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There are many vitamins, minerals and other types of nutrients that can be used to achieve optimized personal nutrition. Use this chart to help you identify vitamins and minerals that you could benefit from or that you may not get enough of in your diet.
Vitamin/Mineral |
Major Function |
Food Sources |
| Vitamin A/Beta-carotene |
Vision, growth, healthy skin, immune function |
Spinach, leafy green vegetables, carrots, melon, broccoli, apricots, fortified milk and breakfast cereals |
| Vitamin D |
Bone health |
Fortified milk and breakfast cereals, salmon, sardines |
| Vitamin E |
Healthy cell membranes; antioxidant |
Vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, fortified cereals
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| Vitamin K |
Blood clotting |
Green vegetables, milk |
| Vitamin B-1 (Thiamin) |
Helps obtain energy from foods; healthy nervous system |
Whole and enriched grain products, dried beans and meats |
| Vitamin B-2 (Riboflavin) |
Helps obtain energy from foods |
Milk, mushrooms, spinach, whole grains |
| Vitamin B-3 (Niacin) |
Helps obtain energy from foods |
Mushrooms, bran, fish, chicken, beef, peanuts, enriched grains |
| Vitamin B-6 |
Helps body to process proteins; healthy nervous system |
Meats, fish, poultry, spinach, broccoli, bananas, sunflower seeds |
| Folic Acid |
Protects genetic material and prevents certain birth defects |
Green leafy vegetables, orange juice, organ meats |
| Vitamin B-12 |
Healthy nervous system |
Animal foods (not naturally in plants), fortified cereals and other fortified foods |
| Vitamin C |
Healthy connective tissue; antioxidant |
Citrus fruits, strawberries, green leafy vegetables, peppers, tomatoes, kiwi fruit |
| Potassium |
Healthy nervous system |
Spinach, squash, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, melons, dried beans, milk, whole grains |
| Calcium |
Healthy nervous system; healthy bones and teeth |
Milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese, tofu, leafy vegetables and some fortified foods (such as orange juice) |
| Copper |
Growth, helps prevent anemia |
Beans, nuts, whole grains |
| Iron |
Prevents anemia; healthy immune system |
Meats, seafood, whole grains, broccoli, peas, bran |
| Magnesium |
Bone strength, nerve and heart function |
Wheat bran, green vegetables, nuts, chocolate, beans |
| Selenium |
Antioxidant |
Meats, eggs. fish, whole grains |
| Zinc |
Growth, immunity, development |
Seafood, meats, greens, whole grains |
 
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