Must Know: Food Sources

Question 1

Vitamin A: Food Sources

Answer 1

Pro-vitamin A are produced by plants, algae, fungi and bacteria.
Rich Food sources:
Dark green, yellow/orange vegetables and fruit,

Preformed Vitamine A
e.g. liver, fish, liver oils, egg yolk, mackerel, salmon

Question 2

Vitamin E: Food Sources

Answer 2

• Fresh, raw food sources are best:

Sunflower seeds, almonds, pine nuts, olive oil, avocado, sweet potato, spinach.

Question 3

Vitamin K: Food Sources

Answer 3

• Natto and dark green leafy vegetables.

Best absorbed with some dietary fat, e.g. steamed broccoli and kale with extra virgin olive oil.

Question 4

Vitamin B1 - Food Sources

Answer 4

• Yeast extract, peas, oranges, nuts (e.g. macadamia), pulses, sunflower seeds, wholegrains, meat / fish.

Question 5

Vitamin B2: Food Sources

Answer 5

Food sources: Yeast extract, spinach, wild salmon, mushrooms, almonds, quinoa, lentils, kidney beans, organic eggs, meat.

Question 6

VItamin B3 - Food Sources

Answer 6

• Food sources: Mushrooms, green leafy vegetables, yeast extracts, sunflower seeds, salmon, sardines, peanuts, avocado, meat and poultry.
Cooking reduces B3 in foods. Tryptophan rich foods, e.g. bananas, turkey.

Question 7

Vitamin B5- Food Sources

Answer 7

• Richest food sources include shiitake mushrooms, avocados, nuts, seeds, fish and meat.
However, it is found widely distributed in almost all foods hence the name.
• Synthesised by intestinal bacteria, but to as yet unknown level of absorption. Theoretically, antibiotics may reduce synthesis

Question 8

Vitamin B6 - Food Sources

Answer 8

• Widely distributed: wholegrains, green vegetables, sunflower seeds, pistachios, walnuts, bananas, lentils, avocados, meat & fish.

Question 9

Vitamin B7/B8/H Biotin - Food Sources

Answer 9

Egg yolk, yeast, wholegrains, cauliflower, sweet potato, nuts, meat, oily fish.

Question 10

Vitamin B9 - Folate: Food Sources

Answer 10

Leafy greens, asparagus, avocado, Brussel sprouts, legumes, citrus fruit (especially oranges) and liver.

Question 11

Vitamin B12 - Food Sources

Answer 11

Vegan B12 Food Sources:
• Chlorella pyrenoidosa (e.g. 9g per day)
• A substantial amount (133.8 μg /100 g) of vitamin B12 has also been found in dried Korean purple laver Porphyra sp.).
• Nutritional yeast, nori and kombu sea vegetables (nori, kombu, kelp and dulse), shiitake & Lions mane mushrooms.

Animal B12 Food Sources:
• Meat, liver, milk, cottage and feta cheese, organic eggs, fish (esp. sardines, mackerel and wild salmon).<p></p>

Question 12

Vitamin C: Food Sources

Answer 12

• All fresh raw fruit and vegetables, particularly peppers, kiwi fruit, papaya, currants, berries, citrus, crucifers, mangoes and tomatoes.
• Very significant losses occur as vegetables wilt, or when they are cut as a result of the release of ascorbate oxidase from the plant tissue.
• Ascorbate oxidase is why lemon or lime juice can prevent the browning (oxidising) of other foods (e.g. sliced apple) the vitamin C creates an antioxidant barrier from oxygen until it is all used up.

Question 13

Vitamin D: Food Sources

Answer 13

• Vitamin D is not strictly a vitamin since it can be synthesised in the skin in response to sunlight.
• Dietary sources are only required in the absence of adequate sunlight (UVB), and include 2 types of vitamin
- Plant source: vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol D2) found in mushrooms (fungi), but these require good sun
- Animal source: vitamin D3 is 7 dehydroxycholesterol (cholecalciferol D3) found in cod liver oil, oily fish (herring, mackerel, sardines, wild caught salmon - SMASH) and organic egg yolks.

