Minerals

Mineral	Good Sources	Main Functions	Recommended Dietary Allowance for Adults*
Calcium	Milk and milk products, meat, fish eaten with the bones (such as sardines), eggs, and fortified cereal products	Required for the formation of bone and teeth, for blood clotting, for normal muscle function, for the normal functioning of many enzymes, and for normal heart rhythm	1,000 milligrams 1,200 milligrams for women over 50 and men over 70.
Chloride	Salt, beef, pork, sardines, cheese, green olives, corn bread, potato chips, sauerkraut, and processed or canned foods (usually as salt)	Involved in electrolyte balance	1,000 milligrams
Chromium	Liver, processed meats, whole-grain cereals, and nuts	Enables insulin to function (insulin controls blood sugar levels) Helps in the processing (metabolism) and storage of carbohydrates, protein, and fat	35 micrograms for men aged 50 and younger 25 micrograms for women aged 50 and younger 30 micrograms for men over 50 20 micrograms for women over 50
Copper	Organ meats, shellfish, cocoa, mushrooms, nuts, dried legumes, dried fruits, peas, tomato products, and whole-grain cereals	Is a component of many enzymes that are necessary for energy production, for antioxidant action†, and for formation of red blood cells, bone, and connective tissue	900 micrograms
Fluoride	Seafood, tea, and fluoridated water	Required for the formation of bone and teeth	3 milligrams for women 4 milligrams for men
Iodine	Seafood, iodized salt, eggs, yogurt, milk, and drinking water (in amounts that vary by the iodine content of local soil)	Required for the formation of thyroid hormones	150 micrograms
Iron	As heme‡ iron: Beef, poultry, fish, kidneys, and liver As nonheme iron: Soybean flour, beans, molasses, spinach, clams, and fortified grains and cereals	Required for the formation of many enzymes in the body Heme iron is an important component of muscle cells and of hemoglobin, which enables red blood cells to carry oxygen and deliver it to the body's tissues	8 milligrams for women over 50 and for men 18 milligrams for women aged 50 and younger (premenopause) 27 milligrams for pregnant women 9 milligrams for breastfeeding women
Magnesium	Leafy green vegetables, nuts, cereal grains, beans, and tomato products	Required for the formation of bone and teeth, for normal nerve and muscle function, and for the activation of enzymes	320 milligrams for women 420 milligrams for men
Manganese	Whole-grain cereals, pineapple, nuts, tea, beans, and tomato products	Required for the formation of bone and the formation and activation of certain enzymes	2.3 milligrams for men 1.8 milligrams for women
Molybdenum	Milk, legumes, whole-grain breads and cereals, and dark green vegetables	Required for metabolism of nitrogen, the activation of certain enzymes, and normal cell function Helps break down sulfites (present in foods naturally and added as preservatives)	45 micrograms
Phosphorus	Dairy products, meat, poultry, fish, cereals, nuts, and legumes	Required for the formation of bone and teeth and for energy production Used to form nucleic acids, including DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)	700 milligrams
Potassium	Whole and skim milk, bananas, tomatoes, oranges, melons, potatoes, sweet potatoes, prunes, raisins, spinach, turnip greens, collard greens, kale, other green leafy vegetables, most peas and beans, and salt substitutes (potassium chloride)	Required for normal nerve and muscle function Involved in electrolyte balance	3.4 grams for men 2.6 grams for women
Selenium	Meats, seafood, nuts, and cereals (depending on the selenium content of soil where grains were grown)	Acts as an antioxidant† with vitamin E Required for thyroid gland function	55 micrograms
Sodium	Salt, beef, pork, sardines, cheese, green olives, corn bread, potato chips, sauerkraut, and processed or canned foods (usually as salt)	Required for normal nerve and muscle function Helps the body maintain a normal electrolyte and fluid balance	1,500 milligrams
Zinc	Meat, liver, oysters, seafood, peanuts, fortified cereals, and whole grains (depending on the zinc content of soil where grains were grown)	Used to form many enzymes and insulin Required for healthy skin, healing of wounds, and growth	11 milligrams for men and 8 milligrams for women
* Recommended dietary allowances for minerals and other nutrients are periodically published by The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences–National Research Council and the United States Department of Agriculture. These allowances are intended to meet the needs of healthy people and may vary for pregnant women and children.
† Antioxidants protect cells against damage due to reactive by-products of normal cell activity called free radicals.
‡ Heme iron is iron that is attached to heme. Heme is a molecule that is a building block in the formation of hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying pigment in red blood cells). The body absorbs heme iron better than nonheme iron.

