Vitamins, minerals and nutrients
What each nutrient does, how much you need a day, and which foods have the most, with figures from the same food library as our calorie pages.
Nutrient Groups
Nine groups, from the protein and fiber on every food label to the compounds in supplements.
Vitamins and Minerals List
Every vitamin and mineral with the daily amount adults need and the food in the Caltide library with the most of it per 100 g.
| Nutrient | Daily Amount | Top Food per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | 700-900 µg a day | Lamb liver |
| Vitamin B1 | 1.1-1.2 mg a day | Yeast |
| Vitamin B2 | 1.1-1.3 mg a day | Lamb liver |
| Vitamin B3 | 14-16 mg a day | White sorghum bran |
| Vitamin B5 | 5 mg a day | Chicken liver |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.3-1.7 mg a day | Pistachios |
| Biotin | 30 µg a day | - |
| Folate | 400 µg a day | Yeast |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.4 µg a day | Lamb liver |
| Vitamin C | 75-90 mg a day | Guava |
| Vitamin D | 600-800 IU a day | Carp |
| Vitamin E | 15 mg a day | Wheat germ oil |
| Vitamin K | 90-120 µg a day | Chard |
| Magnesium | 310-420 mg a day | Pumpkin seeds |
| Calcium | 1,000-1,200 mg a day | Pecorino |
| Iron | 8-18 mg a day | White sorghum bran |
| Zinc | 8-11 mg a day | Oysters |
| Potassium | 2,600-3,400 mg a day | Sun-dried tomatoes |
| Phosphorus | 700 mg a day | Pumpkin seeds |
| Sodium | under 2,000 mg a day | Anchovies (canned in olive oil) |
| Copper | 0.9 mg a day | Lamb liver |
| Selenium | 55 µg a day | Brazil nuts |
| Manganese | 1.8-2.3 mg a day | Macadamia nuts |
| Iodine | 150 µg a day | - |
| Chromium | 20-35 µg a day | - |
| Molybdenum | 45 µg a day | - |
| Boron | No set daily amount | - |
Questions About Nutrients
Vitamins are compounds made by plants and animals, such as vitamin C and folate. Minerals are elements from soil and water, such as magnesium and iron. The body needs both in small amounts and cannot make enough of either, so they have to come from food.
Nutrients the body cannot make in the amounts it needs: 13 vitamins, about 14 minerals, 9 essential amino acids from protein, and two essential fatty acids, linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3).
Each nutrient page gives the daily reference for adults, the EU nutrient reference value (NRV), and the amounts by age and sex. Pregnancy, breastfeeding and some health conditions change what you need.
Worldwide, iron, iodine, vitamin A and zinc deficiencies are the most common, according to the WHO. In Europe and North America many people also get too little vitamin D, especially in winter.
Most people can get what they need from a varied diet. The common exceptions are vitamin B12 for vegans, folic acid before and in early pregnancy, and vitamin D in winter for people who get little sun. Ask a doctor before starting a supplement.
Yes, almost always from supplements rather than food. Each nutrient has a tolerable upper intake level, and vitamin A, vitamin D, iron and zinc are among the ones where too much causes real harm.
Vitamins A, D, E and K dissolve in fat and are stored in the liver and fatty tissue, so they can build up. The B vitamins and vitamin C dissolve in water, are stored only in small amounts, and the excess leaves in urine.
NRV stands for nutrient reference value, the EU reference amount used on food labels for an average adult. A label that says 30% NRV means one portion gives 30% of that amount. The nutrient pages show what adults need by age and sex, which can differ from the label value.
It depends on the nutrient. Folic acid in supplements is absorbed better than the folate in food, and adults over 50 absorb B12 from supplements more easily than from food. For most others, food is at least as good and brings fiber and other compounds with it.
Some. Vitamin C and several B vitamins are lost to heat and leak into cooking water, so boiling loses the most. Steaming and microwaving keep more. Minerals are not destroyed by heat, though some go into the water too.
From USDA FoodData Central, the same averages our calorie pages use. Rankings cover the whole Caltide food catalogue, and foods with a calorie page link to their full nutrition facts.
Yes. Caltide adds up the vitamins and minerals in everything you log, and the supplements you tick off, and shows the day against the amount for your age and sex.
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