficiencies or enhance your overall nutrition strategy.

Final Thoughts

National Nutrition Month serves as an important reminder to prioritize your health through informed dietary choices. With the principles of functional nutrition and the support of high-quality supplementation, achieving balanced nutrition is within reach. Let’s use this National Nutrition Month as an opportunity to take stock of our habits and make meaningful changes for a healthier, more vibrant future.

References

1. https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/5410
2. https://stm.cairn.info/revue-magnesium-research-2024-1-page-1
3. https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/7/3472
4. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jayanta-Chakraborty-5/publication/385975445_Vitamin_D-An_Ignored_Biomarker_Should_We_Supplement_Vitamin_D_in_Insufficient_State_or_Monitor_It_as_an_Important_Biomarker_of_MIND_Association/links/673e2e5f440ad82b18a05694/Vitamin-D-An-Ignored-Biomarker-Should-We-Supplement-Vitamin-D-in-Insufficient-State-or-Monitor-It-as-an-Important-Biomarker-of-MIND-Association.pdf
5. https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/article-abstract/31/6/688/7510941
6. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653524013080
7. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2024.1429884/full
8. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-53270-2_7
9. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969723065026
10. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969724016048
11. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5312744/
12. https://journals.lww.com/nutritiontodayonline/fulltext/2023/07000/resiliency_of_the_digestive_system_during_aging.6.aspx
13. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7442351/