|
Vitamin |
Sources |
Function |
|
A |
Cod liver oil, dairy products, sweet potatoes, carrots, leafy vegetables, and fortified foods such as breakfast
cereals. |
Needed for good eyesight and normal functioning of the immune system. |
|
B-1 (Thiamin) |
Enriched, fortified, or whole-grain products,
such as bread, pasta, and cereals. |
Helps the body process carbohydrates. |
|
B-2 (Riboflavin) |
Organ meats, breads, fortified cereals, almonds,
asparagus, cooked eggs, dark meat chicken, and cooked beef. |
Used in many body processes, such as converting food into energy. It also
participates in the metabolism of many drugs and helps in the production of red blood cells. |
|
B-3 (Niacin) |
Light-meat chicken, tuna,
salmon, turkey, enriched flour, peanuts, and fortified cereals. |
Aids in digestion and converting food into energy. Also used by the
body to help make cholesterol. |
|
B-6 |
Fortified cereals, fortified soy-based meat substitutes, baked potatoes with skin, bananas, light-meat
chicken and turkey, eggs, and spinach. |
Vital for a healthy nervous system. Helps the body break down proteins. Helps the body break
down stored sugar. |
|
B-12 |
Beef, clams, mussels, crabs, salmon, poultry, soybeans, and fortified foods. |
Needed for creating red blood cells. |
|
C
(Ascorbic acid) |
Citrus fruits, red berries, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, red and green bell peppers,
cabbage, and spinach. |
Helps promote a healthy immune system and is required to help make collagen, which holds cells together. It is
also required for making chemical messengers in the brain. |
|
D |
Fortified milk, cheese, and cereals; egg yolks; salmon; and sunlight. |
Needed
to process calcium and maintain bone health. |
|
E |
Leafy green vegetables, almonds, hazelnuts, and vegetable oils like sunflower, canola,
and soybean. |
Functions as an antioxidant. |
|
Foliate (Folic acid) |
Fortified cereals and grain products; |
Vital for cell development, prevents birth defects, promotes heart health, and helps red blood cells form. |
|
K |
Leafy
green vegetables like parsley, chard, and kale; olive, canola, and soybean oils; and broccoli. |
Helps clot blood and maintains bone
health. |
| Mineral |
Sources |
Function |
|
Calcium |
Dairy products, broccoli, dark leafy greens like spinach and rhubarb, and fortified products,
such as orange juice, soymilk, and tofu. |
Helps build and maintain strong bones and teeth. |
|
Chromium |
Some cereals, beef, turkey, fish,
beer, broccoli, and grape juice. |
Helps maintain normal blood sugar (glucose) levels. |
|
Copper |
Organ meats, oysters, clams, crabs, cashews,
sunflower seeds, wheat bran cereals, whole-grain products, and cocoa products. |
Aids in metabolism of iron and red cell formation. Helps
in the production of energy for cells. |
|
Fluoride |
Fluorinated water, teas, marine fish, and some dental products. |
Prevents dental cavities
and stimulates new bone formation. |
|
Iodine |
Processed foods and iodized salt. |
Works to make thyroid hormones. |
|
Iron |
Leafy green vegetables,
beans, shellfish, red meat, poultry, soy foods, and some fortified foods. |
Needed to transport oxygen to all parts of the body via
the red blood cells. |
|
Magnesium |
Whole-grain products, leafy green vegetables, almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, lima beans, black-eyed peas,
avocados, bananas, kiwifruit, shrimp, and chocolate. |
Helps muscles and nerves function properly, steadies heart rhythm, maintains bone
strength, and helps the body create energy and make proteins. |
|
Manganese |
Pecans, almonds, legumes, green and black tea, whole grains,
and pineapple juice. |
Involved in bone formation and wound healing, metabolism of proteins, cholesterol, and carbohydrates. It is also
an antioxidant. |
|
Molybdenum |
Legumes, grain products, and nuts. |
Plays a role in processing proteins and other substances. |
|
Phosphorus |
Dairy
products, beef, chicken, halibut, salmon, and whole-wheat breads. |
Helps cells function normally and help the body make energy. Helps
red blood cells deliver oxygen. Important in the formation of bone. |
|
Potassium |
Broccoli, potatoes (with the skins on), prunes juice,
orange juice, leafy green vegetables, bananas, raisins, and tomatoes. |
Aids in nervous system and muscle function. Also helps maintain
a healthy balance of water in the blood and body tissues. |
|
Selenium |
Organ meats, shrimp, crabs, salmon, halibut, and Brazil nuts. |
Helps
protect cells from damage and regulates thyroid hormone action and other processes. |
|
Zinc |
Red meat, fortified cereals, oysters, almonds,
peanuts, chickpeas, soy foods, and dairy products. |
Vital to many internal processes and supports immune function, reproduction, and
the nervous system. |