Itâs no secret that getting nutrition from food is often better than taking supplements. Thatâs true of the goods you get from Japanese sweet potato and, perhaps surprisingly, lemon peels.
This week, we share some new science on the benefits of key dietary nutrients and how to best get them.
1. Try a different sweet potato this fall đ
A favorite cold-weather treat from Japanese street vendors is a whole roasted sweet potato. With their burnt-caramel aroma and warm, starchy flesh, theyâre so delicious that people nosh on the tubers straight out of brown paper bags with no butter or dressings.
Japanese sweet potatoes have white flesh and purple skin and are as nutritious as the orange-fleshed sweet potatoes many Americans are familiar with. Theyâre rich in fiber and antioxidants, which is great for your gut and heart. Despite their natural sweetness, the potatoesâ complex carbohydrates and fiber can actually help regulate blood sugar.
2. Sprinkle lemon zest on your meals đ
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade and keep the peel. The bitter taste of a lemon peel understandably turns many people off from eating them. But that part of the lemon is ripe with nutrients like antioxidants and vitamin C, even more so than the juice and pulp of the fruit. Some studies show that lemon peel extract can fight cavity-causing mouth bacteria as well as fungal and bacterial infections throughout the body.
There are plenty of delicious ways to get those benefits, if eating through a whole lemon doesnât sound as delicious as eating a sweet potato. Sprinkle lemon zest on your meals, infuse it in drinking water and cooking liquids, or blend up whole preserved lemons into salad dressings.
3. Protect your cells with vitamin D đ
Online forums have been buzzing about the promise of vitamin D supplements in reversing cellular aging. A recent clinical trial suggests that people who took a daily supplement with 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 had longer telomeres and less DNA damage than those who took a placebo. Telomeres act as caps on our chromosomes that protect our DNA.
As we age, the telomeres in our cells shorten, and new cells are more likely to develop mutations. This study suggests that vitamin D works by safeguarding those telomeres. But there are lots of other proposed mechanisms of aging, and weâre quite a ways from knowing the exact role of vitamin D on aging.
4. Avoid a melatonin ‘hangover’ đ€
Sometimes hangover-like symptoms occur when people take too much melatonin before bed or use the supplements nightly. Melatonin supplements are meant to be a band-aid to help you fall asleep in the short term, like when youâre adjusting to a new sleep schedule.
To avoid a melatonin hangover, reduce your dosage. Experts recommend taking no more than 1 milligram of melatonin per day. Studies have shown that melatonin supplement labels in the U.S. are often incorrect. Try a brand thatâs been tested by a trustworthy third party.
5. Max out your iron… in moderation đ«
People seem to be âmaxxingâ everything these daysâfiber, protein, sleep. TikTokers are now saying itâs time to start âironmaxxing,â or fulfilling your daily iron needs through your diet. You might try cooking in a cast-iron skillet or eating iron-rich food alongside those with vitamin C, which can help with iron absorption.
Iron deficiency is common, especially among young women, and can cause serious health issues. But so can overloading on iron. Experts say itâs much easier to overdose on iron through supplements than through food alone.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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