Vitamin & Minerals in our body


1	VITAMIN & MINERALS	BENEFITS	GOOD FOOD SOURCES	RECOMMENDED AMOUNT (daily RDA* or daily AI**)	UPPER LIMIT (UL) per day	DID YOU KNOW?

2	VITAMIN
3	RETINOIDS AND CAROTENE (vitamin A; includes retinol, retinal, retinyl esters, and retinoic acid and are also referred to as "preformed" vitamin A. Beta carotene can easily be converted to vitamin A as needed.)	Essential for vision Lycopene may lower prostate cancer risk. Keeps tissues and skin healthy. Plays an important role in bone growth and in the immune system. 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	Sources of beta carotene: sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkins, squash, spinach, mangoes, turnip greens	M: 900 mcg (3,000 IU) W: 700 mcg (2,333 IU) Some supplements report vitamin A in international units (IU's).	3,000 mcg (about 10,000 IU)	Many people get too much preformed vitamin A from food and supplements. Large amounts of supplemental vitamin A can be harmful to bones. (but not beta carotene)
4	THIAMIN (vitamin B1)	Helps convert food into energy. Needed for healthy skin, hair, muscles, and brain and is critical for nerve function.	Brown rice, soymilk, watermelons, acorn squash	M: 1.2 mg W: 1.1 mg	Not known	Most nutritious foods have some thiamin.
5	RIBOFLAVIN (vitamin B2)	Helps convert food into energy. Needed for healthy skin, hair, blood, and brain	Green leafy vegetables, mushrooms, whole and enriched grains and cereals.	M: 1.3 mg W: 1.1 mg	Not known	People most commonly use riboflavin to prevent riboflavin deficiency, for migraine, and for high levels of homocysteine in the blood. Preliminary research suggests that supplementation with vitamin B2, along with vitamin B6, and magnesium reduces the level of dicarboxylic acids (abnormal organic acids) in the urine of autistic children.
6	NIACIN (vitamin B3, nicotinic acid)	Helps convert food into energy. Essential for healthy skin, blood cells, brain, and nervous system	Fortified and whole grains, mushrooms, potatoes, peanut butter	M: 16 mg W: 14 mg	35 mg	Niacin occurs naturally in food and can also be made by your body from the amino acid tryptophan, with the help of B6.
7	PANTOTHENIC ACID (vitamin B5)	Helps convert food into energy. Helps make lipids (fats), neurotransmitters, steroid hormones, and haemoglobin	Whole grains, broccoli, mushrooms, avocados, tomato products	M: 5 mg W: 5 mg	Not known	Deficiency causes burning feet and other neurologic symptoms.
8	PYRIDOXINE (vitamin B6, pyridoxal, pyridoxine, pyridoxamine)	Aids in lowering homocysteine levels and may reduce the risk of heart disease. Helps 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	Legumes, tofu and other soy products, potatoes, noncitrus fruits such as bananas and watermelons	M: 1.7 mg 31-50 years M: 1.3 mg 31-50 years W: 1.5 mg W: 1.3 mg: 51+ years	100 mg	Many people don't get enough of this nutrient.
9	COBALAMIN (vitamin B12)	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 and DNA	Fortified cereals, fortified plant milk, and supplements	M: 2.4 mcg, W: 2.4 mcg	Not known	Some people, particularly older adults, are deficient in vitamin B12 because they have trouble absorbing this vitamin from food. Vegan, plant-based or vegetarian need to take supplements. A lack of vitamin B12 can cause memory loss, dementia, and numbness in the arms and legs.
10	BIOTIN	Helps convert food into energy and synthesise glucose. Helps make and break down some fatty acids. Needed for healthy bones and hair	Whole grains and soybeans	M: 30 mcg W: 30 mcg	Not known	Some is made by bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. However, it's not clear how much of this the body absorbs.
11	ASCORBIC ACID (vitamin C)	Foods rich in vitamin C may lower the risk for some cancers, including those of the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, and breast. Long-term use of supplemental vitamin C may protect against cataracts. Helps make collagen, a connective tissue that knits together wounds and supports blood vessel walls. Helps make the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine Acts as an antioxidant, neutralising unstable molecules that can damage cells. Bolsters the immune system	Fruits and fruit juices (especially citrus), potatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts	M: 90 mg W: 75 mg Smokers: Add 35 mg	2,000 mg	Vitamin C plays a role in controlling infections and healing wounds, and is a powerful antioxidant that can neutralize harmful free radicals. It is needed to make collagen, a fibrous protein in connective tissue that is weaved throughout various systems in the body: nervous, immune, bone, cartilage, blood, and others. The vitamin helps make several hormones and chemical messengers used in the brain and nerves.
