edible nuts and seeds

Minerals and Trace Elements

List of Important Minerals and Trace Elements

Minerals play an important role in a healthy lifestyle. Your skin, eyes, hair, mouth and nails can all indicate early outward warning signs of mineral deficiencies.

Important! This ADDucation list of minerals and trace elements does not constitute medical advice and is published for information only. Women, men, babies and children all have different requirements so eating a regular healthy diet is important. Tips: Click column headings with arrows to sort minerals. Click the + icon to expand columns on tablets and mobiles. Resize browser to see more/less columns.

Minerals Mineral rich food sources Mineral Important for Deficiency symptoms may include:
Calcium milk, cheese, eggs, dairy foods, broccoli, cabbage, soya beans, most green leafy vegetables, tofu, nuts, bread, soft fish bones, e.g. pilchards and sardines Growth, bone strength, teeth, nails, muscles, nerves, blood, normal blood clotting, helps regulate muscle contractions – including heartbeat Numbness and tingling in the fingers, abnormal heart rhythms, soft bones, rickets in children, osteoporosis (brittle bones) in later life
Chrome Whole grain, nuts, fruit, meat, liver, yeast Normal metabolism Unknown
Iron Whole grain, egg yolks, red meat, shellfish, nuts, legumes & Dried Fruits Component of hemoglobin (pigment of red blood cells), nerve cells Anemia, gastrointestinal problems, fatigue
Fluorine Black tea, sardines Bones, teeth (prevents cavities) Tooth damage
Iodine Salt, shellfish, plaice, saithe, drinking water, sea fish, sea vegetables, some cereals and grains, eggs, strawberries, yoghourt Regulating vital thyroid hormones Formation of a goiter (swelling), metabolic disorder, brittle nails, dry skin and hair, hair loss, cold hands and feet, difficulty swallowing, high cholesterol, hoarseness, lethargy, poor memory, poor concentration, slower heartbeat, throat pain, weight gain
Potassium All foods, whole grains, fruits, bananas, potatoes, vegetables, meat, dairy products Component of liquid in cells, muscle and nerve activity, strengthens the heart, regulates digestion Muscle weakness, functional disorders of the heart
Copper Whole grain, nuts, meat, liver, fish and shellfish Formation of red blood cells Anemia, low white blood cells, hair color changes
Magnesium Whole grain, nuts, green vegetables, bananas, liver, meat, milk, fish, poultry Bone and tooth formation, heart, nerve and muscle activity, metabolism Muscle cramps, spasms, tremors, irregular heartbeat, nausea, agitation, diabetes
Manganese Whole grains, vegetables, nuts Activity of many enzymes Decreased growth
Sodium Almost all foods, table salt. Blood, muscle and nerve function Muscle cramps, twitching
Phosphorus Whole grain, legumes, nuts, eggs, meat, fish and dairy products Healthy bones and teeth, formation of DNA and metabolism Very rare
Sulphur Protein-rich foods, meat, eggs, milk, legumes Many proteins, such as insulin Not known
Selenium Whole grain, meat, liver, shellfish Functional ability of the liver Very rare, anemia
Vanadium Legumes and seafood, nuts Encouragement of glycolysis growth in the liver
Zinc Whole wheat, meat, liver, yeast, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, lentils, white beans More than 300 enzymes, growth, immune system, wound healing, and sperm production, metabolism Impaired wound healing, impaired mental, physical and sexual development, loss of sense of smell

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