Studies have confirmed a diet that is rich in calcium, potassium and magnesium, which are nutrients found in dairy foods, can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of hypertension. It is also an important component for proper muscle and nerve function.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body from free radicals which age the body. Like grains antioxidants provide bulk for the digestive tract helping to reduce the risk of developing bowel and rectal cancer. When you eat oranges and tomatoes you increase the ability of your body to absorb iron from meat. An important feature of fruits and vegetables is that they contain carotenoids. This is important because carotenoids havebeen found to help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Fruits and vegetables have also been linked with memory improvement and slower mental decline with age.
Meat
Meats provide a source of Vitamin B12 that is found only in meat products. Our bodies can digest and absorb Vitamin B12 five times more effectively from meat compared to a B12 pill. Meats are a rich source of iron which is needed to carry oxygen throughout our bodies.
With a balanced diet you can get adequate levels of B12 naturally so you shouldn’t have to take vitamins.
A valuable source of iron can be found in dark green leafy vegetables. However when you compare the iron found in meat and dark green vegetables you will find that dark green leafy vegetables are not as good as source of iron as meat.. If you could examine 100 grams of liver versus 100 grams of spinach you would find:
liver = 6,000 micrograms of iron
spinach = 325 micrograms of iron
So as you can see protein is a great pure source of iron and many other vitamins. A good rule of thumb is to stay healthy you should consume 75 grams of protein at least 3 times per week.
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