Vitamins and minerals: Good food sources

When it comes to vitamins and minerals, you're probably looking for one piece of information: How much do you need? Here's a list to help you. It gives you UK information on the vitamins and minerals you should get - preferably from food - along with details of a couple of other important nutrients and electrolytes.

Vitamin/mineral

What it does

Sources

UK RDA

Vitamin A

Helps maintain a healthy immunity immune system, vision & skin.

You should be able to get all the vitamin A you need from your diet.

Good food sources A include: cheese, eggs, oily fish, milk, fortified low-fat spreads, yoghurt, liver (don't eat liver if pregnant).

0.7mg a day for men

0.6mg a day for women

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 allows the body to use and store energy from protein and carbohydrates and is essential for haemoglobin in the blood. You should be able to get all the vitamin B6 you need from your diet.

Vitamin B6 is found in: pork, chicken, turkey, cod, bread, whole cereals, such as oatmeal, wheat germ and rice, eggs, vegetables, soya beans, peanuts, milk, potatoes, some fortified breakfast cereals.

1.4mg a day for men

1.2mg a day for women

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 helps make red blood cells and maintains a healthy nervous system. It also helps release energy from food. If you eat meat, fish or dairy products, you should be able to get enough vitamin B12 from your diet. A lack of vitamin B12 may lead to vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia.

Good sources of vitamin B12 include: meat, salmon, cod, milk, cheese, eggs, yeast extract, some fortified breakfast cereals.

Adults need around 0.0015mg a day of vitamin B12.

Niacin/vitamin B3

Niacin or vitamin B3 helps produce energy from foods and is essential to our nervous systems and digestion. You should be able to get all the niacin/B3 you need from your diet.

Good sources of niacin include: meat, fish, wheat flour, maize flour, eggs, milk.

17mg a day for men

13mg a day for women

Pantothenic acid

Pantothenic acid helps release energy from our food. You should be able to get all the pantothenic acid you need from your diet. The body doesn't store up pantothenic acid, so you need to eat some food which contains it every day.

Good sources of pantothenic acid inclide: chicken, beef, potatoes, porridge, tomatoes, kidney, eggs, broccoli, wholegrains, such as brown rice and wholemeal bread, some fortified breakfast cereals.

Riboflavin/vitamin B2

Riboflavin is also called as vitamin B2. It is essential for healthy skin, eyes and your nervous system, You should be able to get all the riboflavin you need from your diet. It cannot be stored in the body.

Good sources of riboflavin/B2 include: milk, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals, rice, mushrooms.

1.3mg a day for men

1.1mg a day for women

Thiamin/vitamin B1

Thiamin, or vitamin B1, is essential for energy release from food, healthy nerves and muscle tissue. You should be able to get all the thiamin you need from your diet. It cannot be stored in the body.

Good sources of thiamin/B1 include: pork, vegetables, milk, cheese, peas, fresh and dried fruit, eggs, wholegrain breads, some fortified breakfast cereals.

1mg a day for men

0.8mg a day for women

Folic acid

Folic acid, also known as folate, is another B vitamin essential healthy red blood cells, nervous system and is especially important for pregnanct women – who should talk to their doctor or midwife about folic acid supplements. Most people should be able to get all the folic acid they need from their diet. Folate isn't stored up by the body.

Good sources of folate include: broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus, peas, chickpeas, brown rice, fortified breakfast cereals.

Adults need 0.2mg of folate every day. Women in the first 12 weeks or pregnancy, or trying to become pregnant are advised to take a 400mcg folic acid supplement daily

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, helps protect cells, tissue and organs. Not getting enough vitamin C can cause scurvy. The body doesn't store up vitamin C, but most people should be able get all the vitamin C they need from their diet.

Good sources of vitamin C include: peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, oranges, kiwi fruit.

Adults need 40mg of vitamin C a day.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D works with calcium to help maintain healthy bones and teeth. Most people can get enough vitamin D from their diet and sunlight. The body can store it for future use. Not getting enough vitamin D can lead to rickets. Some summer sunlight – without getting sun burn – helps vitamin D to forms under the skin.

Good food sources of vitamin D include: oily fish, eggs, fortified spreads, fortified breakfast cereals, powdered milk.

The Department of Health recommends a daily vitamin D supplement for some people: all children aged six months to five years old, all pregnant and breastfeeding women, all people aged 65 and over, people who are not exposed to much sun, such as people who cover up their skin for cultural reasons or those who are housebound or confined indoors for long periods, people with darker skins such as people of African-Caribbean and South Asian origin.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E helps to protect cell membranes. You should be able to get all the vitamin E you need from your diet. The body can store it for future use.

Good sources of vitamin E include: plant oils such as soya, corn and olive oil, nuts and seeds, wheat germ, found in cereals and cereal products.

4mg a day for men

3mg a day for women

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting and maintaining strong bones. You should be able to get all the vitamin K you need from your diet. The body does store it for later use.

Good sources of vitamin K include: green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach, vegetable oils, cereals, meat and dairy foods (smaller amounts).

Approximately 0.001mg a day of vitamin K for each kilo of body weight.

Calcium

Calcium helps to build strong bones and teeth, is essential for healthy muscles, the heart and blood. You should be able to get all the calcium you need from daily diet. Not getting enough calcium may lead to rickets.

Good sources of calcium include: milk, cheese and other dairy products, green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage and okra (not spinach), soya beans, tofu, soya drinks with added calcium, nuts, fortified flour, fish where you eat the bones, including sardines and pilchards.

Adults need 700mg of calcium a day.

Iron

Iron is a mineral that essential for healthy red blood cells. You should e able to get enough of it from your diet, but a lack of iron can lead to iron deficiency anaemia. Drinking too much tea or coffee can lower iron levels.

Good sources of iron include: liver (not if pregnant), meat, beans, nuts, dried fruit, such as dried apricots, wholegrains (such as brown rice), fortified breakfast cereals, soybean flour, dark-green leafy vegetables including watercress and curly kale (not spinach).

8.7mg a day for men

14.8mg a day for women