The Weight Loss Nutrients You’re Missing

We are more educated about food and concerned about our diets than the generations that came before us. These days, we certainly have access to a wider variety of fresh and healthy produce, yet we are still missing many important nutrients and vitamins in our diets.

Here, we discuss six nutrients most lacking in the typical American diet, how they can help you lose weight, and which food sources can provide these crucial vitamins.

1. Vitamin E

A whopping 98% of Americans don’t get enough vitamin E, which has been blamed on a misplaced fear of fat since this vitamin is primarily found in fatty foods such as nuts, seeds, and oils.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from free radicals and also supports healthy blood vessel function, boosts the immune system, as well as improving skin, hair, and nails. Vitamin E also helps to regulate blood sugar levels, helping control hunger and balance our energy levels, so lacking in this vitamin can lead to excess hunger and low energy.

Crucially, our blood sugar levels affect whether we burn or store fat, so regulating them to their maximum potential with sufficient levels of vitamin E will ultimately allow us to lose the most weight.

2. Vitamin B12

Since vitamin B12 is only found in animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy products, strict vegans and vegetarians are the most likely to suffer from a B12 deficiency.

However, a significant number of American adults simply do not eat enough B12 because they eat a somewhat limited and unvarnished diet. Vitamin B12 is essential for the way the body controls energy levels as it helps in the production of healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body.

Furthermore, vitamin B12 helps promote weight loss by metabolizing fat and protein, giving you more energy and enabling you to lead a healthier lifestyle. It also boosts levels of the ‘feel good’ chemical serotonin, which is released after eating to signal fullness, therefore suppressing hunger and cravings.

3. Magnesium

82% of Americans need more magnesium in their diets. Modern food processing removes many nutrients from food, especially magnesium. However, good food sources of magnesium are green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

This important nutrient is involved in more than 300 bodily functions, including bone strengthening and blood pressure regulation.

It also plays a crucial role in weight loss potential as it helps control blood sugar levels and plays a key role in the metabolism of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, therefore helping to control hunger levels and ensuring that all food is processed efficiently into energy and not converted to fat.

4. Vitamin A

Vitamin A is important for healthy eyes and plays an important role in immune function.

The best source of vitamin A is sweet potato, but other good sources include beef liver, spinach, fish, milk, eggs, and yellow or orange fruit and vegetables. In addition to being crucial to overall health, vitamin A is an excellent nutrient for weight loss as it contains retinoid proteins that assist in eliminating cell growth related to insulin and obesity issues.

5. Folate

Rich sources of folate include dark leafy greens, beans, root vegetables, salmon, and avocado, but these foods are often lacking in the typical American diet. Furthermore, although all grain and cereal products in the US are fortified with this nutrient since more and more people are avoiding grains, it is now fairly common to have insufficient levels of folate.

Like vitamin B12 and other B vitamins, folate, also known as vitamin B9, is involved in protein digestion and fat burning, making it essential for healthy weight loss. Folic acid also functions to maintain stable levels of insulin, which is important for efficient fat burning as your body will immediately burn the fats from foods instead of storing them.