Minerals requirement per day
Nutrients and phytonutrients
Opinion is divided as to whether dietary supplements are necessary if you enjoy a balanced diet and eat a wide variety of health-boosting foods.
Taking a daily multi-vitamins and mineral supplement may be a wise insurance policy for good health. And certainly won’t do you any harm.
Bear in mind, however, that even the best one cannot possibly replicate all the hundreds of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients found in real foods.
What are Phytonutrients? Requirement of it?
Phytonutrients, which are also known as phytochemical, are naturally occurring chemicals derived from plants. Unlike true nutrients phytonutrients are not necessary for sustaining life but they are to actively help prevent ill health or disease. They are particularly associated with preventing and or treating cancer, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
What are Antioxidants? and requirement of it?
Antioxidants are powerful protective chemical compounds. Which slow the rate of damaging oxidation in the body caused by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules in our bodies generated by pollution, sunlight, cigarettes, certain foods, stress, normal metabolic processes such as breathing. Free radicals destabilize other healthy molecules. Initiating a chain reaction of cellular destruction and DNA degradation. Resulting in accelerated ageing and degenerative conditions and disease such as cataracts, atherosclerosis and cancer.
Uncooked fresh fruits and vegetables and most pulses are the best sources for antioxidants. Others include tea, red wine, olive oil, dark chocolate and many grains.
How do antioxidants help us?
Eating antioxidant rich foods helps prevent ill health. As the antioxidants disarm the unstable molecules slowing down, preventing or even reversing diseases resulting from cellular damage, cancer cells. For example, essentially normal cells that contain DNA damaged by free radicals. Because antioxidants stop free radicals and reduce DNA damage. They are a major defense against cancer.
As well as protecting us against degenerative disease, antioxidants also boost the immune system. Help prevent minor infection. Reduce inflammation. Help protect against conditions associated with premature ageing like skin wrinkling and memory loss.
Variety of antioxidants foods offer better protection
There are over 4000 different antioxidants. The key ones are vitamins A, C and E. The minerals selenium, Manganese and zinc, some of the B Vitamins and certain enzymes and amino acids also have antioxidants properties. Some antioxidants operate in water soluble parts of the body, while other work in the fatty areas of cells and tissues. Some are better at fighting certain free radicals than others. A varied diet containing plenty of different antioxidant’s foods is therefore the best way to boost health. And that is why we should eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables every day.
Useful phytonutrients
Flavonoids -such as quercetin and ellagic acids and resveratrol (found in grapes and wine) usually antioxidant, sometimes anti-inflammatory, sometimes antibiotic, flavonoids also have potent anti-carcinogenic properties. Some work by preventing cancer- promoting oestrogen from getting into cells, others suppress COX-2 ( cyclo -oxygenase), an enzyme that enables cancer to grow and spread.
Anthocyanidins – a class of flavonoids with very powerful antioxidant properties and thought to be 50 times more powerful than vitamin E. abundant in red, purple and blue fruits, especially berries.
Carotenoids -such as alpha -carotene, beta -carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin. Powerful antioxidants with anti-cancer and anti-ageing properties.
Glucosinolates- such as isothiocyanates, sulphoraphane, indoles. Anti- cancer compounds found in cruciferous vegetables.
Top -scoring antioxidant foods
Using test tube analysis, researchers from the human nutrition research center on aging, Tufts university, Boston, US have confirmed the ability to quench damaging oxygen-free radicals, known as oxygen radical absorbance capacity.
Prunes, pomegranate, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, garlic, kale, strawberry, spinach, raspberries, brussels sprouts, plums, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, florets, beetroot, oranges, red grapes, red pepper, cherries, kiwi fruit.
Nutrients and phytonutrients / Minerals
Opinion is divided as to whether dietary supplements are necessary if you enjoy a balanced diet and eat a wise variety of health-boosting foods. Bear in mind, however, that even the best one cannot possibly replicate all the hundreds of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients found in real foods.
| Sl. No | Name of Phytonutrient | Food contain Phytonutrients / Minerals |
| 1 | Anthocyanidins | Berries, cherries, red grapes |
| 2 | Beta-carotene | Leafy green vegetables, carrots, pumpkin, butternut squash, apricots, cantaloupe melons, mangoes. |
| 3 | Biotin | Chicken liver, kidney, meat, milk, eggs, beans, wholegrains, peanuts, almonds, sesame seeds. |
| 4 | Calcium | Tinned sardines, milk, cheese, yogurt, oats, beans, lentils, soya, tofu, beetroot, seaweed, spinach, kale, figs, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pumpkin and sesame seeds |
| 5 | Chromium | Beef, chicken, shellfish, eggs, brown rice, wholemeal bread, brewer’s yeast, peppers, nuts |
| 6 | Copper | Fish, prawns, lamb’s liver, tofu, seaweed, green vegetables, peanuts, cashew nuts |
| 7 | Folate (Folic acid) | Calf’s liver, beans, lentils, fortified breakfast cereals, parsley, leafy green vegetables, spinach, romaine lettuce, watercress, broccoli, brussels sprouts, beetroot, asparagus, sweet potatoes, peanuts, sesame seeds |
| 8 | Fluoride | Fish, tea |
| 9 | Iodine | Fish, seafood, milk, eggs, seaweed, watercress, pears |
| 10 | Iron | Red meat, liver, eggs, beans, lentils, soya, beetroot, broccoli, seaweed, sweet, potatoes, watercress, mangoes, papayas, pumpkin, sesame seeds |
| 11 | Isoflavones | Soya beans, soya products |
| 12 | Lignans | Rye, flaxseed(linseed) |
| 13 | Lycopene | Tomatoes, processed tomato products, watermelon, guavas, pink grapefruits, rosehip |
| 14 | Manganese | Egg yolks, beans, lentils, wholemeal bread, leafy green vegetables, okra, beetroot, tea, pineapple, blackberries, Hazelnuts |
| 15 | Magnesium | Prawns, wholegrains, beans, lentils, peas, soya, leafy green vegetables, peppers, sweet potatoes, beetroot, okra, pears, apples, berries, nuts, almonds, cashews, pumpkin, sesame seeds |
| 16 | Omega-3 essential fatty acids | Oily fish, flaxseed(linseed). Walnuts, mustard seeds |
| 17 | Omega-6 essential fatty acids | Nuts, seeds |
| 18 | Phosphorus | Fish, prawns, mussels, meat, turkey, dairy foods, eggs, sweet potatoes, apples, pears |
| 19 | Potassium | Chicken, baked potatoes, bananas, prunes, dried apricots, almonds, peanuts |
| 20 | Selenium | Prawns, salmon, snapper, meat, calf’s liver, cheese, eggs, cereals, beans, lentils, soya, mushrooms, brazil nuts, walnuts, sesame seeds |
| 21 | Silicon | Seaweed |
| 22 | Sodium | Most foods contain small amounts of sodium chloride(salt) and it is widely found in ready meals and processed foods like crisps, bacon, we all consume too much salt and should halve our intake for the sake of our blood pressure |
| 23 | Sulphoraphane | Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, horseradish |
| 24 | Zinc | Sardines, oysters, crab, beef, lamb, calf’s liver, game, cheese, eggs, soya, tofu, seaweed, tomatoes, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pumpkin and sesame seeds |