Choosing the most nutritious food on Earth.


What basic nutrients do you need in order to stay healthy? What happens if you don't eat right? No matter where you live on the planet, the answers to these questions are basically the same (if you're human). On this site you can find out about the vitamins, minerals and macronutrients humans need. Or, learn about phytonutrients, those almost magical chemicals found in plants that may help prevent many diseases.

New on this site! Celiac disease affects about 1% of the American population. That is in the range of 3 million Americans. It is found in greater or lesser degrees in populations all over the world. Many people are undiagnosed because there is such a huge range of symptoms. Read more about this at Food Sensitivity.

Visit my blog, Eating well on the Planet Earth.

Visit some more web sites about healthy and nutritious food.

Basic nutrients

See your daily requirements for vitamins and minerals

Fat Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K

Water Soluble Vitamins

Thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Pyridoxine (B6), Cobalamin (B12), Biotin, Pantothenic Acid (B5), Folic Acid, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Elements

Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Iodine, Selenium, Sodium, Manganese, Potassium, Copper, Chromium, Fluoride, Molybdenum

Macronutrients

Carbohydrates, Protein, Fat and Cholesterol

Other stuff that you need

Fiber, Water

Phytonutrients

Chemicals found in plants that can protect against or prevent certain diseases. There are about 900 or so of these - and that's just the ones that have already been discovered.


More nutritional resources

Nutritional Diseases

Diabetes

Diseases of Malnutrition: Scurvy, rickets, beriberi, pellagra, protein-energy malnutrition (kwashiorkor and marasmus).

Food sensitivities include gluten intolerance (celiac disease), lactose intolerance, and food allergies.

Coming soon: diseases of excess. Obesity, heart disease and the like.

Pay less for your food!

Nineteen ways to lower your food bills, and still eat a healthy diet.

This page was last updated on November 16, 2009. Please send comments and suggestions.




The Blue Marble: Image courtesy of Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center. This photo is of Africa, Antarctica, and the Arabian Peninsula as taken en route to the Moon by Apollo 17's Harrison Schmitt or Ron Evans[1] on December 7, 1972. The flight marked the last time that humans left low Earth orbit and the first and only time a geologist, Harrison Schmitt, travelled to the moon.

The information on this page is not meant to be used in treatment of medical conditions. Please seek the advice of a physician about any medical condition or symptom. Those with medical conditions should consult a medical professional about the appropriateness of taking dietary supplements or diet therapy, and how these methods will interact with their medications.

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