Mineral Chart

Minerals (Adult RDA)	Best Sources	Functions	Deficiency Symptoms
Calcium (800 mg)	Milk & milk products	Strong bones, teeth, muscle tissue, regulates heart beat, muscle action & nerve function, blood clotting	Soft, brittle bones, back & leg pains, heart palpitations, tetany
Chromium (50-200 mg)	Brewer’s yeast, cheese, whole grains, meat	Glucose metabolism (energy) increases effectiveness of	Atherosclerosis, glucose intolerance in diabetics
Copper (1.5-3.0 mg)	Oysters, nuts, organ meats, dried beans	Formation of red blood cells, bone growth & health, works with vitamin C to form elastin	Anemia, bone demineralization, nervous system disturbances
Iodine (150 mcg)	Seafood, iodized salt	Component of hormone thyroxine which controls metabolism	Goiter, obesity
Iron (10-15 mg)	Organ meats, meat, fish & poultry, dried beans, whole grains & enriched grains, green leafy vegetables	Formation of hemoglobin in blood & myoglobin in muscles which supply oxygen to cells	Anemia (pale skin, fatigue)
Magnesium (280-350 mcg)	Nuts, green vegetables, whole grains, dried beans	Enzyme activation, nerve & muscle function, calcium & potassium balance	Nausea, muscle weakness or twitching, irritability
Manganese (2.0-5.0 mg)	Nuts, whole grains, vegetables fruits	Enzyme activation, carbohydrate & fat production, sex hormone production, skeletal development	Abnormal bone & cartilage formation, impaired glucose tolerance
Phosphorus (800-1200 mg)	Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, dried beans, whole grains	Bone development, important in protein, fat & carbohydrate utilization	Weakness, poor appetite,   bone pain
Potassium (no RDA)	Vegetables, fruits, dried beans milk & yogurt	Fluid balance, controls activity of heart muscle, nervous system	Lethargy, weakness, poor appetite, abnormal heart rhythm
Selenium (55-70 mcg)	Seafood, organ meats, lean meats, grains	Protects body tissues against oxidative damage from radiation, pollution & normal metabolic processing	Heart muscle abnormalities
Zinc (12-15 mg)	Lean meats, liver, eggs, seafood, whole grains, dairy products	Involved in many enzymes regulating metabolism, important in development of reproductive system, aids in healing	Retarded growth, prolonged wound healing, loss of appetite
Molybdenium (75-250 mcg)	Milk, beans, breads, & cereals (varies according to environment in which food is grown)	A part of several enzymes involved with sulfur and uric acid metabolism. In early development essential for certain neurological functions & structures	Extremely rare. Possibly neurological dysfunction; irritability, coma, amino acid intolerance
Fluoride (1.5-4.0 mg)	Tea, marine fish (bones), fluoridated water, foods, processed with fluoridated water, foods cooked in teflon	Prevents dental caries (cavities), may strengthen bones	Dental caries, possibly collapsed vertebrae & reduced bone density