The Best
Foods for Every Vitamin and Mineral
Want to get your nutrients the
natural way? We break down the best food sources for 20 of the most important.
To keep
itself running smoothly, your body requires an array of essential nutrients,
ranging from disease-fighting antioxidants to bone-building heavy metals.
Although you can get many of these nutrients in a daily supplement, nearly all
of them can also be found in the foods you eat—or should be eating—every day.
Want to get your vitamins and minerals the natural way?
Vitamin A
Why you need it: The vitamin A family plays a key role in immunity, reproductive
behaviors, and especially vision. The A vitamins, which include beta-carotene,
help the retina, cornea, and membranes of the eye to function properly.Where to get it:
-
Sweet potatoes and Beef liver
-
Spinach
-
Fish
-
Milk, Egg, and Carrots
Vitamin B6
Why you need it: Vitamin B6 is an umbrella term for six different compounds that
have similar effects on the body. These compounds metabolize foods, help form
hemoglobin (part of your red blood cells), stabilize blood sugar, and make antibodies
that fight disease.
Where to get it:
Where to get it:
-
Fish
-
Beef liver
-
Poultry, chickpea and garbanzo bean
Vitamin B12
Why you need it: Vitamin B12 is vital for healthy nervous-system function and for
the formation of DNA and red blood cells. It helps guard against anemia, a
blood condition that causes fatigue and weakness.
Where to get it:
Where to get it:
-
Animal products
-
Cooked clams
-
Trout, salmon, and tuna
Vitamin C
Why you need it: Vitamin C is an important antioxidant, and it's also a necessary
ingredient in several key bodily processes, such as protein metabolism and the
synthesis of neurotransmitters.
Where to get it:
Where to get it:
-
Sweet red peppers
-
Kiwi fruit
-
Broccoli
-
Brussels sprouts and cantaloupe.
Calcium
Why you need it: Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. More than 99% is
stored in—and helps fortify—teeth and bones, while the remainder goes toward
blood vessel and muscle function, cell communication, and hormone secretion.
Where to get it:
Where to get it:
-
Dairy products
-
Plain low-fat yogurt
-
Fortified fruit juices and cereals.
Vitamin D
Why you need it: Vitamin D, which our body generates on its own when our skin is exposed to sunlight, helps spur calcium absorption and bone growth. It's
also important for cell growth, immunity, and the reduction of inflammation.
Where to get it:
Where to get it:
-
Fatty fishes including swordfish,
salmon, and mackerel
-
Fortified foods such as milk, breakfast
cereals, yogurt, and orange juice.
Vitamin E
Why you need it: Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from the
harmful molecules known as free radicals. It's important for immunity, and for
healthy blood vessel function and clotting (such as occurs when you cut
yourself).
Where to get it:
-
Wheat germ oil
-
Sunflower seeds and almonds
Folate
Why you need it: For pregnant women, folate—a type of B vitamin—can help prevent
birth defects. For everyone else, it helps new tissues and proteins form.
Where to get it:
Where to get it:
-
Dark leafy green vegetables
-
Fruit
-
Nuts, and dairy products
-
Beef liver
-
Folic acid (a man-made form of
folate)
Iron
Why you need it: Proteins in our body use this metal to transport oxygen and grow
cells. Most of the body's iron is found in hemoglobin, the protein in red blood
cells that carries oxygen to tissues all over the body.
Where to get it: There are two forms of dietary iron:
Where to get it: There are two forms of dietary iron:
-
Heme iron (found in animal foods
such as chicken liver, red meat, fish, and poultry)
-
Nonheme iron (found in plant sources
like lentils and beans)
Vitamin K
Why you need it: Vitamin K is a crucial ingredient in coagulation, or blood
clotting. Without it, your body would not be able to stop bleeding when you bruise
or cut yourself.
Where to get it:
Where to get it:
-
Green, leafy vegetables as spinach,
turnip, mustard, and beet greens.
Lycopene
Why you need it: This chemical pigment, found in red fruits and vegetables, appears
to have antioxidant properties and help guard against a range of ailments,
including heart disease and several different types of cancer.
Where to get it:
Where to get it:
-
Tomatoes
-
Watermelon
Lysine
Why you need it: Lysine helps the body absorb calcium and form collagen for bones
and connective tissue. It also plays a role in the production of carnitine, a
nutrient that helps regulate cholesterol levels.
Where to get it:
-
Protein-rich animal foods,
especially red meat
-
Nuts, legumes, and soybeans.
Magnesium
Why you need it: The body uses magnesium in more than 300 biochemical reactions.
These include maintaining muscle and nerve function, keeping heart rhythm steady,
and keeping bones strong.Where to get it:
-
Wheat bran
- Almonds, cashews, and green
vegetables such as spinach.
Niacin
Why you need it: Niacin, like its fellow B vitamins, is important for converting
food into energy. It also helps the digestive system, skin, and nerves to
function properly.
Where to get it:
Where to get it:
-
Dried yeast
-
Peanuts or peanut butter
-
Beef and chicken liver
Omega-3 fatty acids
Why you need it: Omega-3s contribute to brain health and may help reduce
inflammation.
Where to get it:
Where to get it:
-
Vegetable oil, green vegetables,
nuts, and seeds
-
Fatty fish as tuna
Potassium
Why you need it: Potassium is an essential electrolyte, needed to control the
electrical activity of the heart. It is also used to build proteins and muscle,
and to break down carbohydrates into energy.Where to get it:
-
Baked sweet potato
-
Tomato paste, beet greens, and
regular potatoes
-
Red meat, chicken, and fish.
Riboflavin
Why you need it: Riboflavin —yet another B vitamin— are an antioxidant that helps
the body fight disease, create energy, and produce red blood cells.
Where to get it:
Where to get it:
-
Beef liver
-
Fortified cereals (like Total or
Kellogg's All-Bran)
Selenium
Why you need it: Selenium is a mineral with antioxidant properties. The body only
requires small amounts of it, but it plays a large role in preventing chronic
diseases. It also helps regulate thyroid function and the immune system.
Where to get it:
Where to get it:
-
Six to eight Brazil nuts
-
Canned tuna
Thiamin
Why you need it: Thiamin, also known as vitamin B1, helps the body turn
carbohydrates into energy. It's also an important nutrient for keeping the
brain and nervous system running properly.
Where to get it:
Where to get it:
-
Dried yeast
- Pine nuts and soybeans
Zinc
Why you need it: Zinc has been shown to play a role in immune function (you've
probably seen it in cold remedies), and it's also important for your senses of
taste and smell.
Where to get it:
Where to get it:
-
Oysters
-
Red meat and poultry
-
Beef chuck roast
The greatest
wealth is Health. Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have
to live.
Eat wisely,
breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an
interest in life J
Everything
will be wow!! What do you think?
