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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- Compiled by Robert Junker, last updated August 10, 2019.
- Spotted an error or any important minerals not on our list? Please add your comments below…
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