What is Nutrient Density?

In my previous blog on “ nutrivore diet” & during discussion in community & webinar, I have time & again stressed on the fact that we should adopt a nutrient dense diet. So what is exactly nutrient density & how you can choose the right mix of food to meet your nutrient needs? The following paragraphs will discuss in detail about nutrient density. I will also shed light on why diet mix of plants & animal based food is great from nutrient density perspective.

So nutrients fall into 2 categories-

1. Macronutrients: This refer to 3 components required in large amount in human diet: Protein, carbohydrates & fats.
2. Micronutrients: These are Vitamins, Minerals & other compounds required in small quantity for various bodily functions.

We need optimum mix of both to stay healthy.

Nutrient density refers to concentration of micronutrients & amino acid (the building blocks of proteins) in a given food. While carbohydrates & fats are as important  as protein, they can be partially synthesized by body for a limited amount of time if dietary intake is insufficient. However there is an exception Omega-3 & omega-6 fatty acids can be consumed through food.

Micronutrients & essential amino acids found in protein cannot be produced by the body & has to be consumed from food. The word” essential” either before fatty or  amino acids means your body cannot produce them & same need to be consumed through food.

Among conventional practitioners, nutrient dense food means those which are high in nutrient & low in calories & include food such as Fruits, Vegetables, Whole Grain, Legumes, Unsalted Nuts & seeds, lean meat & poultry & low fat dairy products. It excludes foods high in saturated or animal fat.

On the other hand ancestral health community do acknowledge the nutritional benefits of poultry, fruits, vegetables & lean meat but it does not overlook food high in calories & saturated fats. There are certain food such as organ meat, red meat & full fat diary that are both nutrient & calorie dense & can be a healthy addition to our diet.

Our Human body required 40 different micronutrients for normal metabolic function. Deficiency of any of these can lead to chronic diseases & shorten our life span. Here are examples of some nutrient deficiencies that give rise to chronic disease:

• Vitamin C deficiency increases chronic disease risk factors such as, waist circumference, and blood pressure
• Vitamin D deficiency is associated with immune dysfunction and an increased risk of metabolic syndrome 
• Magnesium deficiency is linked to depression and cardiovascular disease. 
• Vitamin B12 deficiency contributes to cognitive dysfunction and other Parkinson’s-like symptoms.

Nutritional deficiencies are not only cause of chronic health diseases but can also be an effect. Chronic inflammation increases the degradation of and need for vitamin B6 and reduces the body’s production of vitamin D from UVB light exposure. Exposure to environmental toxins such as heavy metals increases the need for essential minerals and nutrients involved in methylation.

United States is deeply affected by nutrient deficiency. Despite high in calories, standard American diet is low in nutrients. One-third of Americans is at risk of deficiency of one vitamin or anemia with thousands of folks suffering from multiple deficiencies.

Here it is important to understand the concept of bioavailability without which it is difficult to evaluate the importance of nutrient density. Bioavailability refers to that portion of nutrient that is absorbed in the digestive tract & released in blood steam for the body’s use. The amount of bioavailable nutrient is always less than nutrients that food contains. For instance bioavailability of calcium in Spinach is 5%. This essentially means you have to consume 16 cups of spinach to get the same amount of bioavailable calcium in one glass of milk. So how do we determine bioavailability?

1. Form of nutrients
2. The presence of other nutrients that boosts bioavailability( nutrient synergy).
3. Presence of nutrient inhibitors & anti-nutrients

The form that nutrient takes has far reaching impact on the bioavailability. For instance heme iron, form of iron found in animal product has much higher bioavailability than non-heme iron found in plant products.

Absorption of nutrients is also affected by the presence( or lack) of other nutrients. For instance Vitamin C helps in absorption of iron.

Nutrient inhibitors and anti-nutrients reduce the bioavailability of nutrients in foods. Phytate, an anti-nutrient found in large amounts in grains and legumes, binds to calcium, iron, and zinc, making them unavailable for absorption.

Nutrient synergy is closely related to bioavailability. It refers to how nutrients, enzymes & other factors work together to create greater effects. For instance presence of copper has greater impact in maintaining iron metabolism in red blood cells.

Bioavailability of protein has an important bearing on nutrient density. Combination of Amino Acid Profile & amount of protein absorbed during digestion assess the bioavailability of protein. This is measured by concept of Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid (PDCAA)score which rates protein from 0 to 1( low to high). Animal protein has much more higher score than plant protein. Casein, egg, Milk, Whey & chicken have score of 1 while beef,  turkey & fish are close behind. Plant proteins such as legumes rolled oats, nuts & lentils on the other hand have a much lower score. Considering plant protein has much anti-nutrients, its PDCAA score is much less.

The following table details about nutrient density score of different animals & plant based foods:

Even without considering bio availability, all categories of meat. fish ,vegetables, fruits, nuts & dairy are much more nutrient dense than whole grains.

If we separate nutrient density from calorie density, still organ meat were fat more dense followed by herbs & spices, nuts & seeds & cacao. Seafood & read food are far much dense than raw vegetables followed by grain & pseudograins.

Besides, these essential nutrients & amino acids, the following though not essential are still required for good health:

• Polyphenols
• Carotenoids
• Flavonoids
• Diallyl sulfides (from the allium class of vegetables)
• Lignans

It is important to note that these micronutrients are generally found in plants & vegetables. To sum up, the following micronutrients are found in plant food & animal food respectively,

Plant foods:

• Vitamin C
• Carotenoids 
• Diallyl sulfide 
• Polyphenols
• Flavonoids 
• Dithiolethiones
• Lignans
• Plant sterols and stanols
• Isothiocyanates and indoles

Animal foods

• Vitamin B12
• Heme iron
• Zinc
• Preformed vitamin A 
• High-quality protein
• Creatine
• Taurine
• Carnitine
• Selenium
• Vitamin K2
• Vitamin D
• DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)
• EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)
• CLA (conjugated linoleic acid)

Key takeaway

To get the right kind of micronutrients that are essential for keeping you healthy & carrying out bodily functions, it is necessary that your diet should be a mix of animal & plant foods.