Dietary Sources of Vitamins and Minerals

Whenever possible, we should try to get our antioxidants and other essential vitamins and minerals through our diet. A proper diet is necessary to offset the signs of aging and the foods listed here tend to be healthier than a burger and fries.

However, it is not always possible to eat enough of the foods in the proper form, e.g. raw, and we never know if the food in question has enough of the essentials we need (maybe due to soil depletion) so taking supplements is still necessary.

Here is the list of dietary sources. Try to include some of the foods missing from your diet right now in your meals. You will find that many of these foods contain more than one essential vitamin or mineral and in many cases contain quite a few nutrients.

Also note that some substances, such as Alpha Lipoic Acid and Acetyl L-Carnitine, have no specific dietary sources and must be taken as supplements, although someone with a healthy diet, concentrated on the foods listed here is not likely to have a deficiency.

Dietary Sources for Antioxidants and Vitamins

Vitamin A: liver, dairy products, darkly colored fruits, leafy vegetables (broccoli, spinach, kale, watercress), red bell peppers, halibut and cod.

Vitamin B Complex: brewer's yeast, wild Alaskan salmon, raw nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds), beans (pinto, soy, black, lentils, chick peas, kidney), dairy products (yogurt, milk, cottage cheese ? preferably low-fat), vegetables (asparagus, avocado, cauliflower, spinach), chicken and turkey breast, melons and oranges.

Vitamin C: citrus fruits, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli.

Vitamin D: fortified milk, salmon, mackerel, sardines, eel, fish oils such as cod liver oil, egg yolk.

Vitamin E Complex: vegetable oils, nuts (hazelnuts, pecans), wheat germ, green leafy vegetables, fortified breakfast cereals, olives and asparagus.

Astaxathin: wild Alaskan salmon, rainbow trout, shrimp, lobster and crabs.

Co-enzyme Q-10: small amounts in oily fish such as sardines. Best taken as a supplement.

DMAE: Fish, especially wild Alaskan salmon.

L-Carnitine: dairy products, meats.

Lycopene: red fruits and vegetables (watermelon, tomatoes)

Lutein: green leafy vegetables (kale, turnip greens, collard greens, spinach, broccoli), eggs, oranges and orange juice, papayas and tangerines.

Green & White Tea: prepare according to package directions and drink in place of coffee, black tea or soda.

Dietary Sources for Essential Minerals

Calcium: diary products (milk, cheese, yogurt), wheat germ, green leafy vegetables (kale, collard greens, turnip greens, broccoli), seeds and nuts, tofu, sardines and salmon.

Chromium: calves liver, brewer's yeast.

Magnesium: nuts (almonds, peanuts), oatmeal, tofu, avocados.

Selenium: fish, poultry, nuts and garlic.

Zinc: fish, poulty, nuts and oatmeal.

As you can see, wild salmon is enriched with many important antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. For those of us who do not live in the Pacific Northwest, this is hard to find. Even there it is seasonal.

Antiaging starts from the inside out. Work these foods into your diet and you will be obtaining their antiaging and antidisease benefits naturally.

This article is for informational purposes only. It does not purport to offer medical advice.

Jean Bowler is a life long fitness freak. She was a ballet dancer and teacher, a private fitness trainer and more. Visit her site, http://www.ageless-beauty.com for advice on diet and nutrition, skin care and more.

---

What on Earth is an Enzyme?

Enzymes are the workers in our body that make everything... Read More

Avoiding Nutritionally Deficient Foods After Gastric Bypass

After WLS we must concentrate on eating nutrient rich food.... Read More

Constipation Cures Exposed!

If you're suffering from constipation, you are no doubt looking... Read More

Vitamins and Minerals for a Healthy Reproductive System

Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are essential to the development... Read More

Aspartame -More Dangerous Than High Fructose Corn Syrup

It's really hard to believe that something could be worse... Read More

What Really Happens To The Food You Eat

After we have eaten a meal -- and often we... Read More

Building Better Bones

"It is a bone-deep change you are going into, my... Read More

Anti oxidants ? Why Its a Must in Your Diet

While oxygen is the key to human survival, it is... Read More

Aggressive Behaviour Seems To Be Triggered By Early Age Diet

The fact that diet directly affects behaviour is no news,... Read More

Nutrition N Diet

Nutrition facts have become a part of everyday life because... Read More

What Actually Is Health?

Nature works mostly on the principle of thing and no... Read More

Dietary Sources of Vitamins and Minerals

Whenever possible, we should try to get our antioxidants and... Read More

Feeling Tired? Cant Lose Weight? Tap Into Protein Power!

You're always hungry right? The last thing you have time... Read More

An Open Letter to Mankind

In the last twenty years, a huge and growing body... Read More

The Toxic Truth About Artificial Sweeteners

The problem with sugar is that it doesn't contain any... Read More

Protein and Endurance Sports

Endurance Sports are like music concerts. They start at a... Read More

Help Your Heart Grow

I turned into my parents' driveway in Maryland and parked... Read More

Helping Your Immune System Win The War Against Disease

Just as our country is currently engaged in a war... Read More

How to Grow Sprouts

Sprouts not only taste good, but they are also a... Read More

Guerilla Health Tactics: 5 Snappy Rules For a Healthier, Happier You

The subject of health care itself often seems plagued with... Read More

Three Steps to Preparing your Body for Summer

Summer is not too far away. It is almost time... Read More

Calorie Deficit

I am sure you have heard you have to build... Read More

Unhealthy Foods: How To Become Disgusted By Junk Foods That Make You Fat

With today's time constraints, stressful jobs, and "thin is in"... Read More

Soy Phytoestrogens and the Art of Propaganda

In this newsletter we will discuss the current controversy about... Read More

Simple Easy Health and Home Fixes From The Days Gone By

How did we cure ourselves of many aches pains and... Read More

Where Does Your Drinking Water Come From?

Have you ever thought about where your drinking water comes... Read More

The Two Faces of Chlorine

If you are like most people, you don't enjoy the... Read More

Avoiding Mental Disorders Through the Aid of Vitamins and Minerals

When we think about the benefits of being ensuring a... Read More

Fruitceuticals - The Evolution of Fruit

Since the beginning of time, everyday fruits have been known... Read More

The Wonderful Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet is now recognized as one of the... Read More

What You Eat Can Protect Your Skin from the Sun

(ARA) - By now you probably think you've heard all... Read More

Nutrition For Your Young Athlete

Nutrition is extremely important for any young person, especially an... Read More

Water and Water Filters: How Much Do You Know?

Water is a vitally important component of any valuable and... Read More