Healthy vitamin choices -
You likely already eat plenty of foods high in sodium, such as bread, pasta, soup, deli meat, sauces and dressings, broths, stocks, canned foods, frozen foods and snack foods. Most people don't need to increase their sodium intake and should limit sodium-rich foods if they tend to eat more than the recommended daily allowance of 2, milligrams.
Another important electrolyte, potassium supports a regular and healthy heartbeat, offsets sodium's effect on blood pressure, supports nerve function and muscle contraction, and moves waste products out of cells.
Foods high in potassium include:. Chloride is an electrolyte that works with sodium and potassium to fulfill a variety of roles in the body.
Dietary chloride primarily comes from table salt and sea salt, and most people get enough through the foods they eat daily, but you can maximize chloride intake by eating these foods:.
Your body uses sulfur to repair DNA, protect your cells against damage, metabolize food and provide structure to your skin and other connective tissues. It's an important trace mineral you can get from a variety of foods, including:.
Most people know iron for its role in blood production. Most of the iron in your body is found in hemoglobin and myoglobin , two substances essential to the transport and transferring of oxygen throughout your body.
The top food sources of iron include:. This trace mineral is a cofactor for many enzymes, which means it plays a role in lots of chemical reactions that occur in your body, including the metabolism of carbs and protein.
The best food sources of manganese are:. Like manganese, copper is a cofactor for several enzymes. It's also important for proper brain development and connective tissue integrity.
Here's where to find copper in food:. Your body needs iodine for proper thyroid function: Without it, your body can't make enough thyroid hormones. Iodine is especially important for babies and pregnant women, because this mineral is crucial to bone and brain formation.
The primary source of iodine in the American diet is iodized salt. If you consume a lot of salt, you probably get enough iodine.
But in case you don't, you can find iodine in these other foods:. Zinc , the mineral popularized for its rumored defenses against COVID , has long been an ingredient in cold medications and throat lozenges.
In addition to its well-known role in immune function, zinc also contributes to wound healing and protein synthesis. The best food sources of zinc include:. Cobalt is found in the body as part of vitamin B and helps your body process and absorb the vitamin. Most foods contain trace amounts of cobalt, but foods high in vitamin B are particularly high in cobalt.
Fluoride keeps your teeth healthy and strong. It also spurs new bone formation, so it's especially important for infants and children. Most drinking water contains fluoride, although if you have well water, it may not be fluoridated.
But what does your body really need? And is it possible to get too much of a good thing? Your body needs vitamins and minerals to work properly.
You get them from the foods you eat every day. Minerals are inorganic elements that come from soil and water, and are absorbed by plants or eaten by animals. Your body needs larger amounts of some minerals, such as calcium , to grow and stay healthy.
Other minerals like chromium, copper, iodine, iron, selenium, and zinc are called trace minerals because you need only very small amounts of them. Vitamins and minerals boost the immune system , support normal growth and development, and help cells and organs do their jobs.
For example, you've probably heard that carrots are good for your eyes. It's true! Carrots are full of substances called carotenoids pronounced: kuh-RAH-teh-noydz that your body converts into vitamin A, which helps prevent eye problems. Vitamin K helps blood to clot, so cuts and scrapes stop bleeding quickly.
You'll find vitamin K in green leafy vegetables, broccoli, and soybeans. And to have strong bones, you need to eat foods such as milk, yogurt, and green leafy vegetables, which are rich in the mineral calcium.
Eating well now is especially important because the body needs a variety of vitamins and minerals to grow and stay healthy.
Eating a mix of foods is the best way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need each day. Fruits and vegetables , whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, fish, and poultry are the best choices for getting the nutrients your body needs.
Vitamin E is also vulnerable to heat especially cooking methods such as deep frying. Deficiency is rare but can happen in people with diseases that cause fat malabsorption like cystic fibrosis.
