Nutrients can also be friends with each other. Every element enters your body to find its way into the blood through the absorption of the intestines, and some elements facilitate their way if they are together. Better absorption means more benefit to your body.

Alice Figueroa, founder of Alice in Foodieland, says: “The most beneficial way to bring nutrients together is to eat a varied plate of colorful fruits and vegetables. healthy fats, And protein.” If your meals are colorful and varied, You are likely to get all the nutrients you need from food without having to worry about portion sizes or servings.”

Here are a couple of key nutrients recommended by nutritionists to ensure they are best absorbed:

Catechins + Vitamin C

If you are a big fan of tea, You’ve probably heard of catechins, It is a compound found in tea that makes it more beneficial.

Michelle Nguyen says, Registered Dietitian at Keck Medicine University of Southern California, Catechins alone are unstable in neutral or non-acidic environments such as the gut environment and are prone to breakdown. As a result, it is not well absorbed.

As a solution, enter vitamin C. It is an essential nutrient that supports your body’s immunity and boosts its production of collagen.

Vitamin C increases acidity in the intestinal environment. which protects catechins and improves their absorption in the intestine, Thus, your body will get the full benefit.

What can you eat to bring them together?

Vitamin C rich fruits with tea or smoothie with tea and the classic combination of lemonade plus matcha tea is an excellent example.

Vitamin C + Vegan Iron:

Vitamin C also enhances the absorption of non-heme iron. It is a type of iron found in plant foods such as beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, tofu, and spinach. Iron is essential for making hormones and carrying oxygen in the blood. However , Due to its chemical composition, This ingredient has a low bioavailability. Which means that it cannot be easily absorbed through the intestines. (The other type of iron is heme iron, which is found in animal products such as poultry, beef, seafood, shellfish, It is easily absorbed on its own. As Figueroa says).

Taking non-heme iron with vitamin C enhances the absorption of the former, as vitamin C forms a soluble bond with non-heme iron, according to an article in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism.* This changes the chemical structure of iron to a form that is more easily absorbed by intestinal cells, she says. Doctor Figueroa.

What can you eat to bring them together?

Add a little lemon juice to lentil soup.

Sweet peppers with chickpeas.

Tomatoes and bell peppers with beans and chili.

Calcium + Vitamin D:

We all know that calcium is important for healthy bones, but just consuming calcium is not enough. You will need to fortify it with Vitamin D. “Vitamin D is essential for better calcium absorption,” Figueroa says. In fact, without enough vitamin D, you’ll only be able to absorb 10 to 15 percent of the calcium you take in.

And because vitamin D is fat soluble, Which means that it is stored in the adipose tissue for a long time, and therefore your body will always have an amount of vitamin D, meaning that it is not necessary to take these two elements at the same time exactly to get the benefit.

What can you eat to bring them together?

Cruciferous vegetables rich in calcium (such as broccoli or kale) with fish rich in vitamin D (such as salmon and tuna)

Milk with eggs.

Carbs + protein:

Occasionally , Improving absorption relates to slowing it down. This is the case for carbohydrates and proteins, It is an important combination for satiety and post-workout energy. Figueroa explains: When you eat carbohydrates, including vegetables and fruits, They break down into glucose.” It is the main source of energy in the body. This leads to an increase in blood sugar levels, It is a normal response. The problem is that your blood sugar rises so quickly that over time this can lead to insulin resistance and high blood glucose levels. which increases the risk of developing diabetes, as you say.

Proteins break down at a slower rate than carbohydrates. So, Eating the nutrients at the same time allows the carbohydrates to break down more slowly.

What can you eat to bring them together?

Oatmeal with eggs.

Oatmeal with protein powder.

Apple slices or whole wheat toast with nut butter.

Fat and fat soluble vitamins:

Your gut absorbs certain vitamins — vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K — when combined with a source of fat. Getting enough of these vitamins and maximizing their absorption is important. Choose a source of unsaturated fats. Like nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil, or olives. Toby Amidor says, Author of Smart Meal Prep for Beginners: One serving of sunflower butter provides healthy unsaturated fats. This helps in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.

What can you eat to bring them together?

Margarine and jam sandwich with a glass of milk

olive oil with salad.

You will find Vitamin A and Vitamin K in green leafy vegetables. vitamin A in orange and yellow vegetables and tomatoes; and vitamin E in nuts and seeds.

If you can combine delicious ingredients of your choice with more benefit at the same time, why not try it now?

Written by: Mai Majar

Sources:

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