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Food Sources for Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamin or Mineral	Examples of Good Food Sources	What It Does	Recommended Daily Amount (RDA) or Adequate	Upper Limit(The Highest Amount You Can Take Without Risk
Calcium	Milk, yogurt, hard cheeses, fortified cereals, spinach	Essential for bone growth and strength, blood clotting, muscle contraction, and the transmission of nerve signals	Adults age 19-50: 1,000 milligrams/day Adults age 51 and up: 1,200 milligrams/day	2,500 milligrams/day
Choline (Vitamin B complex)	Milk, liver, eggs, peanuts	Plays a key role in the production of cells and neurotransmitters	Men: 550 milligrams/day Women: 425 milligrams/day Pregnant women: 450 milligrams/day Breastfeeding women: 550 milligrams/day	3,500 milligrams/day
Chromium	Meats, poultry, fish, some cereals	Helps control blood sugar levels	Adult men age 19-50: 35 micrograms/day Adult men age 51 and up: 30 micrograms/day Adult women age 19-50: 25 micrograms/day Adult women age 51 and up: 20 micrograms/day Pregnant women: 30 micrograms/day Breastfeeding women: 45 micrograms/day	Unknown
Copper	Seafood, nuts, seeds, wheat bran cereals, whole grains	Important in the metabolism of iron	Adults: 900 micrograms/day Pregnant women: 1,000 micrograms/day Breastfeeding women: 1,300 micrograms/day	10,000 micrograms/day
Fiber	Bran cereal, peas, lentils, black beans, fruits, vegetables	Helps with digestion and the maintenance of blood sugar levels; reduces the risk of heart disease	Adult men age 19-50: 38 grams/day Adult men age 51 and up: 30 grams/day Adult women age 19-50: 25 grams/day Adult women age 51 and up: 21 grams/day Pregnant women: 28 grams/day Breastfeeding women: 29 grams/day	None
Fluoride	Fluoridated water, some sea fish, some toothpastes and mouth rinses	Prevents the formation of toothcavities and stimulates the growth of bone	Adult men: 4 milligrams/day Adult women (including pregnant and breastfeeding): 3 milligrams/day	10 milligrams/day
Folic Acid (Folate)	Dark, leafy vegetables; enriched and whole grain breads; fortified cereals	Key for the development of cells, protein metabolism and heart health; in pregnant women, helps prevent birth defects	Adults: 400 micrograms/day Pregnant women: 600 micrograms/day Breastfeeding women: 500 micrograms/day	1,000 micrograms/day
Iodine	Processed foods and iodized salt	Important in the production of thyroid hormones	Adults: 150 micrograms/day Pregnant women: 220 micrograms/day Breastfeeding women: 290 micrograms/day	1,100 micrograms/day
Iron	Fortified cereals, beans, lentils, beef, eggs	Key component of red blood cells and many enzymes	Men: 8 milligrams/day Women age 19-50: 18 milligrams/day Women age 51 and up: 8 milligrams/day Pregnant women: 27 milligrams/day Breastfeeding women: 9 milligrams/day	45 milligrams/day
Magnesium	Green leafy vegetables, Brazil nuts, almonds, soybeans, halibut, quinoa	Helps with heart rhythm, muscle and nerve function, bone strength	Adult men age 19-30: 400 milligrams/day Adult men age 31 and up: 420 milligrams/day Adult women age 19-30: 310 milligrams/day Adult women age 31 and up: 320 milligrams/day Pregnant women: 350-360 milligrams/day Breastfeeding women: 310-320 milligrams/day	For magnesium in food and water, there is no upper limit. For magnesium in supplements or fortified foods: 350 milligrams/day
Manganese	Nuts, beans and other legumes, tea, whole grains	Important in forming bones and some enzymes	Men: 2.3 milligrams/day Adult women: 1.8 milligrams/day Pregnant women: 2.0 milligrams/day Breastfeeding women: 2.6 milligrams/day	11 milligrams/day
Molybdenum	Legumes, grains, nuts	Key in the production of some enzymes	Adults: 45 micrograms/day Pregnant and breastfeeding women: 50 micrograms/day	2,000 micrograms/day
Phosphorus	Milk and other dairy products, peas, meat, eggs, some cereals and breads	Allows cells to function normally; helps the body produce energy; key in bone growth	Adults: 700 milligrams/day	Adults up to age 70: 4,000 milligrams/day Adults over age 70: 3,000 milligrams/day Pregnant women: 3500 milligrams/day Breastfeeding women: 4,000 milligrams/day
Potassium	Sweet potato, bananas, yogurt, yellowfin tuna, soybeans	Important in maintaining normal fluid balance; helps control blood pressure; reduces risk of kidney stones	Adults: 4,700 milligrams per day Breastfeeding women: 5,100 milligrams/day	Unknown
