What are vitamins and minerals?
Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients, and are essential for our bodies to function efficiently and healthily.
Vitamins are organic substances found in plants and animals. There are two types: fat-soluble and water-soluble. The fat-soluble vitamins include A, D, E and K, dissolve in fat and can be stored by the body. The water-soluble vitamins include C and B-complex vitamins; they need to dissolve in water before the body can absorb them.
Minerals are inorganic substances found in soil and sources of water. Animals and plants absorb these minerals, and then we absorb them from the food and drinks that we consume. There are macro minerals, which are very important for our bodies, and trace minerals, which are required in much smaller amounts.
How do I get enough vitamins and minerals?
Vitamins and minerals are found in the food we eat, the water and other drinks that we consume. If we have a balanced daily diet made up of whole foods that are fresh and simply prepared, then we will digest and absorb the average amount that our bodies need.
However, with our busy modern lifestyles, and the types of foods that we consume, we may not be getting the full spectrum of vitamins and minerals. You can take a variety of single vitamin and mineral supplements in the form of tablets or liquids, or a multivitamin and mineral combined supplement.
The 12 main vitamins
A |
Liver, cod liver oil, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, butter, kale, spinach, pumpkin, collard greens, some cheeses, egg, apricot, cantaloupe melon and milk |
B1 |
Yeast, cereal grains, sunflower seeds, brown rice, wholegrain rye, asparagus, kale, cauliflower, potatoes, oranges, liver and eggs |
B2 |
Asparagus, bananas, persimmons, okra, chard, cottage cheese, milk, yoghurt, meat, eggs, fish and green beans |
B3 |
Liver, heart, kidney, chicken, beef, fish (tuna, salmon), milk, eggs, avocados, dates, tomatoes, leafy vegetables, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, asparagus, nuts, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms and brewer's yeast |
B5 |
Meats, whole grains (milling may remove these), broccoli, avocados, royal jelly and fish ovaries |
B7 |
Egg yolk, liver and some vegetables |
B9 |
Leafy vegetables, legumes, liver, baker's yeast, some fortified grain products, sunflower seeds. Several fruits have moderate amounts - as does beer |
B12 |
Fish, shellfish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, dairy products, some fortified cereals and soy products and fortified nutritional yeast |
C |
Fruit and vegetables. Liver also has vitamin C |
D |
Produced in the skin after exposure to ultraviolet B light from the sun or artificial sources. Also found in fatty fish, eggs, beef liver and mushrooms |
E |
Kiwifruit, almonds, avocados, eggs, milk, nuts, leafy green vegetables, unheated vegetable oils, wheat germ and whole grains |
K |
Leafy green vegetables, avocados, kiwifruit. Parsley also contains a substantial amount of vitamin K |
The macro minerals
Calcium |
Dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt, canned salmon and sardines with bones, leafy green vegetables such as broccoli, calcium-fortified foods such as orange juice, nut milks and cereals |
Magnesium |
Nuts and seeds, legumes, leafy green vegetables, seafood, chocolate, artichokes and ‘hard’ drinking water |
Phosphorus |
Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, some processed foods (including soda pop), almonds and tofu |
Potassium |
Bananas, tomatoes, green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli, citrus fruits such as oranges, low-fat milk and yogurt, legumes such as beans, split peas and lentils |
Sodium |
Table salt and soy sauce. Large amounts occur in processed foods, small amounts in milk, breads, vegetables and unprocessed meats |
Sulphur |
Occurs in foods as part of protein: meats, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, legumes and nuts |
Zinc |
Beef, pork, dark chicken meat, nuts such as cashews, almonds and peanuts, legumes such as beans, split peas and lentils |
The trace minerals
Chromium |
Unrefined foods, especially liver, brewer's yeast, whole grains, nuts and cheese |
Copper |
Legumes, nuts and seeds, whole grains, organ meats and drinking water |
Iodine |
Seafood, foods grown in iodine-rich soil, iodised salt, bread and dairy products |
Iron |
Meat, especially red meat, fish such as tuna and salmon, oysters, eggs, baked potatoes with skin, dried fruits, leafy green vegetables such as broccoli, whole and enriched grains and fortified cereals |
Manganese |
Seafood, nuts and seeds |
Selenium |
Meats, seafood and grains |
