Vitamin and Mineral Sources
WebMD Medical Reference
Reviewed By
Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD/LD
Vitamins
(Also known as): |
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. |
| Folate (Folic acid) |
Fortified cereals and grain products; lima, lentil, and garbanzo beans; and dark leafy vegetables. |
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. |
| Minerals: | |
|
| | |
|
| Calcium |
Dairy products, broccoli, dark leafy greens like spinach and rhubarb, and fortified products, such as orange juice, soy milk, 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), prune 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. |
Published Oct. 1, 2004.
SOURCES: Institute of Medicine. USDA Food and Nutrition Information Center. Harvard School of Public Health. Nemours Foundation.
©2004 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.
Last Editorial Review: 10/1/2004 8:42:23 PM
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