Selenium	Organ meats, seafood, some plants (if grown in soil with selenium) Brazil nuts.	Protects cells from damage; regulates thyroid hormone	Adults: 55 micrograms/day Pregnant women: 60 micrograms/day Breastfeeding women: 70 micrograms/day	400 micrograms/day
Sodium	Foods to which sodium chloride (salt) has been added, like salted meats, nuts, butter, and a vast number of processed foods	Important for fluid balance	Adults age 19-50: 1500 milligrams/day Adults age 51-70: 1,300 milligrams/day Adults age 71 and up: 1,200 milligrams/day	2,300 milligrams/day
Vitamin A	Sweet potato with peel, carrots, spinach, fortified cereals	Necessary for normal vision, immune function, reproduction	Men: 900 micrograms/day Women: 700 micrograms/day	3,000 micrograms/day
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)	Whole grain, enriched, fortified products; bread; cereals	Allows the body to process carbohydrates and some protein.	Men: 1.2 milligrams/day Women: 1.1 milligrams/day Pregnant and breastfeeding women: 1.4 milligrams/day	Unknown
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	Milk, bread products, fortified cereals	Key in metabolism and the conversion of food into energy; helps produce red blood cells	Men: 1.3 milligrams/day Women: 1.1 milligrams/day Pregnant Women: 1.4 milligrams/day Breastfeeding Women: 1.6 milligrams/day	Unknown
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)	Meat, fish, poultry, enriched and whole grain breads, fortified cereals	Assists in digestion and the conversion of food into energy; important in the production of cholesterol	Men: 16 milligrams/day Women: 14 milligrams/day Pregnant Women: 18 milligrams/day ? Breastfeeding women: 17 milligrams/day	For niacin in natural sources, there is no upper limit. For niacin in supplements or fortified foods: 35 milligrams/day
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)	Chicken, beef, potatoes, oats, cereals, tomatoes	Important in fatty acid metabolism	Adults: 5 milligrams/day Pregnant women: 6 milligrams/day Breastfeeding women: 7 milligrams/day	Unknown
Vitamin B6	Fortified cereals, fortified soy products, organ meats	Important for the nervous system; helps the body metabolize proteins and sugar	Men age 19-50: 1.3 milligrams/day Men age 51 up: 1.7 milligrams/day Women age 19-50: 1.3 milligrams/day Women age 51 up: 1.5 milligrams/day Pregnant women: 1.9 milligrams/day Breastfeeding women: 2 milligrams/day	100 milligrams/day
Vitamin B7 (Biotin)	Liver, fruits, meats	Helps with the synthesis of fats, glycogen and amino acids	Adults: 30 micrograms/day Breastfeeding women: 35 micrograms/day	Unknown
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)	Fish, poultry, meat, fortified cereals	Important in the production of red blood cells	Adults: 2.4 micrograms/day Pregnant women: 2.6 micrograms/day Breastfeeding women: 2.8 micrograms/day	Unknown
Vitamin C	Red and green peppers, kiwis, oranges, strawberries, broccoli	Antioxidant that protects against cell damage, boosts the immune system, forms collagen in the body	Men: 90 milligrams/day Women: 75 milligrams/day Pregnant women: 85 milligrams/day Breastfeeding women: 120 milligrams/day	2,000 milligrams/day
Vitamin D (Calciferol)	Fish liver oils, fatty fish, fortified milk products, fortified cereals; also, formed naturally as a result of sunlight exposure	Crucial in metabolizing calcium for healthy bones	Adults age 18-50: 5 micrograms/day Adults age 51-70: 10 micrograms/day Adults over age 70: 15 micrograms/day Pregnant and breastfeeding women: 5 micrograms/day	50 micrograms/day
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	Fortified cereals, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanut butter, vegetable oils	Antioxidant that protects cells against damage	Adults (including pregnant women): 15 milligrams/day Breastfeeding women: 19	1,000 milligrams/day
Vitamin K	Green vegetables like spinach, collards, and broccoli; brussels sprouts; cabbage	Important in blood clotting and bone health	Men: 120 micrograms/day ___ Women (including pregnant and breastfeeding): 90 micrograms/day	Unknown
Zinc	Red meats, some seafood, fortified cereals	Supports the body's immunity and nerve function; important in reproduction	Men: 11 milligrams/day ___ Women: 8 milligrams/day Pregnant women: 11 milligrams/day Breastfeeding women: 12 milligrams/day

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