What vitamins and minerals do and where to get them: quick answers
Easy guide of all of the nutrients we need
-Parents often need a quick reminder about the vitamins and minerals they read or hear about. What does that vitamin do again? Why do we need that mineral? And what are the best ways to get them?
So here are the essential vitamins and minerals, their functions in the body, and how you can get them in your diet.
Quick Guide to The Vitamins Your Family Needs
Vitamins are either absorbed with the fats in your diet (these are called Fat soluble). They stay in the cells even when there's more than enough). The others are Water soluble (they flush out into the urine when you have more than you need). When milk, cereal or other foods are fortified with a vitamin(s) or mineral(s), that means that the food didn't contain that vitamin or mineral until it was added. The most common is milk, where vitamins A and D are added because people don't usually get enough of those vitamins.
| Water Soluble/Required | Importance | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamine (B1) | Carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, nerve and muscle membranes | Grains, nuts, potatoes |
| Riboflavin (B2) | Energy use, cell respiration and repair | Dairy, meats, green vegetables, eggs, yeast |
| Pyridoxine (B6) | Enzyme activation and cofactor | Meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, legumes |
| Cyanocobalamin (B12) | Formation of genetic code, amino and fatty acid metabolism, blood cell and nerve development | Meats, eggs, milk products, fortified plant milks, fortified cereal |
| Folate | Formation of genetic code, utilization of protein | Green vegetables, nuts, liver, fortified cereal |
| Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) | Collagen formation/wound healing, immunity | Fruits (citrus), vegetables (peppers, potatoes, broccoli, greens) |
| Water Soluble/Conditional | ||
| Niacin (B3) need when prolonged diarrhea | Protein and energy utilization | Grains, poultry, fish |
| Choline Usually can be manufactured | Cell transport signaling and integrating | Milk, eggs, liver, peanuts |
| Biotin needed when tube feedings, excess egg whites | Energy metabolism activation of folate | Intestinal bacteria, organ meats, yeast, soy, nuts, cereals |
| Pantothenic acidUsually can be manufactured | Fat metabolism | Meats, whole grains, legumes, vegetables |
| Fat-Soluble Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin A | Vision, skin integrity, gene expression | Yellow/ orange fruits and vegetables, fortified milk, fish oils |
| Vitamin D | Calcium and phosphorus absorption, possible immune regulation | Sun, fish, eggs, fortified milk products, fortified plant milks, fortified cereal |
| Vitamin E | Cell membrane stability, antioxidant | Fruits, vegetables, meats, oils, sunflower seeds |
| Vitamin K | Clotting | Intestinal bacteria, meats, green vegetables, prunes, chia seeds |
Adapted from Stan Cohen, What to Feed Your Baby, Rowman & Littlefield, 2013.
Quick Guide to The Minerals Your Family Needs
We tend to forget about the minerals that we get from the plants. They are important. At the same time, some of the green vegetables contain phytates that hold on to the minerals tightly so our bodies can't absorb them very well (that even happens with the iron in spinach). <<iron>>
| Water Soluble/Required | Importance | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Water Soluble/Required | Importance | Sources |
| Calcium | Bone formation, nerve signaling, hormone secretion | Dairy, broccoli, kale, fortified plant milk and cereal |
| Copper | Creation of bone structure, energy metabolism | Seafood |
| Chromium | Sugar metabolism | Meats, fish, grains, Brewer's yeast |
| Fluoride | Strengthening of teeth, bone formation | Fluoridated water, toothpaste, mouth rinses |
| Iron | Transportation of oxygen and energy | Meats, beans, iron-fortified cereals |
| Magnesium | Bone metabolism, metabolic processes | Grains, nuts, leafy vegetables |
| Manganese | Protein and fat metabolism, bone formation | Vegetables, grains, organ meats |
| Potassium | Regulation of fluids in cells, nerve signaling, heart contractions | Fruits (bananas, oranges), vegetables |
| Selenium | Antioxidant (similar to vitamin E), part of enzyme system | Brazil nuts, Vegetables, meats, fruits, milk products |
| Sodium | Regulation of hydration and fluid in blood vessels | Salt in food preparation, processed foods |
| Zinc | Protein and fat formation, processing of genetic codes | Fish (oysters), meats |
Adapted from Stan Cohen, Healthy Babies, Happy Kids (New York: Delilah Books, 1982) and What to Feed Your Baby (Rowman & Littlefield, 2013).
