chart of vitamins and minerals

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Home > Healthy Eating > Vitamins and Minerals

Healthy Eating
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Vitamins and Minerals
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This web page provides information on the function of vitamins and
minerals in the human body and the foods they can be found it. This
information is based chiefly on the 2006 Nutrient Reference Values for
Australia and New Zealand Including Recommended Dietary Intakes.

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The following information is based on the Nutrient Reference Values
for Australia and New Zealand Including Recommended Dietary Intakes.
Specific advice for individual needs should be sought from a qualified
dietitian.

The term nutrient identifies those substances in food that provide
essential nourishment to maintain life.

Nutrient (Vitamins)
-------------------

Needed for
----------

Key sources
-----------

Vitamin A

maintaining normal reproduction

good vision

formation and maintenance of healthy skin, teeth and soft tissues
 of the body

immune function (has anti-oxidant properties).

Milk, cheese, eggs, fatty fish, yellow-orange vegetables and fruits
such as carrots, pumpkin, mango, apricots, and other vegetables such
as spinach, broccoli.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)

supplying energy to tissues

breaking down and using the energy and nutrients in carbohydrates,
 proteins and fats

nerve function

Fortified breakfast cereals, baking flour, wholegrains, wheatgerm,
yeast, legumes, nuts, pork.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

obtaining energy from food

making Vit B6 active in the body

reducing a key cardiovascular risk factor

production of red blood cells and body growth

Milk, cheese, yoghurt, fortified breads and breakfast cereals.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

obtaining energy from food

breaking down and using carbohydrates, proteins and fats and their
 building blocks

maintaining healthy skin and nerves

releasing calcium from cellular stores

Beef, pork, liver, beans, wholegrain cereals, eggs, cow’s milk.

Pantothenic acid

making, hormones, vitamin A and D and substances that help make
 nerves work

helps make new fats and proteins in the body

Chicken, beef, potatoes, oat-based cereals, tomatoes, egg yolks, whole
grains.

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

breaking down,using and reforming the building blocks of proteins

Muscle and organ meats, fortified breakfast cereals, brussel sprouts,
green peas, beans, split peas, and fruit.

Vitamin B12 (Cyano-cobalamin)

normal nerve function

normal blood function

Beef, lamb, fish, veal, chicken, eggs, milk and other dairy products.

Folate

breaking down and using the building blocks of proteins

the processes of tissue growth and cell function

maintaining good heart health

preventing neural tube defects in newborns

Cereals, cereal products, vegetables eg broccoli, legumes and fruit eg
oranges.

Biotin

breaking down and using the building blocks of fats and proteins

Meats and cereals.

Note: eating raw egg whites prevents absorption of biotin.

Choline

making nerve cell transmitters and cell membranes

inflammatory and allergic response

healthy kidneys and liver

reducing the risk of heart disease

fat and cholesterol transport and break down in the body

Milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat germ, dried soybeans.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)

protects against oxidative damage

aiding absorption of iron and copper

formation of collagen

healthy bones

helps fight infection

helps regenerate and stabilise other vitamins such as vitamin E or
 folate

Blackcurrants, orange, grapefruit, guava, kiwi fruit, raspberries,
sweet peppers (Capsicum), broccoli, sprouts.

Vitamin D

absorption of calcium and phosphorus

maintenance of calcium levels in blood

immune function

healthy skin

muscle strength

Sunlight on skin allows the body to produce Vitamin D. Few foods
contain significant amounts however main dietary sources are fortified
margarine, salmon, herring, mackerel, and eggs.

Vitamin E (Tocopherol)

acts as antioxidant particularly for fats

keeping heart, circulation, skin and nervous system in good
 condition

Oils and margarines, fats of meats, chicken, fish, wheat germ, ,
spinach, cashews, peanuts, almonds, sunflower seeds.

Vitamin K (phylloquinone)

normal blood clotting

Spinach, salad greens, cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, soybean
oil, canola oil, margarines

Calcium

development and maintenance of bones and teeth

good functioning muscles and nerves

heart function

Milk, cheese, yoghurt, bony fish, legumes, fortified soy beverages and
fortified breakfast cereals.

Note: the body excretes calcium with salt in urine, so eat less salt
to retain your calcium.

Chromium

enhancing the action of insulin to regulate blood sugar

Widely found in foods such as yeast, eggs, meat, whole grains, cheese.

Copper

the functioning of several enzymes

formation of connective tissue

iron metabolism and blood cell formation

nervous system, immune system and cardiovascular system function

Organ meats, seafood, nuts, seeds, wheat bran cereals, whole grains.

Fluoride

healthy teeth and bones

Fluoridated water, fish, tea.

Iodine

normal thyroid function (important in the growth and development
 of central nervous system)

energy production

oxygen consumption in cells

Salt water fish, shellfish, seaweed, iodised salt, vegetables (if
there is iodine in the soil where they are grown).

Note: Severe deficiencies can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, infant
mortality, congenital abnormalities etc.

Iron

Haemoglobin in red blood cells (important for transport of oxygen
 to tissues)

component of myoglobin (muscle protein)

Red meats – beef, lamb, veal, pork, fish, chicken and wholegrain
cereals.

Note: Iron absorption from plant sources eg cereals or green leafy
vegetables is much lower than from animal sources so 80% more is
required in the food to get the same amount absorbed. Vitamin C helps
with absorption.

Magnesium

the functioning of more than 300 enzyme systems

energy production

regulating potassium levels

the use of calcium

healthy bones

Green vegetables, legumes, peas, beans, lentils, nuts, wholegrains and
cereals

Manganese

healthy bones

carbohydrate, cholesterol and protein metabolism

Cereal products, tea, vegetables.

Molybdenum

breakdown of proteins

Legumes, wholegrain products, nuts.

Phosphorus

forms part of DNA and RNA

buffers the acidity of urine

protection of acid/base balance of blood

storage and transport of energy

helps activate some proteins

Widely distributed in natural foods eg dairy, meat, dried fruit, eggs,
cereals.

Potassium

nerve impulses

muscle contraction

regulates blood pressure

Leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant,
pumpkin, root vegetables. Also moderately abundant in beans, peas,
bananas, avocados, milk, yoghurt

Note: Potassium has a beneficial effect in offsetting the effects of
sodium (salt) on blood pressure.

Selenium

antioxidant

thyroid metabolism

part of several functional proteins in body

Seafood, poultry, eggs and to a lesser extent other muscle meats and
cereal foods (content varies widely with soil condition).

Sodium

maintain water balance throughout the body

nerve impulses

transport of molecules across cell walls

Found in most take-away and processed foods eg bread, butter,
margarine, deli meats, cheese, cereals.

It is also a major component of table salt and baking soda

Note: It is important to use only moderate amounts of salt as
recommended in the Dietary Guidelines.

Zinc

component of enzymes that help maintain structure of proteins and
 regulate gene expression

needed for growth, immunity appetite and skin integrity

Meats, fish, poultry, cereals, dairy foods.

Note: availability from animal sources is greater than that from plant
sources so vegetarians need 50% higher intakes.

page last updated: 20 July, 2006
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