Daily Mineral and Vitamin Requirement



What is your daily vitamin requirement? Many of us are familiar with the US RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of certain nutrients.

While the RDA helped to educate people about the various vitamins and minerals they needed, according to Dr. Michael Janson, a leading authority on preventive and alternative medicine "The RDA is actually a useless guideline for today, because it was designed to prevent deficiency diseases such as scurvy and beriberi ... [not for] achieving optimal health and treating disease...". Similar things can be said for the Daily Value (DV) that are referred to on many supplement labels.

I have complied the following table from various sources. It contains information on a daily mineral and vitamin requirement, based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet, and natural food sources for each nutrient. You can use this to determine what mineral and vitamin supplements you may need, based on your diet. The daily mineral and vitamin requirement range has been derived from various sources. Look at the nutritional content for any supplements you are taking to determine if your supplement is right for you.

Taking a supplement based only on a label that says that it fulfills your daily mineral and vitamin requirement may not mean your body is getting what it needs. The supplement needs to be properly absorbed by the body. Although bio-availability is difficult to measure outside of a laboratory, a simple test can weed out obvious problems.

Do your vitamin supplements pass the crumbling and dissolving test? If not, your body may not be getting the benefit of what you are consuming. Drop your vitamin-mineral supplement in a glass of plain water. It should start crumbling in about 30 – 45 minutes and completely dissolve in 4-5 hours. If your supplement does not crumble and dissolve in the specified time, it is a pretty good indication that it will not get absorbed by your body. Consuming vitamins and minerals in a liquid or powder form will help your body better breakdown and absorb their nutritional content, and give you your daily mineral and vitamin requirement. These forms start entering your system in your mouth, as they come in contact with your saliva. The next best option is gelatin-free capsules that easily dissolve in stomach acid. Supplements in hard tablet form - especially time released varieties - are most likely to pass through your system relatively intact.

If you feel you are getting your daily mineral and vitamin requirement and are happy with your supplement, that is great. However, if you are not, I have found a great supplement that is absorbed well in the body, provides the daily recommended mineral and vitamin requirement and also provides some phytonutrients. Here is my recommendation.

Mineral / Vitamin

Helps Support

Daily Mineral or Vitamin Requirement *

Common Natural Sources

Vitamin A

Eyes

5,000 IU

Cod liver oil, egg yolks, butter, raw whole milk, liver

Mixed carotenoids (e.g. beta carotene)

Immune System

5,000 – 15,000 IU

Carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, spinach, butternut squash, tuna, cantaloupe, mangoes, apricots, broccoli, watermelon

Folic Acid

Heart , Brain, red blood cell development

400 – 800 mcg

Legumes, poultry, tuna, wheat germ, mushrooms, oranges, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupes

Vitamin B6

Brain, Heart, Immune System, protein metabolism

50 – 200 mg

Fish, soybeans, avocados, lima beans, chicken, bananas, cauliflower, green peppers, potatoes, spinach, raisins

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism, nervous system

25 mg (more in supplement form with medical supervision)

Meats, poultry, fish, peanut butter, legumes, soybeans, whole grains, broccoli, asparagus, baked potatoes

Vitamin B12

Nerves, Blood, tissue growth

50 - 100 mcg

Salmon, eggs, cheese, swordfish, tuna, clams, mussels, oysters

Pantothenic Acid

Energy, protein and carbohydrate metabolism

25 - 150 mg

Fish, whole grain, mushrooms, avocados, broccoli, peanuts, cashews, lentils, soybeans, eggs

Biotin

Hair, Skin, Energy

30 – 300 mcg

Peanut butter, eggs, oatmeal, wheat germ, poultry, cauliflower, nuts, legumes

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Eyes, cell development, skin

10 – 50 mg

Milk, cottage cheese, avocados, tangerines, prunes, asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, beef, salmon, turkey

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)

Energy

10 – 50 mg

Pork, sheat germ, pasta, peanuts, legumes, watermelon, oranges, brown rice, oatmeal, eggs

Vitamin C

Immune System

250 – 2000 mg

Citrus fruit, strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach, cabbage, melons, broccoli, kiwi fruit, raspberries

Vitamin D

Bones, calcium absorption

400 – 800 IU

Sunlight, eggs, milk, butter, tuna, salmon

Vitamin E

Heart, Immune system

200 – 400 IU

Nut and vegetable oils, wheat germ, mangoes, blackberries, apples, broccoli, peanuts, spinach, whole wheat

Vitamin K

Blood clotting

20 – 60 mcg

Spinach, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, parsley, eggs, dairy products, carrots, avocados, tomatoes



Mineral / Vitamin

Helps Support

Daily Mineral or Vitamin Requirement *

Common Natural Sources

Calcium

Bones, teeth, muscle and nerve function

800 – 1,200 mg

Milk, cheese, yogurt, salmon, sardines with bones, broccoli, green beans, almonds, turnip greens, kale

Magnesium

Blood pressure, nerve and muscle function

400 – 600 mg

Molasses, nuts, spinach, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, seafood, dairy products, baked potatoes, broccoli, bananas

Selenium

Immune system

100 – 300 mcg

Meats, whole grain, dairy products, fish, shellfish, mushrooms, Brazil nuts

Sodium

Fluid balance, nervous system function

2,400 mg

Salt, processed food, soy sauce (most people will not need to supplement their sodium intake, given the prevalence of sodium in our diets)

Potassium

Acid balance in body, fluid balance (works with sodium)

3,000 – 6,000 mg (from food sources)

Potatoes, avocados, bananas, yogurt, cantaloupe, spinach, mushrooms, milk, tomatoes

Zinc

Immune system, prostate, wound healing

15 – 20 mg

Oysters, lean beef, wheat germ, seafood, lima beans, legumes, nuts, poultry, dairy products

Phosphorus

Energy, bones (teams up with calcium)

800 mg –1,000 mg

Meats, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products

Manganese

Blood sugar, energy

2 – 10 mg

Nuts, whole grains, legumes, fea, dried fruits, spinach, green leafy vegetables

Molybdenum

Nitrogen metabolism, energy

25 – 250 mcg

Legumes, meats, whole grains, milk and dairy products

Chloride

Aids digestion, fluid balance (works with sodium)

750 mg

Foods with salt (note most people will not have to supplement their chloride intake due to their high salt intake)

Chromium

Carbohydrate metabolism

50 – 200 mcg

Whole grains, broccoli, grapes, oranges, brown sugar, meats, black pepper, brewer’s yeast, cheese

Copper

Blood cells, connective tissue formation

1.5 – 3 mg

Oysters, other shellfish, nuts, cherries, cocoa, mushrooms, gelatin, whole grains, eggs, fish, legumes

Flouride

Tooth enamel

1.5 – 4 mg

Flouridated water, fish, tea (most people do not have to supplement their fluoride intake due to fluoridation of the water supply)

Iodine

Proper thyroid function

150 mcg

Spinach, lobster, shrimp, oysters, milk, iodized salt

Iron

Carries oxygen in blood, energy metabolism

10 – 20 mg

Clams, asparagus, meats, chicken, prunes, raisins, spinach, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, tofu

* Based on a diet consisting of 2,000 calories per day. Your daily mineral and vitamin requirement is proportional to your daily calorie intake. For example, if you consume 3,000 calories per day, your daily vitamin requirement is increased by 50%.

Fulfilling your daily mineral and vitamin requirement is
The Natural Path to good health.


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