2. What Are the Most Nutritious Foods?

TL;DR: Add nutrient rich foods such as eggs, organs, spirulina and bone broth to your diet to assist you in getting all your required nutrients as well as for various other health benefits.

Intro

Following our previous article on which diet is best, now let’s focus on specific foods. The only thing still missing is what foods to actually buy. This article will give an overview of a few nutrient packed foods that you can add to your shopping list in order to make it easy for you to get your Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of each vitamin and mineral.

Eggs

First on our lists is a staple at the breakfast table: eggs! Eggs are a very versatile and delicious food, yet they are also extremely nutritious. One single egg contains roughly the following amounts of vitamins and minerals [1]:

Vitamin A: 8% of the RDI
Folate: 5% of the RDI
Vitamin B5: 7% of the RDI
Vitamin B12: 9% of the RDI
Vitamin B2: 15% of the RDI
Phosphorus: 8% of the RDI
Selenium: 22% of the RDI
Vitamin D: 6% of the RDI
Vitamin E: 4% of the RDI

That is a lot of nutrition packed into just one little tiny egg. An omelette containing 3-4 eggs will begin to contain very significant amounts of these nutrients.

Furthermore, eggs are also a great source of protein while being low in calories at the same time, with one egg containing 6g of protein and only 70 calories [1]. This high ratio of protein to calories makes eggs a great choice for those trying to lose weight or simply on a calorie restrictive diet as the high protein will help keep you feeling full while not adding too many calories to your daily intake.

Eggs also have been shown to be able to raise your levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, commonly known as “The good cholesterol”. One study showed that eating two eggs a day for 6 weeks increased HDL levels in subjects by 10%. Higher levels of HDL are often associated with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke [2].

Additionally, eggs contain significant amounts of the antioxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthin which accumulate in the retina of your eye. Having adequate amounts of these two antioxidants has been shown to reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, two very common eye disorders. One study showed that eating 1.3 egg yolks a day for 4.5 weeks increased blood levels of lutein by 28–50% and zeaxanthin by 114–142% [2]

Organ Meat

Next up on our list is one that most probably steer clear of: organ meats. Liver, heart and kidney aren’t exactly the most appetizing foods to see on your plate, but man, are they ever packed with nutrients, much more so than the more commonly consumed muscle meats. Just 100g of beef liver contains the following nutrients [3]:

Vitamin B12: 1,386% of the RDI
Copper: 730% of the RDI
Vitamin A: 522% of the RDI
Riboflavin: 201% of the RDI
Niacin: 87% of the RDI
Vitamin B6: 51% of the RDI
Selenium: 47% of the RDI
Zinc: 35% of the RDI
Iron: 34% of the RDI

Liver is also a great source of protein and is relatively low in calories, compared to other meats coming in at 27g and 175 calories per 100g serving.

The iron content of liver also deserves mention, with a whopping 34% of the RDI in a 100g serving (compared to 14% in ground beef and 7% in chicken). It is also important to note that since organ meat is an animal product, it contains heme iron, which is much more bioavailable, and thus a much more absorbed form of iron compared to the non-heme iron found in plant foods [3].

Pretty much the only downside of organ meat is that it isn’t very easy to eat, due to its powerful and unique flavour. Many people build their taste to it by grinding it up and mixing it with more common meats, such as ground beef or pork. If you really can’t manage to stomach organ meat there are also supplements available. For more information on both organ meat supplements and supplements in general, please check out our article here.

Spirulina

Next up on our list is a bit of an obscure one: Spirulina. Spirulina is a type of algae that grows in both fresh and saltwater. It is often ground up into powder and sprinkled into foods or drinks. Believe it or not, it is often considered as the most nutritious food on the planet, gram for gram. Just one tablespoon (approx 7g) of spirulina boasts the following impressive nutrition stats [4]:

Vitamin B1 (thiamine): 11% of the RDI
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): 15% of the RDI
Vitamin B3 (niacin): 4% of the RDI
Copper: 21% of the RDI
Iron: 11% of the RDI

There also trace amounts of pretty much every other nutrient required for humans, aside from B12. Remember, all these nutrients are found in a mere 7g of the stuff! A sprinkle of spirulina in nearly any dish will provide a big boost to nutrition while barely even being perceptible.

Even more impressive is that in 7g of spirulina, there is a whopping 4g of protein [4]. Yes, you read that right, a measly tablespoon of this amazing green powder contains 4g of protein inside of it.

To make things even better, spirulina has been shown to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, commonly referred to as “the bad cholesterol” and triglycerides, a type of fat found in your blood. High levels of both LDL and triglycerides are precursors to heart disease. A 2013 study [5] found that giving participants with high cholesterol 1g of spirulina a day for 12 weeks lowered triglyceride levels by 16.3% and LDL by 10.1%

Bone Broth

Next up, we have bone broth. As the name implies, bone broth comes from boiling the bones of an animal, namely chicken or beef, in water until a rich broth is formed. Its nutrition stats are decent, and will largely depend on the type and quality of animal used to make it. However, the real magic of bone broth comes from gelatin.

The main protein found in bones, tendons and ligaments, i.e. the things you will be making your bone broth out of is known as collagen. When cooked, collagen will break down and form gelatin. Consuming gelatin can have vast effects on both your digestion and your overall health.

To start with, gelatin can bind with water in the digestive tract, allowing food to move through your gut more easily. Additionally, gelatin contains an amino acid called glutamine which can maintain the function of the intestinal wall. Glutamine has even been shown to be able to both prevent and heal “leaky gut” which is when the barrier between your gut and the bloodstream becomes damaged, allowing substances to leak from your gut into your bloodstream [6]. Leaky gut can lead to severe inflammation, which is a precursor to most major heart diseases.

Gelatin also contains the amino acids proline, glycine, glucosamine and chondroitin, all of which are beneficial to your joints. Proline and glycine are what your own body uses to build connective tissues, so consuming bone broth can be beneficial for your tendons and ligaments. Glucosamine and chondroitin are natural compounds found in ligaments. Several studies have shown that they are able to decrease joint pain and lessen symptoms of osteoarthritis.

Conclusion

Nutrition can be complicated. There are a myriad of different nutrients that your body needs and it can be difficult to keep track of them all. By simply adding some of the foods mentioned in this article to your regular diet you can rest assured that you are getting lots of the nutrients that your body needs, as well as numerous other health benefits.

Do you think we missed a food that deserves to be on this list? Please let us know in the comments below!