We get vitamin K from food and the bacteria in our gastrointestinal tract. Newborn babies are given a booster to increase their vitamin K levels because they are born without bacteria in their gastrointestinal tract. We get much of our vitamin K from our diet.
Vitamin K deficiency is unlikely except when fat is not absorbed properly or when certain medications are used. For example, antibiotics can kill the gastrointestinal bacteria that produce vitamin K. Additionally, anticoagulant drugs or blood thinners may cause problems with vitamin K in the body.
Check with your doctor if you have any concerns. Although the amount you need differs between minerals, major or macrominerals are generally required in larger amounts. Some examples include calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, sodium, chloride, magnesium. Trace minerals microminerals , although equally important to bodily functions are required in smaller amounts.
Examples include iron, zinc, copper, manganese, and iodine selenium. Calcium is vital to keep our bones strong and healthy. Calcium helps:. At different life stages, our calcium needs vary. It is better to get calcium from foods than from calcium supplements.
Good sources of calcium include dairy foods like milk, yoghurt and cheese and some plant-based foods with added calcium for example, soymilk, tofu and breakfast cereals. Iodine is essential to make thyroid hormones. These hormones control your metabolic rate the rate your body uses energy when it is resting.
They also help your brain and body grow and develop. We only need a very small amount of iodine in our diet. Iodine is found naturally in foods such as:.
Iodine can also be found in iodised salt. All bought breads except organic in Australia are fortified with iodised salt. You are likely to be getting enough iodine through your diet.
However, if you are deficient and need to take a supplement, be guided by your doctor. Too much iodine can be harmful, especially if you have an underlying thyroid disorder. Iron is an important mineral that is involved in various bodily functions, including the transport of oxygen in the blood the provision of energy to cells.
It also vital to help our immune system function effectively to fight infection. Iron deficiency is common and can affect adults and children. Around one in 8 people do not consume enough iron to meet their needs.
Some factors such as certain foods and drinks can affect how much iron your body absorbs. Also, some groups are more at risk of iron deficiency, such as babies and young children, teenage girls, women with heavy periods , vegans and vegetarians and people with chronic conditions. Zinc is an important mineral involved in various bodily functions — growth and development as well as immune function.
Zinc is highest in protein-rich foods but may also be found in some plant foods. Dietary sources include:. Magnesium is important due to its many functions in the body — including maintaining bone health and using glucose for energy.
Potassium is important for the nerves, muscles and heart to work properly. It also helps lower blood pressure. Our bodies are designed for a high-potassium diet, not a high-salt diet. Food processing tends to lower the potassium levels in many foods while increasing the sodium content.
It is much better to eat unprocessed foods — such as fruit, vegetables and lean meats, eggs, fish and other healthy, everyday foods. Be guided by your doctor, some people with kidney disease , or who are taking some medications, need to be careful not to get too much potassium in their diet.
A small amount of sodium is important for good health as it helps to maintain the correct volume of circulating blood and tissue fluids in the body. Most of us are consuming far more sodium than we need. In fact, many Australians are consuming almost double the amount required.
Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure hypertension and other health conditions. Salt is the main source of sodium in our diet. It is a chemical compound electrolyte made up of sodium and chloride. Many foods — wholegrains, meat and dairy products — naturally contain small amounts of sodium, while highly processed foods usually contain large amounts.
The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K can be locked away in the liver and body fat, and stored for a long time. The water-soluble vitamins, including B-complex and vitamin C, are mostly only stored for a shorter period. A vitamin deficiency takes weeks or months before it will affect your health.
For instance, it would take months of no vitamin C before you developed scurvy. Vitamin and mineral supplements may be recommended in certain circumstances to correct vitamin and mineral deficiencies — such as folate for women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy.
Others who may be at risk of a vitamin or mineral deficiency include:. Remember, supplements are a short-term measure and should only be taken on advice from your doctor or a dietitian.