12	CHOLINE	Helps make and release the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which aids in many nerve and brain activities. Plays a role in metabolising and transporting fats	Many foods, peanuts	M: 550 mg W: 425 mg	3,500 mg	Normally the body makes small amounts of choline. But experts don't know whether this amount is enough at certain ages.
13	CALCIFEROL (vitamin D)	Helps maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, which strengthen bones. Helps form teeth and bones. Supplements can reduce the number of non-spinal fractures	Mushrooms, fortified milk or margarine, fortified cereals, 10-30 minutes of midday sunlight, several times per week	31–70: 15 mcg (600 IU) 71+: 20 mcg (800 IU)	50 mcg (2,000 IU)	Certain mushrooms contain some vitamin D2. Researchers found exposing mushrooms to sunlight for as little as 15 minutes and even on cloudy days significantly increased their vitamin D levels. The largest increases were in oyster and enoki mushrooms, followed by portobello and shiitake varieties.
14	ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL (vitamin E)	Acts as an antioxidant, neutralising unstable molecules that can damage cells. Protects vitamin A and certain lipids from damage. Diets rich in vitamin E may help prevent Alzheimer's disease.	Wide variety of foods, including vegetable oils, salad dressings and margarines made with vegetable oils, wheat germ, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, nuts	M: 15 mg W: 15 mg (15 mg equals about 22 IU from natural sources of vitamin E and 33 IU from synthetic vitamin E)	1,000 mg (nearly 1,500 IU natural vitamin E; 2,200 IU synthetic)	Vitamin E does not prevent wrinkles or slow other aging processes.
15	FOLIC ACID (vitamin B9, folate, folacin)	Vital for new cell creation. Helps prevent brain and spine birth defects when taken early in pregnancy; should be taken regularly by all women of childbearing age since women may not know they are pregnant in the first weeks of pregnancy. Can lower levels of homocysteine and may reduce heart disease risk May reduce risk for colon cancer. Offsets breast cancer risk among women who consume alcohol	Fortified grains and cereals, asparagus, okra, spinach, turnip greens, broccoli, legumes like black-eyed peas and chickpeas, orange juice, tomato juice	M: 400 mcg W: 400 mcg	1,000 mcg	Many people don't get enough of this nutrient. Occasionally, folic acid masks a B12 deficiency, which can lead to severe neurological complications. That's not a reason to avoid folic acid; just be sure to get enough B12.
16	PHYLLOQUINONE, MENADIONE (vitamin K)	Activates proteins and calcium essential to blood clotting. May help prevent hip fractures	Cabbage, spinach, broccoli, sprouts, kale, collards, and other green vegetables	M: 120 mcg W: 90 mcg	Not known	Intestinal bacteria make a form of vitamin K that accounts for half your requirements. Vitamin K is an often ignored nutrient, but new research has found that low levels among older adults may increase their risk of early death.
17	MINERAL
18	CALCIUM	Builds and protects bones and teeth. Helps with muscle contractions and relaxation, blood clotting, and nerve impulse transmission. Plays a role in hormone secretion and enzyme activation. Helps maintain healthy blood pressure	Fortified plant-milk, tofu, mushrooms, fortified juices, leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli and kale (but not spinach or Swiss chard, which have binders that lessen absorption)	M: 31-50: 1,000 mg W: 51-70: 1,000 mg M: 1,000 mg W: 1,200 mg M: 71+ 1,200 mg W: 71+: 1,200 mg	2,500 mg	Adults absorb roughly 30% of calcium ingested, but this can vary depending on the source.
19	CHLORIDE	Balances fluids in the body. A component of stomach acid, essential to digestion	Salt (sodium chloride), soy sauce, processed foods	14-50: M/W: 2.3 g 51-70 M/W: 2.0 g 71+: M/W: 1.8 g	Not known	New recommendations (DRIs) for chloride are under development by the Institute of Medicine.
20	CHROMIUM	Enhances the activity of insulin, helps maintain normal blood glucose levels, and is needed to free energy from glucose	Potatoes, some cereals, nuts	14–50: M: 35 mcg 14-18: W: 24 mcg 19-50: W: 25 mcg 51+: M: 30 mcg W: 20 mcg	Not known	Unrefined foods such as brewer's yeast and nuts, are the best sources of chromium, but brewer's yeast can sometimes cause bloating and nausea, so you may choose to get chromium from other food sources.
21	COPPER	Plays an important role in iron metabolism and the immune system. Helps make red blood cells	Nuts, seeds, whole-grain products, beans, prunes, cocoa, black pepper, mushrooms	M: 900 mcg W: 900 mcg	10,000 mcg	More than half of the copper in foods is absorbed.
