Gold subscribers will see Nutrient Balance meters at the bottom of the Nutrient Targets Summary. Go to More > Display to manage which nutrient balances you would like to see.
Our Nutrient Balance meters show the ratio of two nutrients and whether your consumption of the two nutrients is within the green optimal range or not.
Here is an example using the Calcium : Magnesium Nutrient Balance:
The numbers on the scale for Calcium : Magnesium (from 0 to 6) are the labels to give a reference for the green zone on the dial. The green zone for this ratio ranges from about 1 to 3.
The value in the middle is calculated from the calcium and magnesium intake so that day:
896.9 mg calcium divided by 250.4 mg magnesium = 3.582 --> This is where the red dial is pointing.
In the above case, ideally the dial could be lowered into the green zone. In order to lower the ratio, you can decrease the ratio by either adding more magnesium or removing some calcium from your diet, to improve the balance.
The quickest way to think about the ratios are:
If the red dial is pointing below the green zone, increase the first nutrient in the ratio (calcium).
If the red dial is pointing above the green zone, increase the second nutrient in the ratio (magnesium).
The optimal ratios/ green zones for each Nutrient Balance are listed below:
- Calcium : Magnesium = 1.7-2.8 : 1
- Potassium : Sodium = 2-10 : 1
- Zinc : Copper = 8-15 : 1
- Omega-6 : Omega-3 = 1-4 : 1
- Calcium : Oxalate = >1.3 : 1
You can read more about each of the following Nutrient Balances on our blog: