We tackled the often confusing topic of vitamins, the role they play in a healthy diet and what foods they are found in here. Now let's discuss a few common and important minerals and their roles:
Calcium: Helps build strong bones and teeth. Calcium can be found in dairy products, canned salmon, canned sardines, leafy green vegetables and calcium-fortified foods.
Iron: Needed to transport oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body and is important in the body's formation of hemoglobin. Meat, tuna, salmon, eggs, beans, baked potato with skin, dried fruits, leafy green vegetables and whole grains are all great sources of iron.
Magnesium: Essential for producing energy and forming proteins, while lowering blood pressure and reducing vascular spasms. Works in conjunction with calcium, vitamin D and potassium. Leafy green vegetables like kelp, swiss chard and parsley, as well as whole grains, nuts, bean curd, blackberries, corn, avocado, lima beans, okra and bananas are all sources of magnesium.
Potassium: Keeps muscles and nervous system working properly by regulating the amount of water in the body. Can be found in bananas, broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes, leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, dried fruits and legumes.
Zinc: Helps boost the immune system and aids in warding off illnesses and infections. Also it aids in cell growth and helps heal wounds. Foods rich in zinc include beef, pork, lamb and legumes.
Remember while they make a pill for every vitamin or mineral possible, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act has greatly restricted the Food and Drug Administration's ability to regulate claims and ingredients in these pills, making it hard to tell what you may or may not be ingesting.
The body will digest and absorb more of the beneficial minerals found in the foods listed above than from a pill. Try to include as many of these nutrient-dense foods into your daily life to reap the benefits.
Calcium: Helps build strong bones and teeth. Calcium can be found in dairy products, canned salmon, canned sardines, leafy green vegetables and calcium-fortified foods.
Iron: Needed to transport oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body and is important in the body's formation of hemoglobin. Meat, tuna, salmon, eggs, beans, baked potato with skin, dried fruits, leafy green vegetables and whole grains are all great sources of iron.
Magnesium: Essential for producing energy and forming proteins, while lowering blood pressure and reducing vascular spasms. Works in conjunction with calcium, vitamin D and potassium. Leafy green vegetables like kelp, swiss chard and parsley, as well as whole grains, nuts, bean curd, blackberries, corn, avocado, lima beans, okra and bananas are all sources of magnesium.
Potassium: Keeps muscles and nervous system working properly by regulating the amount of water in the body. Can be found in bananas, broccoli, tomatoes, potatoes, leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, dried fruits and legumes.
Zinc: Helps boost the immune system and aids in warding off illnesses and infections. Also it aids in cell growth and helps heal wounds. Foods rich in zinc include beef, pork, lamb and legumes.
Remember while they make a pill for every vitamin or mineral possible, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act has greatly restricted the Food and Drug Administration's ability to regulate claims and ingredients in these pills, making it hard to tell what you may or may not be ingesting.
The body will digest and absorb more of the beneficial minerals found in the foods listed above than from a pill. Try to include as many of these nutrient-dense foods into your daily life to reap the benefits.
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