Nutrients Involved in Cellular health
Last updated: August 9, 2026
5 nutrients Tavita's library ties to cellular health, framed as support — never as a promise that any one of them will get you there.
This grouping is Tavita's own editorial reading of NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheets — it isn't a transcription of a single published table. The established or emerging label next to each nutrient reflects the strength of the evidence behind it, not a guarantee of an effect for you. See the methodology page for how the library is built and verified.
This is educational information, not medical advice. Talk to your clinician before changing your supplement routine, especially if you take medication or manage a condition.
How to read the evidence tier
Human trials support this nutrient moving this system for a typical person, not just a lab or animal mechanism.
A plausible mechanism with mixed, preliminary, or limited-population evidence — often shown mainly in people who were already deficient.
Nutrients involved in cellular health
Omega-3 DHA Emerging
A marine omega-3 that is a major structural fat in the brain and retina, supporting brain and eye health across life.
Selenium Established
A trace mineral that acts as an antioxidant and supports thyroid hormone metabolism and immune function.
Caution: Selenium is needed only in tiny amounts, and the gap between enough and too much is small. Brazil nuts are the extreme case: one nut can carry more than a full day's requirement, and a small handful can pass the adult upper limit on its own. The amount varies widely from nut to nut, so they are better treated as an occasional food than a daily one — and for a young child the limit is far lower still, low enough that a single nut can reach it. Add selenium supplements cautiously, especially if Brazil nuts are already part of your week.
Vitamin C Established
An antioxidant that supports the immune system, helps make collagen for skin and blood vessels, and improves iron absorption from plants.
Vitamin E Established
A fat-soluble antioxidant that protects cell membranes from damage and supports immune function.
Zinc Emerging
Supports the immune system, wound healing, normal sense of taste and smell, and the growth of new cells.
Sources
Figures for each nutrient come from the same NIH and NASEM-derived library used throughout this site — see each nutrient's own page (linked above) for its RDA, upper limit, and food sources. See the methodology page for how this library, and this grouping specifically, are built and verified.