Minerals << Nutrition Basics << Staying Active and Eating Healthy << womenshealth.gov

About Minerals

Like vitamins, minerals are substances found in food that your body needs for growth and health. There are two kinds of minerals: macrominerals and trace minerals. Macrominerals are minerals your body needs in larger amounts. They include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and chloride. Your body needs just small amounts of trace minerals. These include iron, copper, iodine, zinc, fluoride, and selenium.

Below is a list of the minerals, some of their actions, and good food sources.

Minerals, Some of their Actions, and Good Food Sources

Mineral

Actions

Sources

Calcium

Needed for forming bones and teeth
Helps nerves and muscles function

Canned salmon with bones, sardines, milk, cheese, yogurt, Chinese cabbage, bok choy, kale, collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, broccoli, and calcium-fortified orange juice.

Chloride

Needed for keeping the right amounts of water in the different parts of your body

Salt, seaweed, rye, tomatoes, lettuce, celery, olives, sardines, beef, pork, and cheese.

Copper

Helps protect cells from damage
Needed for forming bone and red blood cells

Organ meats, shellfish (especially oysters), chocolate, mushrooms, nuts, beans, and whole-grain cereals.

Fluoride

Needed for forming bones and teeth

Saltwater fish, tea, coffee, and fluoridated water.

Iodine

Needed for thyroid gland function

Seafood, iodized salt, and drinking water (in regions with iodine-rich soil, which are usually regions near an ocean).

Iron

Helps red blood cells deliver oxygen to body tissues
Helps muscles function

Red meats, poultry, fish, liver, soybean flour, eggs, beans, lentils, peas, molasses, spinach, turnip greens, clams, dried fruit (apricots, prunes, and raisins), whole grains, and fortified breakfast cereals.

Magnesium

Needed for forming bones and teeth
Needed for normal nerve and muscle function

Green leafy vegetables, nuts, bran cereal, seafood, milk, cheese, and yogurt.

Phosphorus

Needed for forming bones and teeth
Needed for storing energy from food

Milk, yogurt, cheese, red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, peas, and some cereals and breads.

Potassium

Needed for normal nerve and muscle function
Needed for keeping the right amounts of water in the different parts of your body

Milk, bananas, tomatoes, oranges, melons, potatoes, sweet potatoes, prunes, raisins, spinach, turnip greens, collard greens, kale, most peas and beans, and salt substitutes (potassium chloride).

Selenium

Helps protect cells from damage
Needed for thyroid gland function

Vegetables, fish, shellfish, red meat, grains, eggs, chicken, liver, garlic, brewer's yeast, wheat germ, and enriched breads.

Sodium

Needed for normal nerve and muscle function
Needed for keeping the right amounts of water in the different parts of your body

Salt, milk, cheese, beets, celery, beef, pork, sardines, and green olives. (Many people get too much sodium. For tips on cutting back, see Reducing Your Sodium.)

Zinc

Needed for healthy skin
Needed for wound healing
Helps your body fight off illnesses and infections

Liver, eggs, seafood, red meats, oysters, certain seafood, milk products, eggs, beans, peas, lentils, peanuts, nuts, whole grains, fortified cereals, wheat germ, and pumpkin seeds.

Additional Resources

Publications

Dietary Supplements - Tips for the Savvy Supplement User - Making Informed Decisions and Evaluating Information - This comprehensive publication discusses points to consider before starting the use of a dietary supplement, such as possible interactions with prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Also discussed are tips on searching the Web for information on dietary supplements, as well as information on who is responsible for assuring the safety and efficacy of supplements.

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/ds-savvy.html

Dietary Supplements: Background Information - This online publication explains what is considered a dietary supplement and how dietary supplements are regulated.

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/DietarySupplements.asp

Facts About Dietary Supplements - Magnesium - This fact sheet explains what Magnesium is, what kind of foods provide it, the recommended amount for adults and who may need extra magnesium.

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/cc/magn.html

Facts About Dietary Supplements - Selenium - This fact sheet explains what Selenium is, what kind of foods provide it, the recommended amount for adults and who may need extra selenium.

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/selenium.asp

Facts About Dietary Supplements - Zinc - This fact sheet explains what zinc is, what kind of foods provide it, the recommended amount for adults and who may need extra zinc.

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/cc/zinc.html

Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Fact Sheets - This internet site links to fact sheets on essential vitamins and minerals. Each fact sheet explains what the vitamin or mineral is, what the dietary recommendation is, and what foods contain it.

http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/Health_Information/Vitamin_and_Mineral_Supplement_Fact_Sheets.aspx...

What Dietary Supplements Are You Taking? Does Your Health Care Provider Know? It Matters, And Here's Why - This brochure discusses the importance of understanding what type of dietary supplements you are taking as well as how to relay this information to your doctor. It also includes three tools to help you and your doctor manage your dietary supplement and medicine intake.

http://ods.od.nih.gov/pubs/partnersbrochure.asp

Organizations

= Indicates Federal Resources

Content last updated June 17, 2008.