Whether you are trying to be healthy or just learn as much as you can about the physiology and biology of eating, nutrients are critical. In fact, many of the diseases and problems in the world today could be fixed if people were able to better balance their nutrient intake. We already know that the human body is capable of some amazing things, but these 25 cool things about nutrients could change the way you think about how you keep your body healthy.
As you probably already know, no food contains every single vitamin and mineral that your body needs; even the some of the strangest super foods can only give you a fraction of what you need. So instead of gobbling hundreds of empty calories through processed foods, educate yourself on the nutrients that can lengthen your life and keep you alive along enough to see your grandkids. In fact, you could add almost a decade to your life! These are 25 cool things everybody should know about nutrients!
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Although calcium is definitely good for your bones, it has been shown that vitamin K is actually better for your bones. Sorry milk, bananas to the rescue.
Source: draxe.com, Image: wikipedia 24
In 1912, a Polish biochemist named Casimir Funk was the first person to come up with the concept of vitamins. He called them "vital amines"
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 23
Some research has shown that Mederma (vitamin E and onion extract) is actually not useful for healing scars
Source: Shih R, Waltzman J, Evans GR (March 2007). "Review of over-the-counter topical scar treatment products". Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Image: wikipedia 22
Skin contact with vitamin E can cause dermatitis in nearly 30% of people
Source: Failure of topical steroids and vitamin E to reduce postoperative scar formation following reconstructive surgery. J Burn Care Rehabil., Image: wikipedia 21
Being deficient in iodine can cause goiter (which is when your neck swells up). It can also cause stunted growth.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 20
Iodized salt was introduced to prevent iodine deficiency and ever since then, the average global IQ has risen
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 19
Hemp seeds have a near perfect ratio of healthy fatty acids which are good for your heart and immune system
Source: wondergressive.com, Image: wikipedia 18
In men, vitamin D and testosterone are positively correlated. The more sunlight a man gets, the higher his testosterone levels will be.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 17
Black Sapote, or chocolate pudding fruit, is a fruit that tastes like chocolate but has 4 times more vitamin C than a regular orange
Source: daleysfruit.com.au, Image: wikipedia 16
Baking bananas in the sun will increase the amount of vitamin D they contain
Source: huffintonpost, Image: wikipedia 15
NASA has its astronauts consume clay to counteract the effects of weightlessness on their bones. This is because, due to other minerals in the clay, the calcium is absorbed by the body more readily than calcium alone.
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 14
Using pine needles to brew tea has been show to be a good source of vitamin C (by the Soviets during the siege of Leningrad). It has also been said to prevent scurvy
Source: Toledo Blade, Image: wikipedia 13
When actors have to shoot a cocaine snorting scene, they usually use lactose powder. If they are lactose intolerant, they use vitamin B powder
Source: nypost.com, Image: wikipedia 12
Because of its extremely high levels of vitamin A, consuming a polar bear liver would surely kill you. Eskimos usually bury the liver after a hunt to keep their dogs from eating it
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 11
In order to overdose on potassium, you would have to eat nearly 400 bananas in less than 30 seconds
Source: thebanangirl.com, Image: pixabay 10
Strontium, an element that is related to calcium, is sometimes given to help fractures heal and increase bone density. In fact, in some cases it does an even better job than calcium!
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia Believe it or not, that’s not even the craziest medical treatment in history!
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Because it was a vitamin, in the 1980s intravenous vitamin E was sold without FDA approval. After the deaths of nearly 40 babies, Dr. Carl J. Bodenstein managed to convince congress that the drug was harmful in spite of being threatened by the drug company for slander
Source: nytimes, Image: wikipedia 8
Chili peppers contain 400% more vitamin C per serving than oranges
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 7
Vitamins skip from E to K because the intermediary letters were either thrown out as false findings or reclassified to a type of vitamin B after further research
Source: wikipedia, Image: icethim via Flickr 6
In spite of being the result of sugar refinement, blackstrap molasses is very healthy. It provides significant calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, potassium, and iron
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 5
Eating 9 baked potatoes would give a 140 pound adult more than enough of all the essential amino acids and calories that he or she would need for the day
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 4
Multiple studies have shown that vitamin C and other supplements do not reduce or prevent colds and the flu
Source: universityofcalifornia.edu, Image: wikipedia 3
Vitamin A enriched rice (developed in the 90s and called Golden Rice) could have been used to prevent childhood blindness in many countries but was rejected due to concerns over GMO foods (genetically modified)
Source: cambridge.org, Image: wikipedia 2
As you may have guessed from our previous point, potatoes are extremely healthy. Although by only eating potatoes you would still be missing out on calcium and omega 3, you would get far more nutrients than many people probably suspect
Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia 1
4 tablespoons of maple syrup contain more calcium than the same amount of milk and more potassium than a whole banana
Source: sustainabletable.org, Image: wikipedia 
