When it comes to vitamins and minerals, you're probably looking for the bottom line: How much do you need, and what foods have them? The list below will help you out. It covers all the vitamins and minerals you should get, preferably from food. Show Calcium Foods that have it: Milk, fortified nondairy alternatives like soy milk, yogurt, hard cheeses, fortified cereals, unfortified almond milk, kale How much you need:
What it does: Needed for bone growth and strength, blood clotting, muscle contraction, and more Don't get more than this a day: 2,500 milligrams per day for adults age 50 and younger, 2,000 mg per day for those 51 and older
Choline Foods that have it: Milk, liver, eggs, peanuts How much you need:
What it does: Helps make cells Don't get more than this much: 3,500 milligrams per day
Chromium Foods that have it: Broccoli, potatoes, meats, poultry, fish, some cereals How much you need:
What it does: Helps control blood sugar levels Don't get more than this much: No upper limit known for adults
Copper Foods that have it: Seafood, nuts, seeds, wheat bran cereals, whole grains How much you need:
What it does: Helps your body process iron Don't get more than this much: 8,000 micrograms per day for adults Fiber Foods that have it: Plant foods, including oatmeal, lentils, peas, beans, fruits, and vegetables How much you need: What it does: Helps with digestion, lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol, helps you feel full, and helps maintain blood sugar levels Don't get more than this much: No upper limit from foods for adults Fluoride Foods that have it: Fluoridated water, some sea fish How much you need: What it does: Prevents cavities in teeth, helps with bone growth Don't get more than this much: 10 milligrams per day for adults
Folic acid (folate) Foods that have it: Dark, leafy vegetables; enriched and whole grain breads; fortified cereals How much you need:
What it does: Helps prevent birth defects, important for heart health and for cell development Don't get more than this much: 1,000 micrograms per day for adults
Iodine Foods that have it: Seaweed, seafood, dairy products, processed foods, iodized salt How much you need:
What it does: Helps make thyroid hormones Don't get more than this much: 1,100 micrograms per day for adults
Iron Foods that have it: Fortified cereals, beans, lentils, beef, turkey (dark meat), soy beans, spinach How much you need:
What it does: Needed for red blood cells and many enzymes Don't get more than this much: 45 milligrams per day for adults Magnesium Foods that have it: Green leafy vegetables, nuts, dairy, soybeans, potatoes, whole wheat, quinoa How much you need: What it does: Helps with heart rhythm, muscle and nerve function, bone strength Don't get more than this much: For the magnesium that’s naturally in food and water, there is no upper limit. For magnesium in supplements or fortified foods: 350 milligrams per day Manganese Foods that have it: Nuts, beans and other legumes, tea, whole grains How much you need: What it does: Helps form bones and make some enzymes Don't get more than this much: 11 milligrams per day for adults Molybdenum Foods that have it: Legumes, leafy vegetables, grains, nuts How much you need: What it does: Needed to make some enzymes Don't get more than this much: 2,000 micrograms per day for adults
Phosphorus Foods that have it: Milk and other dairy products, peas, meat, eggs, some cereals and breads How much you need:
What it does: Cells need it to work normally. Helps make energy. Needed for bone growth. Don't get more than this much:
Potassium Foods that have it: Potatoes, bananas, yogurt, milk, yellowfin tuna, soybeans, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. How much you need: What it does: Helps control blood pressure, makes kidney stones less likely Don't get more than this much: No upper limit known for adults. However, high doses of potassium can be deadly. Selenium Foods that have it: Organ meats, seafood, dairy, some plants (if grown in soil with selenium), Brazil nuts How much you need: What it does: Protects cells from damage. Helps manage thyroid hormone. Don't get more than this much: 400 micrograms per day for adults Sodium Foods that have it: Foods made with added salt, such as processed and restaurant foods How much you need: What it does: Important for fluid balance Don't get more than this much: 2,300 milligrams per day for adults, or as instructed by your doctor, depending on whether you have certain conditions, like high blood pressure Vitamin A Foods that have it: Sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, fortified cereals How much you need: What it does: Needed for vision, the immune system, and reproduction Don't get more than this much: 3,000 micrograms per day for adults Vitamin B1 (thiamine) Foods that have it: Whole-grain, enriched, fortified products like bread and cereals How much you need: What it does: Helps the body process carbs and some protein Don't get more than this amount: No upper limit known for adults
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) Foods that have it: Milk, bread products, fortified cereals How much you need: What it does: Helps convert food into energy. Also helps make red blood cells. Don't get more than this much: No upper limit known for adults Vitamin B3 (niacin) Foods that have it: Meat, fish, poultry, enriched and whole grain breads, fortified cereals How much you need: What it does: Helps with digestion and with making cholesterol Don't get more than this amount: No upper limit from natural sources. If you're an adult and are taking niacin supplements, or getting niacin from fortified foods, don't get more than 35 milligrams per day. Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) Foods that have it: Chicken, beef, potatoes, oats, cereals, tomatoes How much you need: What it does: Helps turn carbs, protein, and fat into energy Don't get more than this much: No upper limit known for adults Vitamin B6 Foods that have it: Fortified cereals, fortified soy products, chickpeas, potatoes, organ meats How much you need: What it does: Helps with metabolism, the immune system, and babies' brain development Don't get more than this amount: 100 milligrams per day for adults Vitamin B7 (biotin) Foods that have it: Liver, fruits, meats How much you need: What it does: Helps your body make fats, protein, and other things your cells need Don't get more than this amount: No upper limit known Vitamin B12 Foods that have it: Fish, poultry, meat, dairy products, fortified cereals How much you need:
What it does: Helps your body make red blood cells Don't get more than this amount: No upper limit known
Vitamin C Foods that have it: Red and green peppers, kiwis, oranges and other citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes How much you need:
What it does: Helps protect against cell damage, supports the immune system, and helps your body make collagen Don't get more than this much: 2,000 milligrams per day for adults
Vitamin D Foods that have it: Fish liver oils, fatty fish, fortified milk products, fortified cereals How much you need:
What it does: Needed for bones, muscles, the immune system, and communication between the brain and the rest of your body Don't get more than this much: 4,000 international units per day for adults unless directed by your doctor
Vitamin E Foods that have it: Fortified cereals, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanut butter, vegetable oils How much you need:
What it does: Helps protect cells against damage Don't get more than this amount: 1,000 milligrams per day for adults
Vitamin K Foods that have it: Green vegetables like spinach, collards, and broccoli; Brussels sprouts; cabbage How much you need:
What it does: Important in blood clotting and bone health Don't get more than this amount: Unknown Zinc Foods that have it: Red meats, some seafood, fortified cereals How much you need: What it does: Supports your immune system and nerve function. Also important for reproduction. Don't get more than this amount: 40 mg per day for adults SOURCES: Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheets. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: "Dietary Guidelines for Americans." U.S. Department of Agriculture: "Dietary Reference Intakes: Vitamins;" "Dietary Reference Intakes: Elements;" "Dietary Reference Intakes: Electrolytes and Water;" and "Dietary Reference Intakes: Macronutrients." |
