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Nutrition

Home : Nutrition : Nutrition basics

Minerals

When you think of minerals, you might think first of things like silver and gold. Those are minerals, but some types of minerals are also found in food. Just like your body needs vitamins, your body needs minerals for growth and health.

There are two kinds of minerals in food: macrominerals and trace minerals. Macrominerals are minerals your body needs in larger amounts. Below is a list of the macrominerals, some of what they do, and good food sources.

MACROMINERALS
MacromineralActionsSources

Calcium (KAL-see-uhm)

  • Needed for making bones and teeth
  • Helps nerves and muscles function
  • Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt
  • Canned salmon
  • Leafy green vegetables, such as Chinese cabbage, bok choy, kale, collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens
  • Broccoli
  • Calcium-fortified foods — from orange juice to cereals and crackers

Chloride (KLOR-eyed)

  • Needed for keeping the right amounts of water in the different parts of your body
  • Salt
  • Rye
  • Tomatoes
  • Lettuce
  • Celery
  • Olives
  • Beef and pork
  • Cheese

Magnesium (mag-NEE-zee-uhm)

  • Needed for making bones and teeth
  • Helps nerves and muscles function
  • Leafy green vegetables
  • Nuts
  • Bran cereal
  • Seafood
  • Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt

Phosphorus (FOSS-fer-uhs)

  • Needed for making bones and teeth
  • Needed for storing energy from food
  • Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt
  • Red meat (beef, pork, and lamb)
  • Poultry
  • Fish
  • Eggs
  • Nuts
  • Peas

Potassium (puh-TASS-ee-uhm)

  • Helps nerves and muscles function
  • Needed for keeping the right amounts of water in the different parts of your body
  • Bananas
  • Broccoli
  • Tomatoes
  • Potatoes with skins
  • Leafy green vegetables, like spinach, turnip greens, collard greens, and kale
  • Citrus fruits, like oranges
  • Dried fruits
  • Legumes

Sodium (SOH-dee-uhm)

  • Helps nerves and muscles function
  • Needed for keeping the right amounts of water in the different parts of your body
  • Salt
  • Milk and cheese
  • Beets
  • Celery
  • Beef and pork
  • Green olives

Note: Many people get too much sodium.


 

Your body needs just small amounts of trace minerals. Below is a list of the trace minerals, some of what they do, and good food sources.

TRACE MINERALS
Trace mineralActionsSources

Copper (KOP-er)

  • Helps protect cells from damage
  • Needed for making bone and red blood cells
  • Shellfish (especially oysters)
  • Chocolate
  • Mushrooms
  • Nuts
  • Beans
  • Whole-grain cereals

Fluoride (FLOOR-eyed)

  • Needed for making bones and teeth
  • Saltwater fish
  • Tea
  • Fluoridated water (water that has had fluoride added to it)

Iodine (EYE-uh-dyn)

  • Needed for your thyroid gland to function properly
  • Seafood
  • Iodized salt (salt that has had iodine added to it)
  • Drinking water (in regions with iodine-rich soil, which are usually near an ocean)

Iron (EYE-ern)

  • Helps red blood cells deliver oxygen to body tissues (If you don't get enough iron, you could get iron deficiency anemia.)
  • Helps muscles function
  • Red meat, such as beef
  • Tuna and salmon
  • Eggs
  • Beans
  • Baked potato with skins
  • Dried fruit, like apricots, prunes, and raisins
  • Leafy green vegetables, such as spinach and turnip greens
  • Whole grains, like whole wheat or oats
  • Breakfast cereals fortified with iron

Selenium (sih-LEE-nee-uhm)

  • Helps protect cells from damage
  • Needed for your thyroid gland to function properly
  • Brazil nuts
  • Fish and shellfish
  • Red meat
  • Enriched breads
  • Eggs
  • Chicken
  • Wheat germ

Zinc (zingk)

  • Needed for healthy skin
  • Needed for healing wounds, such as cuts
  • Helps your body fight off illnesses and infections
  • Red meat (beef, pork, and lamb)
  • Legumes

 

 

Content last updated September 22, 2009

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health.

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