Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients required by the body to carry out a range of normal functions. However, these micronutrients are not produced in our bodies and must be derived from the food we eat.
Vitamins are organic substances that are generally classified as either fat soluble or water soluble.
Fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and vitamin K) dissolve in fat and tend to accumulate in the body.
Water-soluble vitamins (vitamin C and the B-complex vitamins, such as vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folate) must dissolve in water before they can be absorbed by the body, and therefore cannot be stored. Any water-soluble vitamins unused by the body is primarily lost through urine.
Minerals are inorganic elements present in soil and water, which are absorbed by plants or consumed by animals. While you’re likely familiar with calcium, sodium, and potassium, there is a range of other minerals, including trace minerals (e.g. copper, iodine, and zinc) needed in very small amounts.
In the U.S., the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) develops nutrient reference values called the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for vitamins and minerals. [1] These are intended as a guide for good nutrition and as a scientific basis for the development of food guidelines in both the U.S. and Canada. The DRIs are specific to age, gender, and life stages, and cover more than 40 nutrient substances. The guidelines are based on available reports of deficiency and toxicity of each nutrient. Learn more about vitamins and minerals and their recommended intakes in the table below.
Fat-soluble vitaminse
Fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, D, E and K) are mainly found in:
- animal fats
- vegetable oils
- dairy foods
- liver
- oily fish
While your body needs these vitamins to work properly, you don’t need to eat foods containing them every day.
Water-soluble vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins (vitamin C, the B vitamins and folic acid) are mainly found in:
- fruit and vegetables
- grains
- milk and dairy foods
These vitamins aren’t stored in the body, so you need to have them more frequently.
If you have more than you need, your body gets rid of the extra vitamins when you urinate.
Minerals
Minerals include calcium and iron amongst many others and are found in:
- meat
- cereals
- fish
- milk and dairy foods
- fruit and vegetables
- nuts
Minerals are necessary for 3 main reasons:
- building strong bones and teeth
- controlling body fluids inside and outside cells
- turning the food you eat into energy
.
Trace elements
Trace elements are also essential nutrients that your body needs to work properly, but in much smaller amounts than vitamins and minerals. They include iodine and fluorine.
Trace elements are found in small amounts in a variety of foods such as meat, fish, cereals, milk and dairy foods, vegetables and nuts.
More about minerals and trace elements
Minerals
Your body needs certain minerals to build strong bones and teeth and turn the food you eat into energy.
As with vitamins, a healthy balanced diet should provide all the minerals your body needs to work properly.
Essential minerals include calcium, iron and potassium. However, there are many more minerals your body needs to function, including:
- beta-carotene
- magnesium
- phosphorus
- silicon
- sodium
- sulphur
Calcium
There’s more calcium in your body than any other mineral.
Calcium helps to build strong bones and teeth and regulate your heartbeat. It also ensures your blood clots normally, important for healing.
Good sources of calcium include:
- dairy foods – such as milk, cheese and butter
- green leafy vegetables – such as broccoli and cabbage
- fortified soya products
- fortified cereals – including bread
- fish where you eat the bones – such as anchovies and sardines
Iron
Iron helps your body make red blood cells to carry oxygen around your body.
If you don’t have enough iron in your diet, you’re at risk of developing iron deficiency anaemia.
Good sources of iron include:
- meat – such as beef and liver
- beans
- nuts
- dried fruit – such as dried apricots
- wholegrains – such as brown rice
- fortified breakfast cereals
- most dark-green leafy vegetables – such as watercress and curly kale
Potassium
Potassium helps the body control the balance of fluids and keeps your heart healthy and functioning correctly.
Good sources of potassium include:
- fruit – such as bananas
- some vegetables – such as broccoli, parsnips and brussels sprouts
- pulses
- nuts and seeds
- fish and shellfish
- meat
Trace elements
Trace elements are also essential nutrients, however, you need them in smaller amounts than vitamins and minerals.
Essential trace elements include iodine and zinc. However, there are many more elements your body needs to function, including:
- boron
- chromium
- cobalt
- copper
- molybdenum
- manganese
- nickel
- selenium
Iodine
Iodine helps your body make the thyroid hormones that keep your cells and metabolic rate healthy.
