Your Vitamin & Mineral Cheatsheet

Save this for later! I made you a guide for understanding what each vitamin & mineral does to the body for optimal health. Enjoy!

Vitamin A-?Retinoids "preformed vitamin A" & Beta Carotene (easily converted into vitamin A)

• Benefits: Essential for vision. Beneficial for immunity, skin & tissue, and bone growth. May reduce the risk of cataracts and cancer (specifically prostate and lung cancer). Acts as an antioxidant (a trendy compound that reduces free radicals, lowering cancer risk).
• Sources:?Retinoids- eggs, shrimp, fish, variety of dairy products, liver. Beta carotene- (many orange foods: think "beta CARROT-ene") sweet potato, carrots, pumpkin, squash, mango, spinach?
• Recommended amount: 700 mcg for women, 900 mcg for men
• Other info: large amounts may be harmful to bones (weird since it's beneficial in bone growth, right?)

Vitamin B1-?Thiamin

• Benefits: Helps convert food into energy. Essential for hair, skin & nails; and muscle, brain & nerve function.
• Sources: pork, brown rice, ham, soy milk, watermelon, acorn squash
• Recommended amount: 1.1 mg for women, 1.2 mg for men
• Other info: Found in most nutrient-dense foods.

Vitamin B2-?Riboflavin?

• Benefits: Helps convert food into energy. Essential for hair, skin,?blood, and brain.
• Sources: eggs, dairy, leafy greens, whole grains
• Recommended amount: 1.1mg for women, 1.3 mg for men
• Other info: Not a commonly deficient vitamin.

Vitamin B3-?Niacin

• Benefits: Helps convert food into energy. Essential for hair, skin,?blood cells, and nervous system.
• Sources: meat, whole grains, mushrooms, potatoes, peanut butter
• Recommended amount: 14 mg for women, 16mg for men
• Other info: Also created from the amino acid tryptophan, with the help of B6.

Vitamin B5-?Pantothenic acid

• Benefits: Helps convert food into energy. Helps create lipids (fats), neurotransmitters, steroid hormones, and hemoglobin.
• Sources: wide variety of nutrient-dense foods
• Recommended amount: 5 mg for women, 5 mg for men
• Other info: Deficiency causes burning feet and other neurologic symptoms.

Vitamin B6-?Pyridoxine

• Benefits: May reduce the risk of heart disease. Helps create serotonin and red blood cells. Increases immunity and cognition.
• Sources: meat, fish, legumes, tofu and soy products, potatoes, non-citrus fruit
• Recommended amount: 1.3 mg in men and women under 51
• Other info: Commonly deficient vitamin; symptoms include inflammation of the skin & rashes, numb/tingling hands & feet, red or sore tongue, cracking at the corners of the mouth.

Vitamin B9-?Folic Acid

• Benefits: Important for new cell creation, pregnant women especially need this. May reduce heart disease and colon cancer risk. Offsets breast cancer risk for alcohol consumers.
• Sources: fortified grains, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, some legumes, orange juice, and tomato juice
• Recommended amount: 400 mcg for men and women
• Other info: May mask B12 deficiency.

Vitamin B12-?Cobalamin

• Benefits: May decrease the risk of heart disease. Helps to create new cells and break down fatty and amino acids. Protects and aids in nerve function.
• Sources: meat, fish, dairy, fortified products (cereal, non-dairy milk)
• Recommended amount: 2.4 mcg for men and women
• Other info:??lack of vitamin B12?can cause memory loss, dementia, and numbness in the arms and legs. Common in vegans and vegetarians.

Vitamin C-?Ascorbic acid

• Benefits: May lower the risk of cancer and cataracts. Helps produce calcium. Acts as an antioxidant. Helps create serotonin (happy neurotransmitter) and norepinephrine (a neurotransmitter needed in fight or flight response). Possible immune booster.
• Sources: fruit (especially citrus), potatoes, broccoli, peppers, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes
• Recommended amount: 75 mg for women, 90 mg for men, +35 mg for smokers
• Other info:?Blackcurrants & raw red peppers have the highest amount of Vitamin C!

Vitamin D-?Calciferol

• Benefits: Helps maintain calcium and phosphorus levels, strengthening and forming bones.?
• Sources: Fortified milk and cereal, fatty fish (like salmon), sunlight
• Recommended amount: 15 mcg (600 IU) for adults, 20 mcg (800 IU) for ages 71+
• Other info: Commonly deficient in Northern climates

Vitamin E-?Alpha?Tocopherol

• Benefits: Acts as an antioxidant. May help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's Disease.
• Sources: vegetable oils, salad dressings, leafy greens, whole grains, nuts
• Recommended amount: 15 mg for men and women
• Other info:?Vitamin E helps the body to utilize Vitamin K

Vitamin K-?Phylloquinone, Menadione

• Benefits: Needed for blood clotting. May help prevent fractures.
• Sources: cabbage, milk, eggs, spinach, broccoli, sprouts, kale, other green vegetables
• Recommended amount: 90 mcg for women, 120 mcg for men
• Other info: Intestinal bacteria create half of the vitamin K amount needed

Biotin-?