22	IODINE	Part of thyroid hormone, which helps set body temperature and influences nerve and muscle function, reproduction, and growth. Prevents goitre and a congenital thyroid disorder	Iodized salt, processed foods	M: 150 mcg W: 150 mcg	1,100 mcg	To prevent iodine deficiencies, some countries add iodine to salt, bread, or drinking water.
23	IRON	Helps haemoglobin in red blood cells and myoglobin in muscle cells ferry oxygen throughout the body. Needed for chemical reactions in the body and for making amino acids, collagen, neurotransmitters, and hormones	Fruits, green vegetables, fortified bread and grain products	19–50: M: 8 mg W: 18 mg 51+: M: 8 mg 51+W: 8 mg	45 mg	Many women of childbearing age don't get enough iron. Women who do not menstruate probably need the same amount of iron as men. Because iron is harder to absorb from plants, experts suggest vegans, plant-based and vegetarians get twice the recommended amount (assuming the source is food).
24	MAGNESIUM	Needed for many chemical reactions in the body Works with calcium in muscle contraction, blood clotting, and regulation of blood pressure. Helps build bones and teeth	Green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli, legumes, cashews, sunflower seeds and other seeds, halibut, whole-wheat bread, milk	18+: M: 420 mg W: 320 mg	350 mg (Note: This upper limit applies to supplements and medicines, such as laxatives, not to dietary magnesium.)	The majority of magnesium in the body is found in bones. If your blood levels are low, your body may tap into these reserves to correct the problem.
25	MANGANESE	Helps form bones. Helps metabolise amino acids, cholesterol, and carbohydrates	Nuts, legumes, whole grains, tea	M: 2.3 mg W: 1.8 mg	11 mg	If you take supplements or have manganese in your drinking water, be careful not to exceed the upper limit. Those with liver damage or whose diets supply abundant manganese should be especially vigilant.
26	MOLYBDENUM	Part of several enzymes, one of which helps ward off a form of severe neurological damage in infants that can lead to early death	Legumes, nuts, grain products	M: 45 mcg W: 45 mcg	2,000 mcg	Molybdenum deficiencies are rare.
27	PHOSPHORUS	Helps build and protect bones and teeth. Part of DNA and RNA. Helps convert food into energy. Part of phospholipids, which carry lipids in blood and help shuttle nutrients into and out of cells	Green peas, broccoli, potatoes, almonds	M: 700 mg W: 700 mg	31–70: 4,000 mg 71+: 3,000 mg	Certain drugs bind with phosphorus, making it unavailable and causing bone loss, weakness, and pain.
28	POTASSIUM	Balances fluids in the body. Helps maintain steady heartbeat and send nerve impulses. Needed for muscle contractions. A diet rich in potassium seems to lower blood pressure. Getting enough potassium from your diet may benefit bones	Fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, mushrooms	M: 4.7 g W: 4.7 g	Not known	Food sources do not cause toxicity, but high-dose supplements might.
29	SELENIUM	Acts as an antioxidant, neutralising unstable molecules that can damage cells. Helps regulate thyroid hormone activity	Walnuts, mushrooms, grain products	M: 55 mcg W: 55 mcg	400 mcg	Researchers are investigating whether selenium may help reduce the risk of developing cancer, but with mixed results.
30	SODIUM	Balances fluids in the body. Helps send nerve impulses. Needed for muscle contractions. Impacts blood pressure; even modest reductions in salt consumption can lower blood pressure	Salt, soy sauce, processed foods, vegetables	M: 2,300 mg W: 2,300 mg	Not determined	While experts recommend that people limit sodium intake to 2,300 mg, but if you suffer from regular bloating after eating, you may want to check your sodium intake
31	SULPHUR	Helps form bridges that shape and stabilise some protein structures. Needed for healthy hair, skin, and nails	Protein-rich foods, such as nuts, legumes	Unknown	Unknown	Sulphur is a component of thiamin and certain amino acids. There is no recommended amount for sulphur. Deficiencies occur only with a severe lack of protein.
32	ZINC	Helps form many enzymes and proteins and create new cells. Frees vitamin A from storage in the liver. Needed for immune system, taste, smell, and wound healing. When taken with certain antioxidants, zinc may delay the progression of age-related macular degeneration	Fortified cereals, beans, nuts, mushrooms	M: 11 mg W: 8 mg	40 mg	Because vegan, plant-based and vegetarians absorb less zinc, experts suggest that they get twice the recommended requirement of zinc from plant foods.
33	Recommended dietary allowance *Adequate intake Chart information source: Harvard University