You’ve heard the expression food is fuel? It’s more than just a cliché. Our bodies need power in order to run smoothly and efficiently. And that power comes from the right mix of macro and micronutrients.

If you haven’t heard those terms before, macronutrients are protein, carbohydrates, and fat — nutrients your body can digest, absorb and use as an energy source. Micronutrients are vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that activate biochemical pathways critical for your cells to function properly, enabling you to think, move, and breathe.

Unfortunately, the majority of Americans do not get the optimal amounts of crucial micronutrients. Blame the hectic American lifestyle, grabbing processed and fast food, which are usually sorely lacking in the proper nutrients. Add to that, some of the expert advice Americans have been given (such as don’t eat egg yolks!) may actually contribute to the shortfall of certain nutrients.

Here are three essential nutrients you probably need more of.

Choline

If your first thought is, What the heck is choline, you’re not alone. Nine out of 10 Americans aren’t getting enough of this nutrient.¹ Choline is similar to the B vitamins. Your body uses it to make phosphatidylcholine, which keeps cell membranes in shape. Your body also uses this micronutrient to make acetylcholine, the most abundant neurotransmitter in the body. In this way, choline plays a critical role in brain development, nerve cell signaling, nerve impulse transmission and lipid transport and metabolism.

In other words, choline is responsible for just about every thought you have and every movement you make.

Get more: It’s tough to get enough choline just from diet alone. The nutrient is found in very few foods. And the foods it is found in are not the most popular, like egg yolks, liver and peanuts. But here’s a little tidbit: there’s a secret weapon, which can boost your intake of this important nutrient. Stay tuned for details later.

Calcium

You’ve no doubt heard about the importance of calcium, particularly in keeping bones and teeth healthy and strong. Here’s why: Bones may seem static, but in reality they are always being broken down and renewed. During the breakdown phase, bone cells called osteoclasts dissolve old bone, and in the renewal phase, cells called osteoblasts pull calcium and other minerals from the blood. These join with collagen to re-form bone tissue.

As we age, the breaking down process becomes more dominant and we lose more bone tissue than we build. So it’s crucial to have enough calcium to help the rebuilding process.

Calcium is also essential to heart, muscle, and nerve function. Because the body tries to maintain a constant level of calcium in the blood, if you need calcium, your body’s going to take it from the biggest storage house for this mineral — the skeleton.

Get more: Since 42 percent of people don’t get enough calcium, make sure you’re eating enough calcium-rich foods. Good sources include dairy products, leafy greens, and fortified juices.

Potassium

Our bodies depend on a tight balance between potassium (a positively charged ion in the fluid inside cells) and sodium (a positively charged ion in the fluid outside cells) in order to maintain proper fluid movement in and out of the cells. Experts talk a lot about sodium, while they seldom mention potassium.

But they should.

When enough potassium is in the bloodstream, it goes to work supporting your blood vessel function to help maintain your blood pressure in the normal range. In fact, one study found that people whose diets had the lowest ratio of sodium to potassium (in other words — those who had about the same amount of the two nutrients) had significantly better heart health and lived longer.²

Unfortunately, according to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, most of us are getting about 2,400 mg of potassium per day – that’s only about half of the Daily Value for potassium (4,700 mg per day) set by the Institute of Medicine.

Get more: When you think potassium, you probably think of bananas. But don’t overlook other good food sources like potatoes, prune and carrot juices, tomato paste, white beans, and plain yogurt.

With just a few simple diet tweaks, you can boost your intake of these critical micronutrients. And, to help fill any nutrient gaps, especially for tough-to-get choline, here’s your secret weapon: Add Choline SR 300mg to your daily routine. Each capsule not only contains highly bioavailable choline, but also features advanced delivery technology (our proprietary vegetable-derived wax matrix) for slow and steady nutrient release and optimal nutrient absorption. Just two capsules daily provides 600 mg of choline (109% Daily Value). Think of it as dietary insurance to fuel your body with this important micronutrient.

About Endurance Products Company

Endurance Products Company has been a trusted source of quality dietary supplements since 1978. Our sustained-release and extended-release tablets feature a unique vegetable wax matrix that releases nutrients in a slow, steady manner over a period of hours for optimal nutrient absorption and retention.

References

1. Wallace TC, Fulgoni VL 3rd. Assessment of total choline intakes in the United States. J Am Coll Nutr. 2016;35(2):108-12. PMID: 26886842.
2. Yang Q, Liu T, Kuklina EV, et al. Sodium and potassium intake and mortality among US adults: prospective data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Arch Intern Med. 2011;171(13):1183-91. PMID: 21747015.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.