Nutrient depletion
Nutrient depletion has been a bit of a hot topic lately, and rightfully so. Many of us are depleted of essential nutrients, negatively affecting our health and wellbeing. Some people have said to me, “I feel like I can’t eat any healthier”, but still aren’t feeling well. Eating good food is only one part of the process of getting good nutrients. There is a lot more to it than that.
The process to getting your nutrients includes 5 steps:
The first part of the process is digestion - are you digesting your food enough to get the nutrients out. For example, if you have low stomach acid, your body isn't able to extract the nutrients from the food you’re eating. We would need to uncover why you have low stomach acid, whether from using antacids or stress or something else.
The next part of the process is absorption. Are you able to absorb nutrients or is your gut lining inflamed to the point that it cannot?
The third step of the process is transport. Once absorbed, your body needs to have the ability to transport the nutrients to where they need to go. If you have low albumin, a transport protein, this process will be impeded.
The fourth step is conversion. Many nutrients also need to be converted into something else in order to function properly in your body. So these processes need to be running well in order to do that.
The final step is detox. There are waste byproducts and leftovers after using nutrients and energy. If they aren’t being excreted, they will build up in the body. Constipation is a common barrier to this.
Other reasons we may have nutrient depletions include taking nutrient depleting medications - prescription or over the counter, the Standard American diet, our soil lacking nutrients, fad and extreme diets, increased demands on the body including exercise, alcohol or diuretics.
So - a lot goes into our nutrient status other than the food we are eating. In functional medicine, we look at why you may have nutritional deficiencies and how we can, not only replete them, but provide the necessary changes to maintain a healthy nutritional status. Eating well is the first step to success!