An occasional lapse in good eating will not harm you, if your usual diet consists of a wide variety of fresh foods. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. Learn all about alcohol - includes standard drink size, health risks and effects, how to keep track of your drinking, binge drinking, how long it takes to leave the body, tips to lower intake.
The Alexander technique stresses that movement should be economical and needs only the minimum amount of energy and effort.
A common misconception is that anorexia nervosa only affects young women, but it affects all genders of all ages.
New research shows little risk of infection from prostate biopsies. Discrimination Gluten-free lentil recipes work is Gluten-free lentil recipes choiced high Healyhy pressure. Icy Gluten-free lentil recipes and Heallthy Poor Sports drinks for long rides or Raynaud's phenomenon? Vitamins and minerals are as essential for living as air and water. Not only do they keep your body healthy and functionalthey protect you from a variety of diseases. Vitamins and minerals get thrown together, but they are quite different. Vitamins are organic substances produced by plants or animals.Healthy vitamin choices -
If it's safe for you to eat more vitamin K-containing foods, try adding these sources to your diet:. In addition to vitamins, the human body requires several minerals to function optimally. Mineral deficiencies are often responsible for symptoms like fatigue, poor sleep, low moods and lack of focus.
You need two types of minerals to support your health: macrominerals, which you need in large amounts, and trace minerals, which you need in smaller quantities.
The macrominerals include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride and sulfur. Trace minerals include iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride and selenium. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body -- you need plenty of it to keep your bones and teeth healthy, as well as support muscle and nerve function.
The best sources of calcium include:. Phosphorus helps form your bones and teeth, makes protein for tissue growth and repair, and produces the molecules your cells use for energy. These foods contain ample phosphorus:.
Many plant foods contain phosphorus, but most plants store the mineral as phytic acid, which humans can't digest or absorb. The best way to get phosphorus is from animal foods. Like the other macrominerals, magnesium supports nerve and muscle function, as well as bone and heart health.
You can find magnesium in:. This electrolyte is essential for maintaining fluid balance in your body and helping your muscles contract, among other things. Many people try to limit their sodium intake and some people need to , but consuming too little sodium can lead to health problems just like consuming too much can.
The foods highest in sodium generally aren't the healthiest sources of sodium, and sometimes a single savory snack can nearly reach the daily recommended sodium limit.
However, some whole foods contain trace amounts of sodium, including:. You likely already eat plenty of foods high in sodium, such as bread, pasta, soup, deli meat, sauces and dressings, broths, stocks, canned foods, frozen foods and snack foods. Most people don't need to increase their sodium intake and should limit sodium-rich foods if they tend to eat more than the recommended daily allowance of 2, milligrams.
Another important electrolyte, potassium supports a regular and healthy heartbeat, offsets sodium's effect on blood pressure, supports nerve function and muscle contraction, and moves waste products out of cells. Foods high in potassium include:. Chloride is an electrolyte that works with sodium and potassium to fulfill a variety of roles in the body.
Dietary chloride primarily comes from table salt and sea salt, and most people get enough through the foods they eat daily, but you can maximize chloride intake by eating these foods:.
Your body uses sulfur to repair DNA, protect your cells against damage, metabolize food and provide structure to your skin and other connective tissues. It's an important trace mineral you can get from a variety of foods, including:. Most people know iron for its role in blood production.
Most of the iron in your body is found in hemoglobin and myoglobin , two substances essential to the transport and transferring of oxygen throughout your body. The top food sources of iron include:. This trace mineral is a cofactor for many enzymes, which means it plays a role in lots of chemical reactions that occur in your body, including the metabolism of carbs and protein.
The best food sources of manganese are:. Like manganese, copper is a cofactor for several enzymes. It's also important for proper brain development and connective tissue integrity. Here's where to find copper in food:. Your body needs iodine for proper thyroid function: Without it, your body can't make enough thyroid hormones.
Iodine is especially important for babies and pregnant women, because this mineral is crucial to bone and brain formation.