Mineral

Good Sources

Main Functions

Recommended Dietary Allowance for Adults*

Milk and milk products, meat, fish eaten with the bones (such as sardines), eggs, and fortified cereal products

Required for the formation of bone and teeth, for blood clotting, for normal muscle function, for the normal functioning of many enzymes, and for normal heart rhythm

1,000 milligrams

1,200 milligrams for women over 50 and men over 70.

Chloride

Salt, beef, pork, sardines, cheese, green olives, corn bread, potato chips, sauerkraut, and processed or canned foods (usually as salt)

Involved in electrolyte balance

1,000 milligrams

Chromium

Liver, processed meats, whole-grain cereals, and nuts

Enables insulin to function (insulin controls blood sugar levels)

Helps in the processing (metabolism) and storage of carbohydrates, protein, and fat

35 micrograms for men aged 50 and younger

25 micrograms for women aged 50 and younger

30 micrograms for men over 50

20 micrograms for women over 50

Copper

Organ meats, shellfish, cocoa, mushrooms, nuts, dried legumes, dried fruits, peas, tomato products, and whole-grain cereals

Is a component of many enzymes that are necessary for energy production, for antioxidant action†, and for formation of red blood cells, bone, and connective tissue

900 micrograms

Fluoride

Seafood, tea, and fluoridated water

Required for the formation of bone and teeth

3 milligrams for women

4 milligrams for men

Iodine

Seafood, iodized salt, eggs, yogurt, milk, and drinking water (in amounts that vary by the iodine content of local soil)

Required for the formation of thyroid hormones

150 micrograms

Iron

As heme‡ iron:

Beef, poultry, fish, kidneys, and liver

As nonheme iron: Soybean flour, beans, molasses, spinach, clams, and fortified grains and cereals

Required for the formation of many enzymes in the body

Heme iron is an important component of muscle cells and of hemoglobin, which enables red blood cells to carry oxygen and deliver it to the body's tissues

8 milligrams for women over 50 and for men

18 milligrams for women aged 50 and younger (premenopause)

27 milligrams for pregnant women

9 milligrams for breastfeeding women

Magnesium

Leafy green vegetables, nuts, cereal grains, beans, and tomato products

Required for the formation of bone and teeth, for normal nerve and muscle function, and for the activation of enzymes

320 milligrams for women

420 milligrams for men

Manganese

Whole-grain cereals, pineapple, nuts, tea, beans, and tomato products

Required for the formation of bone and the formation and activation of certain enzymes

2.3 milligrams for men

1.8 milligrams for women

Molybdenum

Milk, legumes, whole-grain breads and cereals, and dark green vegetables

Required for metabolism of nitrogen, the activation of certain enzymes, and normal cell function

Helps break down sulfites (present in foods naturally and added as preservatives)

45 micrograms

Phosphorus

Dairy products, meat, poultry, fish, cereals, nuts, and legumes

Required for the formation of bone and teeth and for energy production

Used to form nucleic acids, including DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

700 milligrams

Potassium

Whole and skim milk, bananas, tomatoes, oranges, melons, potatoes, sweet potatoes, prunes, raisins, spinach, turnip greens, collard greens, kale, other green leafy vegetables, most peas and beans, and salt substitutes (potassium chloride)

Required for normal nerve and muscle function

Involved in electrolyte balance

3.4 grams for men

2.6 grams for women

Selenium

Meats, seafood, nuts, and cereals (depending on the selenium content of soil where grains were grown)

Acts as an antioxidant† with vitamin E

Required for thyroid gland function

55 micrograms

Sodium

Salt, beef, pork, sardines, cheese, green olives, corn bread, potato chips, sauerkraut, and processed or canned foods (usually as salt)

Required for normal nerve and muscle function

Helps the body maintain a normal electrolyte and fluid balance

1,500 milligrams

Zinc

Meat, liver, oysters, seafood, peanuts, fortified cereals, and whole grains (depending on the zinc content of soil where grains were grown)

Used to form many enzymes and insulin

Required for healthy skin, healing of wounds, and growth

11 milligrams for men and 8 milligrams for women

* Recommended dietary allowances for minerals and other nutrients are periodically published by The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences–National Research Council and the United States Department of Agriculture. These allowances are intended to meet the needs of healthy people and may vary for pregnant women and children.

† Antioxidants protect cells against damage due to reactive by-products of normal cell activity called free radicals.

‡ Heme iron is iron that is attached to heme. Heme is a molecule that is a building block in the formation of hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying pigment in red blood cells). The body absorbs heme iron better than nonheme iron.

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