Food Sources for Minerals and Vitamins
When it comes to minerals and vitamins, you're probably looking for the bottom line: How much do you need, and what foods have them? The list below will help you out. It covers all the minerals and vitamins you should get, preferably from food.
| Foods that have it: | How much you need: | What it does: | Don't get more than this much: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium | Milk, fortified nondairy alternatives like soy milk, yogurt, hard cheeses, fortified cereals, kale | Women age 51 and older: 1,200 mg Men age 51 and older: 1,000 mg |
Needed for bone growth and strength, blood clotting, muscle contraction, and more | 2,500 mg for adults age 50 and younger, 2,000 mg for those 51 and older |
| Choline | Milk, liver, eggs, peanuts | Men: 550 mg Women: 425 mg |
Helps make cells | 3,500 mg |
| Chromium | Broccoli, potatoes, meats, poultry, fish, some cereals | Men age 51 and up: 30 µ-gms Women age 51 and up: 20 µ-gms |
Helps control blood sugar levels | No upper limit known for adults |
| Copper | Seafood, nuts, seeds, wheat bran cereals, whole grains | Adults: 900 µ-gms | Helps your body process iron | 10,000 µ-gms for adults |
| Fiber | Plant foods, including oatmeal, lentils, peas, beans, fruits, and vegetables | Men age 51 and up: 30 grams Women age 51 and up: 21 grams |
Helps with digestion, lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol, helps you feel full, and helps maintain blood sugar levels | No upper limit from foods for adults |
| Fluoride | Fluoridated water, some sea fish | Men: 4 mg Women: 3 mg |
Prevents cavities in teeth, helps with bone growth | 10 mg for adults |
| Folic acid (folate) | Dark, leafy vegetables; enriched and whole grain breads; fortified cereals | Adults: 400 µ-gms | Helps prevent birth defects, important for heart health and for cell development | 1,000 µ-gms for adults |
| Iodine | Seaweed, seafood, dairy products, processed foods, iodized salt | Adults: 150 µ-gms | Helps make thyroid hormones | 1,100 µ-gms for adults |
| Iron | Fortified cereals, beans, lentils, beef, turkey (dark meat), soy beans, spinach | Men age 19 and up: 8 mg Women ages 19-50: 18 mg ; Women age 51 and up: 8 mg |
Needed for red blood cells and many enzymes | 45 mg for adults |
| Magnesium | Green leafy vegetables, nuts, dairy, soybeans, potatoes, whole wheat, quinoa | Men age 31 and up: 420 mg Women age 31 and up: 320 mg |
Helps with heart rhythm, muscle and nerve function, bone strength | For the magnesium that’s naturally in food and water, there is no upper limit. For magnesium in supplements or fortified foods: 350 mg |
| Manganese | Nuts, beans and other legumes, tea, whole grains | Men: 2.3 mg Women: 1.8 mg |
Helps form bones and make some enzymes | 11 mg for adults |
| Molybdenum | Legumes, leafy vegetables, grains, nuts | Adults: 45 µ-gms | Needed to make some enzymes | 2,000 µ-gms for adults |
| Phosphorus | Milk and other dairy products, peas, meat, eggs, some cereals and breads | Adults: 700 mg | Cells need it to work normally. Helps make energy. Needed for bone growth. | Adults up to age 70: 4,000 mg . Adults age 70 and older: 3,000 mg |
| Potassium | Potatoes, bananas, yogurt, milk, yellowfin tuna, soybeans | Adults: 4,700 mg | Cells need it to work normally. Helps make energy. Needed for bone growth. | Adults up to age 70: 4,000 mg . Adults age 70 and older: 3,000 mg |
| Selenium | Organ meats, seafood, dairy, some plants (if grown in soil with selenium), Brazil nuts | Adults: 55 µ-gms | Protects cells from damage. Helps manage thyroid hormone. | 400 µ-gms for adults |
| Sodium | Foods made with added salt, such as processed and restaurant foods | Adults ages 51-70: up to 1,300 mg Adults age 71 and up: up to 1,200 mg |
Important for fluid balance | 2,300 mg for adults, or as instructed by a doctor if high blood pressure, etc. |
| Zinc | Red meats, some seafood, fortified cereals | Men: 11 mg Women: 8 mg |
Supports your immune system and nerve function. Also important for reproduction. | 40 mg for adults |
| Vitamin A | Sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, fortified cereals | Men: 900 µ-gms Women: 700 µ-gms |
Essential for vision Lycopene may lower prostate cancer risk. Keeps tissues and skin healthy. Plays an important role in bone growth. Diets rich in the carotenoids alpha carotene and lycopene seem to lower lung cancer risk. Carotenoids act as antioxidants. Foods rich in the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin may protect against cataracts | 3,000 mcg for adults |
| Vitamin B1 (thiamine) | Whole-grain, enriched, fortified products; bread; cereals | Men: 1.2 mg Women: 1.1 mg |
Helps convert food into energy. Needed for healthy skin, hair, muscles, and brain | No upper limit known for adults |
| Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) | Milk, bread products, fortified cereals | Men: 1.3 mg Women: 1.1 mg |
Helps convert food into energy. Also helps make red blood cells. Needed for healthy skin, hair, blood, and brain | No upper limit known for adults |
| Vitamin B3 (niacin) | Meat, fish, poultry, enriched and whole grain breads, fortified cereals | Men: 16 mg Women: 14 mg |
Helps with digestion and with making cholesterol | No upper limit from natural sources. If you're taking niacin supplements, or getting niacin from fortified foods, don't get more than 35 mg. |
| Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) | Chicken, beef, potatoes, oats, cereals, tomatoes | Adults: 5 mg | Helps turn carbs, protein, and fat into energy | No upper limit known for adults |
| Vitamin B6 | Fortified cereals, fortified soy products, chickpeas, potatoes, organ meats | Men age 51 and up: 1.7 mg Women age 51 and up: 1.5 mg |
Aids in lowering homocysteine levels and may reduce the risk of heart diseaseHelps convert tryptophan to niacin and serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays key roles in sleep, appetite, and moods. Helps make red blood cells Influences cognitive abilities and immune function | 100 mg for adults |
| Vitamin B7 (biotin) | Liver, fruits, meats | Adults: 30 µ-gms | Helps your body make fats, protein, and other things your cells need | No upper limit known |
| Vitamin B12 | Fish, poultry, meat, dairy products, fortified cereals | Adults: 2.4 mcg | Aids in lowering homocysteine levels and may lower the risk of heart disease. Assists in making new cells and breaking down some fatty acids and amino acids. Protects nerve cells and encourages their normal growth Helps make red blood cells | No upper limit known |
| Vitamin C | Red and green peppers, kiwis, oranges and other citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes | Men: 90 mg Women: 75 mg |
Helps protect against cell damage, supports the immune system, and helps your body make collagen | 2,000 mg for adults |
| Vitamin D | Fish liver oils, fatty fish, fortified milk products, fortified cereals | Adults age 71 and older: 800 IU | Needed for bones, muscles, the immune system, and communication between the brain and the rest of your body | 4,000 IU for adults unless directed by your doctor |
| Vitamin E | Fortified cereals, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanut butter, vegetable oils | Adults: 15 mg | Helps protect cells against damage | 1,000 mg for adults |
| Vitamin K | Green vegetables like spinach, collards, and broccoli; Brussels sprouts; cabbage | Men: 120 µ-gms Women: 90 µ-gms |
Important in blood clotting and bone health | Unknown |