As iodine is a trace element found mainly in seawater, rocks and some soils, good food sources include:
- fish and shellfish
- some vegetables and grains – although this depends on the type of soil where they’re grown
Zinc
Zinc helps your body:
- make new cells and enzymes
- process carbohydrate, fat and protein in food
- with the healing of wounds
Good food sources of zinc include:
- meat
- shellfish
- dairy foods
- cereal products – such as wheat germ and wholegrain bread
Vitamin (Common Names) | Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) or Daily Adequate Intake (AI)* | Upper Limit | |
Women | Men | ||
Vitamin A (preformed = retinol; beta-carotene can be converted to Vitamin A) | 700 micrograms (2,333 IU) | 900 micrograms (3,000 IU) | 3,000 micrograms (about 10,000 IU) |
Thiamin (vitamin B1) | 1.1 milligrams | 1.2 milligrams | Not known |
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 1.1 milligrams | 1.3 milligrams | Not known |
Niacin (vitamin B3; nicotinic acid) | 14 milligrams | 16 milligrams | 35 milligrams |
Pantothenic Acid (vitamin B5) | 5 milligrams* | 5 milligrams* | Not known |
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal, pyridoxine, pyridoxamine) | Ages 19-50: 1.3 milligrams Ages 51+: 1.5 milligrams | Ages 19-50: 1.3 milligrams Ages 51+: 1.7 milligrams | 100 milligrams |
Biotin (vitamin B7) | 30 micrograms* | 30 micrograms* | Not known |
Folate (Folic acid; vitamin B9) | 400 micrograms | 400 micrograms | 1,000 micrograms |
2.4 micrograms | 2.4 micrograms | Not known | |
75 milligrams* (Smokers add 35 milligrams) | 90 milligrams* (Smokers add 35 milligrams) | 2,000 milligrams | |
425 milligrams* | 550 milligrams* | 3,500 milligrams | |
Vitamin D (calciferol) | Ages 19-50: 15 micrograms (600 IU) Ages 51-70: 15 micrograms (600 IU) Ages 71+: 20 micrograms (800 IU) | Ages 19-50: 15 micrograms (600 IU) Ages 51-70: 15 micrograms (600 IU) Ages 71+: 20 micrograms (800 IU) | 100 micrograms (4,000 IU) |
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 15 milligrams | 15 milligrams | 1,000 milligrams |
Vitamin K (phylloquinone, menadione) | 90 micrograms* | 120 micrograms* | Not known |
Mineral | Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) or Daily Adequate Intake (AI)* | Upper Limit | |
Women | Men | ||
Ages 19-50: 1,000 milligrams Ages 51+: 1,200 milligrams | Ages 19-70: 1,000 milligrams Ages 71+: 1,200 milligrams | 2,500 milligrams | |
Ages 19-50: 2.3 grams* Ages 51-70: 2.0 grams* Ages 71+: 1.8 grams* | Ages 19-50: 2.3 grams* Ages 51-70: 2.0 grams* Ages 71+: 1.8 grams* | Not known | |
Ages 19-50: 25 micrograms* Ages 51+: 20 micrograms* | Ages 19-50: 35 micrograms* Ages 51+: 30 micrograms* | Not known | |
900 micrograms | 900 micrograms | 10,000 micrograms | |
3 milligrams | 4 milligrams | 10 milligrams | |
150 micrograms | 150 micrograms | 1,100 micrograms | |
Ages 19-50: 18 milligrams Ages 51+: 8 milligrams | Ages 19-50: 8 milligrams Ages 51+: 8 milligrams | 45 milligrams | |
Ages 19-30: 310 milligrams Ages 31-70+: 320 milligrams | Ages 19-30: 400 milligrams Ages 31-70+: 420 milligrams | 350 milligrams (from supplements only; extra magnesium from food is safe) | |
1.8 milligrams* | 2.3 milligrams* | 11 milligrams | |
45 micrograms | 45 micrograms | 2,000 micrograms | |
N/A** | N/A** | N/A** | |
700 milligrams | 700 milligrams | Ages 19-70: 4,000 milligrams Ages 71+: 3,000 milligrams | |
Ages 14-18: 2,300 milligrams* Ages 19+: 2,600 milligrams* | Ages 14-18: 3,000 milligrams* Ages 19+: 3,400 milligrams* | Not known | |
55 micrograms | 55 micrograms | 400 micrograms | |
1,500 milligrams* | 1,500 milligrams* | Not determined; however a chronic disease risk reduction intake has been established | |
8 milligrams | 11 milligrams | 40 milligrams | |
* Denotes Adequate Intake (AI). An AI is a recommended intake when an RDA can’t be determined. RDA is the average daily dietary intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of 97-98% of healthy individuals in a particular group according to stage of life and gender. ** May play a role in the human body, but adequate research regarding its nutritional importance is not available so RDA or AI has not been set. | |||