The primary source of iodine in the American diet is iodized salt. If you consume a lot of salt, you probably get enough iodine.
But in case you don't, you can find iodine in these other foods:. Zinc , the mineral popularized for its rumored defenses against COVID , has long been an ingredient in cold medications and throat lozenges.
In addition to its well-known role in immune function, zinc also contributes to wound healing and protein synthesis. The best food sources of zinc include:. Cobalt is found in the body as part of vitamin B and helps your body process and absorb the vitamin.
Most foods contain trace amounts of cobalt, but foods high in vitamin B are particularly high in cobalt. Vitamins and minerals boost the immune system , support normal growth and development, and help cells and organs do their jobs. For example, you've probably heard that carrots are good for your eyes.
It's true! Carrots are full of substances called carotenoids pronounced: kuh-RAH-teh-noydz that your body converts into vitamin A, which helps prevent eye problems.
Vitamin K helps blood to clot, so cuts and scrapes stop bleeding quickly. You'll find vitamin K in green leafy vegetables, broccoli, and soybeans. And to have strong bones, you need to eat foods such as milk, yogurt, and green leafy vegetables, which are rich in the mineral calcium.
Eating well now is especially important because the body needs a variety of vitamins and minerals to grow and stay healthy. Eating a mix of foods is the best way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need each day. Fruits and vegetables , whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, fish, and poultry are the best choices for getting the nutrients your body needs.
When deciding what to eat, check food labels and pick items that are high in vitamins and minerals. For example, when choosing drinks, you'll find that a glass of milk is a good source of vitamin D, calcium, phosphorous, and potassium.
A glass of soda, on the other hand, doesn't have any vitamins or minerals. You can also satisfy your taste buds without sacrificing nutrition while dining out : vegetable pizzas or fajitas, sandwiches with lean cuts of meat, fresh salads, and baked potatoes are just a few delicious, nutritious choices.
If you're a vegetarian , you'll need to plan carefully for a diet that includes the vitamins and minerals you need. The best sources for the minerals zinc and iron are meats, fish, and poultry. But you can get these from dried beans, seeds, nuts, and leafy green vegetables like kale. Vitamin B12 is important for making red blood cells and keeping nerves working well.
It is found only in animal products. If you don't eat meat, you can get vitamin B12 from eggs, milk and other dairy foods, and fortified breakfast cereals. Vegans vegetarians who eat no animal products at all, including dairy products may need to take vitamin B12 supplements.
Lots of people wonder if they should take vitamin or mineral supplements. If your diet includes a wide variety of foods — including whole-grain products, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, nuts, seeds, eggs, and meats — you probably get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.
There are many supplements on the market, and of course their makers want you to buy them. Beware of unproven claims about the benefits of taking more than recommended amounts of any vitamin or mineral. Healthy teens usually don't need supplements if they eat a well-rounded diet.
Last Updated Gluten-free lentil recipes This article was Healthy vitamin choices by familydoctor. vitanin editorial staff and reviewed by Health S. Patel, MD, Cnoices, FACSM. Micronutrients are the vvitamin and minerals Stability ball exercises in food. They nourish your body and are essential to your overall health. Choosing foods each day that are rich in vitamins and minerals is the best way to give your body what it needs to be healthy. This is because it is easier for your body to absorb micronutrients through food than a multivitamin alone. We include products we think are Healthy vitamin choices for our readers. If you buy choicces links chiices this page, we may earn a small Hyperglycemic crisis in type diabetes. Healthline only shows you brands and Healthy vitamin choices Healtgy we stand behind. Gluten-free lentil recipes choicew should aim to get your necessary nutrients from food by eating a varied diet, multivitamins may help if you are unable to or if you have a deficiency. And the top of that list? On top of that, there may be other life factors that make supplementation necessary — pregnancymenopause, or even chronic conditions. One review found that vitamin deficiencies are commonly linked to chronic diseases, and supplementation may help.
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