By Dr. David Samadi
Understanding the importance of a “balanced diet” is an essential componenet for overall well-being, especially when meeting your nutritional needs. For men, the inclusion of 5 key nutrients is paramount, as they play vital roles in maintaining health, energy levels, and overall well-being.
To avoid playing catch-up, it’s best to make wise daily food choices that contain these specific nutrients men may have a shortfall of. Here are the five nutrients, why they are essential to men’s health, and the best food sources for them:
- Vitamin D – This powerhouse vitamin reduces inflammation in the arteries and strengthens the skeleton, preventing osteoporosis. The number one way vitamin D is obtained is from ultraviolet B rays from sunlight as they penetrate the skin. While a man may stockpile vitamin D during the summer when he is outdoors frequently, during long winter months of staying indoors, he may become depleted. To know their vitamin D status, men can ask their doctor to test their blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Ideally, the level should be 30 nanograms per milliliter or higher. If a man is low, his doctor can recommend a safe level of a vitamin D supplement to take. Rich foods sources of vitamin D include oily fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, trout, halibut), egg yolks, fortified milk, and mushrooms.
- Magnesium –This busy mineral is involved in more than 300 bodily processes. Men often consume inadequate levels of this vital nutrient, which may increase their risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in men. One study found that low magnesium levels may increase blood levels of C-reactive protein, a key marker of heart disease. Most men only consume about 80 percent of the recommended 400 milligrams of magnesium each day. Without sufficient magnesium, every cell in the body will struggle to generate energy. Make it a point each day to consume foods rich in magnesium, which include almonds, spinach, lentils, beans, pumpkin seeds, edamame, avocados, soymilk, and peanut butter.
- Vitamin B12 – This water-soluble vitamin has crucial roles in the formation of red blood cells, nerve function, cell metabolism, and the production of DNA. Left untreated, a vitamin B-12 deficiency may result in anemia, muscle weakness, fatigue, intestinal problems, nerve damage, and mood disturbances. Men are not necessarily under-consuming food rich in vitamin B12; instead, an increase in B12 deficiencies is often due to interactions with medications. The main culprits include acid-blocking drugs such as Prilosec and the diabetes medication metformin. Vitamin B12 is found only in foods of animal origin, that include meat, poultry, fish and shellfish, eggs, cheese, yogurt, and milk, but it is also found in fortified breakfast cereals. Men who regularly take acid-blocking medications should talk to their doctor about tracking their B12 levels and to consider taking a B12 supplement.
- Potassium – This powerhouse mineral has essential roles of helping the heart to beat, muscles to contract, and using glucose for energy to feed the brain. Nutrition surveys have found that many men do not meet the recommended 4,700 mg a day of potassium. Potassium also has a job of helping lower sodium in the blood, so men who load up on sodium-rich foods (chips, pretzels, canned goods, pizza, etc.) are harming this mineral’s ability to do so. A better solution is to choose foods high in potassium such as avocados, bananas, and potatoes. Half an avocado contains almost 500 mg of potassium, while one banana has about 400 mg, and a medium-sized baked potato is packed with 1,600 mg. Other good sources of potassium are yogurt, white beans, beets, spinach, Swiss chard, and tomato sauce.
- Iodine – The thyroid glands require the mineral iodine to produce the hormones T3 and T4. Both hormones are involved in helping to control the efficiency of burning calories as every cell in the body depends upon thyroid hormones to regulate their metabolism. Men who are deficient in iodine may experience weight gain and feelings of fatigue. The very best source of iodine is iodized salt. However, researchers found that only about half of the table salt samples had the FDA-recommended amount of iodine in them. In addition, U.S. food manufacturers are not required to use iodized salt in their products. Since it is not recommended to increase salt intake, another primary source of iodine is milk and yogurt. Other good sources of iodine include cod, seaweed, shrimp, tuna, eggs, and prunes.
Dr. David Samadi is the Director of Men’s Health and Urologic Oncology at St. Francis Hospital in Long Island. He’s a renowned and highly successful board-certified Urologic Oncologist Expert and Robotic Surgeon in New York City, regarded as one of the leading prostate surgeons in the U.S., with a vast expertise in prostate cancer treatment and Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy. Dr. Samadi is a medical contributor to NewsMax TV and is also the author of The Ultimate MANual, Dr. Samadi’s Guide to Men’s Health and Wellness, available online both on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Visit Dr. Samadi’s websites at robotic oncology and prostate cancer 911.