• Benefits: Helps convert food to energy. Promotes healthy hair and bones.
• Sources: whole grains, egg yolk, soybeans, fish
• Recommended amount: 30 mcg for men and women
• Other info: Some biotin is made by intestinal bacteria

Choline-

• Benefits: Aids in nervous system functioning and metabolizing fats.
• Sources: milk, eggs, salmon, peanuts
• Recommended amount: 425 mg for women, 550 mg for men
• Other info: Small amount created by the body

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Calcium:

• Benefits: Builds and protects bones. Helps muscle contractions, muscle relaxation, blood clotting and function. Promotes healthy blood pressure.
• Sources: dairy, tofu, fatty fish, leafy greens (but not spinach or swiss chard)
• Recommended amount: 1000 mg for women under 50 and men under 71, 1200 mg for women over 50 and men over 71
• Other info: Adults absorb roughly 30% of calcium ingested. Diets high in calcium may increase the risk of prostate cancer.

Chloride:

• Benefits: Balances the fluids in the body and is a component of stomach acid.?
• Sources: salt and soy sauce
• Recommended amount: ~2 g for men and women
• Other info: Symptoms of deficiency -> weakness, lethargy, muscle pain & weakness, lethargy, shortness of breath, dehydration, low blood pressure.

Chromium:

• Benefits: Maintains normal blood glucose levels.
• Sources: meat, fish, eggs, potatoes, nuts, cheese
• Recommended amount: 25 mcg for women under 50, 20 mcg for women over 50. 35 mcg for men under 50, 30 mcg for men over 50.
• Other info:?wine is also high in chromium

Copper:

• Benefits: Helps iron metabolism, creating red blood cells and immunity.
• Sources: shellfish, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, cocoa, black pepper (but you probably have to eat a lot)
• Recommended amount: 900 mcg for men and women
• Other info:?too much copper can cause liver damage

Fluoride:

• Benefits: Encourages bone formation. Helps prevent dental cavities.
• Sources: fluoridated water, toothpaste, certain teas (weird but ok)?
• Recommended amount: 3 mg for women, 4 mg for men.
• Other info:?fluoride is a controversial additive to our water ??

Iodine:

• Benefits: Part of thyroid hormones. Prevents goitre (irregular growth of thyroid gland) and a congenital thyroid disorder.
• Sources: iodized salt, seafood
• Recommended amount: 150 mcg for men and women
• Other info:?deficiency symptoms include weight gain, lethargy, bradycardia and hair loss

Iron:

• Benefits: Helps carry oxygen through the body. Needed for chemical reactions in the body. Used to create amino acids, collagen, neurotransmitters and hormones.
• Sources: red meat, poultry, eggs, fruit, fortified grain products
• Recommended amount: 8 mg for men and postmenopausal women, 18 mg for women ages 19-50
• Other info: Vegetarians and people who menstruate are commonly deficient.

Magnesium:

• Benefits: Needed for many chemical reactions. Works with calcium in muscle contractions, blood clotting, and regulating blood pressure. Helps build bone and teeth.
• Sources: green vegetables, legumes, cashews, many seeds, halibut, whole wheat bread, milk
• Recommended amount: 320 mg for women, 420 mg for men
• Other info:?headaches are a very common symptom of magnesium deficiencies

Manganese:

• Benefits: Helps form bones and metabolize amino acids, cholesterol, and carbohydrates.
• Sources: fish, nuts, legumes, whole grains, tea
• Recommended amount: 1.8 mg for women, 2.3 mg for men
• Other info:?Manganese is likely unsafe when inhaled while pregnant or breast-feeding

Phosphorus:

• Benefits: Helps build and protect teeth and bone. Helps convert food into energy. Part of RNA, DNA, and phospholipids
• Sources: animal products, green peas, broccoli, potatoes, almonds
• Recommended amount: 700 mg for men and women
• Other info: Phosphorus helps balance Vitamin D, iodine, magnesium & zinc

Potassium:

• Benefits: Balances fluid in body, maintains healthy heart rhythm, needed for muscle contractions, and may help lower blood pressure.
• Sources: meat, milk, fruit, vegetables, grains, legumes
• Recommended amount: 4.7 g for men and women
• Other info:?Potassium is especially important during high-intensity workouts.

Selenium:

• Benefits: Acts as an antioxidant and helps regulate thyroid hormone activity.
• Sources: Organ meats, seafood, walnuts, grain products
• Recommended amount: 55 mcg
• Other info:?irritability & mental fog are symptoms of a selenium deficiency

Sodium:

• Benefits: Balances fluids in the body, helps with nerve impulses and muscle contractions. Highly impacts blood pressure.
• Sources: Salty foods
• Recommended amount: 2300 mg
• Other info: Most people overconsume sodium (over double the recommended amount)

Zinc:

• Benefits: Helps form enzymes, proteins, and new cells. Needed for the immune system, senses, and wound healing. May delay the progression of age-related macular degeneration.
• Sources: Red meat, poultry, oysters, fortified cereals, beans, nuts
• Recommended amount: 8 mg for women, 11 mg for men; vegetarians should consume more
• Other info:?Zinc is important to your sense of taste & smell