Power Couples: 7 Critical Nutrient Ratios That Control Your Health

While health and wellness discussions often hyper-focus on single nutrients, most nutrients don’t work alone. Our body relies on carefully calibrated nutrient ratios to remain healthy and resilient. Like professional dance partners, it is critical that they be in sync.

When the ratio between these partners is off—even if you’re getting enough of both overall—your metabolism slows, hormones are disrupted, and chronic inflammation silently rises.

There are many reasons why ratios might be off. Notably, the modern diet, dominated by ultra-processed foods, often overloads one side of the pair, pulling your entire system out of balance. Additionally, many people suffer from gut health and absorption issues, which can also throw ratios out of wack.

Below are the most critical nutrient ratios, why they matter, and the clearest steps you can take to rebalance them.

1. Zinc : Copper — The Immunity Balancer

Zinc is vital for immunity and hormone support (like testosterone), while copper supports collagen, red blood cells, and antioxidant enzymes. An excess of zinc can rapidly deplete copper, leading to anemia-like symptoms, low white blood cell counts, and fatigue.

Target Balance: Roughly 8-10 mg zinc per 1 mg copper, which mimics the ratio found in mixed whole-food diets.

The Common Problem: Many single-mineral supplements provide 50 mg+ zinc with 0 copper. Diets heavy in muscle meat but light in organ meats also tend to skew this balance.

How to Fix It:

• Food First: Eat oysters, beef, and pumpkin seeds for zinc; and liver, cacao, and shellfish for copper.

• Smart Supplementation: If you supplement, choose a product that pairs zinc with 1-2 mg copper.

2. Omega-6 : Omega-3 — The Inflammation Communication

Omega-3 fats (found in seafood and pasture-raised animals) are generally anti-inflammatory, while excess omega-6 fats (especially linoleic acid from seed oils) can tilt the body toward inflammatory signaling. Reviews link an unbalanced ratio to a higher risk of inflammatory and metabolic diseases.

Our hunter-gatherer ancestors had diets with ratios closer to 1:1–4:1, while the modern Western diet often skyrockets to 10–20:1, due to the prevalence of processed foods.

How to Fix It:

• Swap Cooking Fats: Cook with organic extra virgin olive oil, beef tallow, or avocado oil instead of soybean, corn, or canola oil.

• Focus on Fish: Add 2-3 servings/week to your plate of fatty fish like salmon, sardines, or mackerel.

• Snack Strategically: Swap high omega-6 snacks (like chips fried in seed oils) for non-fried, tallow-fried or olive-oil-fried options.

• Targeted Supplementation: A high-quality Omega-3 supplement can have a number of health benefits. Check out my favorites on FullScript.

3. Salt : Potassium — The Blood Pressure Button

Sodium pulls water into the bloodstream, raising blood pressure. Potassium acts as its counter-balance, helping relax blood vessels and signaling the kidneys to excrete excess sodium. A chronically higher sodium-to-potassium ratio is strongly linked to hypertension and cardiovascular risk.

Target Balance: You should aim for a ratio of at least 1:2 (sodium : potassium) or better. Paleolithic diets often delivered 10–16 times more potassium than sodium, the opposite of the modern ratio.

How to Fix It:

• Load Up on Potassium: Incorporate potassium-rich foods into every meal: coconut water, real fruit, potatoes, squash, and leafy greens.

• Salt Whole Foods: Salting whole foods to taste is generally fine because they naturally contain more potassium.

  • I recommend using pink Himalayan salt, which naturally has more trace minerals - including potassium - than standard table salt, and is less likely to be contaminated with heavy metals. Note that Himalayan salt is not typically iodized, which may contribute to thyroid issues. However, you can find some brands that are iodized (or you can eat more shellfish and seaweed).

• Limit Processed Culprits: Restrict highly processed foods, canned soups, and fast foods that deliver high sodium with almost no potassium.

4. Calcium : Phosphorus — The Bone & Hormone Harmonizer

Calcium builds and maintains bone, and phosphorus is crucial for energy metabolism. However, chronically high phosphorus intake (often from sodas, processed meats, and food additives) can disrupt this balance, triggering hormonal changes that actively pull calcium out of your bones and into the blood stream.

Target Balance: Roughly 1:1 calcium to phosphorus from your diet.

How to Fix It:

• Boost Calcium Intake: Consume more dairy, sardines with bones, unsweetened yogurt, and leafy greens for quality calcium.

• Cut Processed Phosphorus: Cut down on sodas, phosphate-enhanced processed meats, and heavily fortified processed foods.

5. Calcium : Oxalates — The Kidney Stone Fighter

Oxalates are compounds found in plants (like spinach, almonds and dark chocolate). In the gut, oxalates will bind to calcium. If sufficient calcium is present, the pair is harmlessly excreted. If calcium is absent, more oxalate is absorbed and can contribute to the formation of kidney stones.

How to Fix It:

• Pair Wisely: Pair high-oxalate foods (spinach, almonds, beets) with a source of calcium like cheese, milk, or yogurt.

• Rotate Greens: Rotate in lower-oxalate greens like arugula, romaine, or bok choy instead of relying solely on spinach.

• Balance Sodium Intake: When excess sodium is consumed and subsequently excreted in the urine, calcium is also excreted proportionally. Watch out for “silent sources” of salt, such as fast foods, packaged or canned foods, softened water and sports drinks.

6. Selenium : Mercury — The Seafood Safety Team

Selenium is the antidote to mercury. It binds to mercury and can neutralize its toxic effects on the brain and nervous system. Studies suggest fish with a selenium:mercury molar ratio above 1 tend to be far safer to consume.

High-selenium, safer choices: Salmon, sardines, shrimp, cod, and trout.

Higher-mercury choices (Eat in moderation): Swordfish, king mackerel, and some tuna. (Note: Some tuna like albacore can be high in both, which may lower the mercury's impact, but is still best eaten in moderation.)

How to Fix It:

• Smart Seafood: Make salmon, sardines, trout, and shellfish your seafoods of choice.

• Choose Lower-Mercury Tuna: When eating tuna, choose skipjack or light tuna over albacore or bigeye.

7. Carbs : Fat — The Appetite Regulator

Foods that are unnaturally high in both fat and processed carbs (donuts, chips, pastries, ice cream) strongly activate brain reward circuits, driving overeating more powerfully than equally-caloric foods high in just fat or just carbs.

How to Fix It:

Your appetite signals are more predictable and controllable when you build meals around lean protein, fiber-rich foods and healthy fats. Not only will you feel more satiated and satisfied (thus, avoid overeating), but your insulin and blood sugar will be more balanced too, which encourages fat burning and promotes cardiovascular health.

When it comes to carbs, prioritize foods high in fiber, such as fruits, whole grains, avocados and vegetables. Beyond that, strive to always pair your carbs with proteins and healthy fats - And eat carbs last, if possible.

The Bottom Line

The best things in life often come in pairs. Consistent and intentional support of your body's "power couples" can be even more impactful than obsessing over the latest superfood or any single nutrient alone. Focusing on these critical nutrient ratios can meaningfully shift your energy, reduce inflammation, balance hormones and improve cardiometabolic health.

If you suspect that gut issues are contributing to nutrient imbalances, or you struggle to maintain a nutrient-balanced diet, Functional tests and 1:1 health coaching can help you understand what's going on beneath the surface, take charge of your lifestyle and improve your health from the inside out.

xo, Emily

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Looking to support your health? Visit Jensen Wellness to learn more about my 1:1 health coaching and other services.