Question 14

Calcium: Food Sources

Answer 14

• Calcium is found mostly in plant and dairy foods.
• Vegetable sources have the highest bioavailability e.g. Ca from cruciferous vegetables is absorbed 2x as efficiently as Ca from dairy.
Sage, sesame, sardines (incl bones), kale, cows mik, edamame

Question 15

Magnesium: Food Sources

Answer 15

• Magnesium is found mostly in plants (especially seeds, nuts, wholegrains, legumes and dark green leafy vegetables).
Cacao Powder 599mg
Pumpkin seeds 535mg
Amaranth 266mg
Soybeans 86mg
Swiss Chard 86mg

Question 16

Zinc: Food Sources

Answer 16

• The highest food source of Zinc is oysters. With seeds, nuts, wholegrains, meat and other shellfish also containing good amounts.
• Vegetables vary in Zn content depending on the soil quality
Oysters 33.24mg
Sesame 10.25mg
Rye Flour 5.62mg
Calf’s liver 5.45mg

Question 17

Phosphorus: Food Sources

Answer 17

• Phosphate is an essential constituent of all plant and animal tissues and thus is widely distributed in all foods, especially:

• Seeds, nuts, beans, legumes. (pumpkin, sunflower, poppy)
• Meat, poultry, fish, dairy.
• Soft drinks (not a recommended source)!

Question 18

Potassium: Food Sources

Answer 18

• Food Sources: Widely distributed but highest in plant sources.
Vegetables: raw spinach (558mg), baked potato with skin
Fruit: avocado (396mg), banana, kiwi, melon, papaya
Grains: quinoa (740mg), rye flour, buckwheat, oats
Nuts & seeds: pistachio (1042mg) , sunflower, pumpkin
Seafood: clams (628mg), crab, red snapper, salmon
Meat & dairy: calf’s liver (364mg), pork, cheddar (98mg)

Question 19

NaCl: Food Sources

Answer 19

• Sodium and chloride are sufficiently present in most natural food s.
• However, approx. 70% of the sodium intake in the typical western diet comes from processed food or is added during food preparation.

Question 20

Iron: Food Sources

Answer 20

• There are two dietary forms of iron:<br></br>- Non-haem iron (plant and animal foods) ferric form of iron.<br></br>- Haem iron (animals: meats, poultry, fish) ferrous form of iron.<p></p><p>Grains: <strong>quinoa</strong> , amaranth, rye, oats <strong>9.25mg</strong><br></br>Legumes: <strong>soybeans</strong> , lentils, chickpeas, kidney <strong>5.14mg</strong><br></br>Vegetables: <strong>spinach</strong> , swiss chard, rocket <strong>2.71mg</strong><br></br>Nuts & Seeds: <strong>pumpkin</strong> , sesame, cashew, flax <strong>14.97mg</strong><br></br>Meat & Fish: <strong>clams</strong>, calf’s liver, oysters, prawns, sardines, salmon <strong>27.96mg</strong></p>• There are two dietary forms of iron:

• Non-haem iron (plant and animal foods) ferric form of iron.
• Haem iron (animals: meats, poultry, fish) ferrous form of iron.

Grains: quinoa (9.25mg), amaranth, rye, oats
Legumes: soybeans (5.14mg), lentils, chickpeas, kidney
Vegetables: spinach (2.71mg), swiss chard, rocket
Nuts & Seeds: pumpkin (14.97mg), sesame, cashew, flax
Meat & Fish: clams (27.96mg), calf’s liver, oysters, prawns, sardines, salmon

Question 21

Selenium: Food Sources

Answer 21

Grains: whole wheat (Durum) (89.4mcg), rye, corn
Nuts & seeds: Brazil nuts (1917mccg), sunflower
Seafood: yellowfin tuna (90.6mcg) , swordfish, clams, oysters
Vegetables: garlic (14,2mcg), mushrooms
Meat & Organs: calf’s liver (35.8mcg), pork, turkey, chicken

Question 22

Copper Food Sources

Answer 22

Seeds & Nuts: sesame (4082mcg) , cashews, sunflower
Grains & Legumes: quinoa (802mcg), oats, chickpeas
Vegetables and fungi: shiitake (896mcg), avocado, garlic
Organ meat: calf’s liver (4466mcg)
Shellfish: oysters (2679mcg), lobster, crab, prawns

Question 23

Iodine Food Sources

Answer 23

Sea vegetables (excellent source);
Ocean fish and shellfish such as cod and scallops;
Iodine is also in eggs & dairy foods (due to the fortification of animal feed) with small amounts in plants depending on the soil.

Question 24

Manganese Food Sources

Answer 24

Grains: wheat germ (20g), rye (6mg), oats, amaranth
Nuts & seeds: hazelnuts (6.2mg), pine nuts, walnuts
Spices: cloves (30g), saffron, ginger, black pepper
Shellfish: blue mussels (6.8mg), other shellfish (≤1mg)

Question 25

Sulphur Food Sources

Answer 25

• Amino acids are the main dietary source of Sulphur, but there are also many Sulphur based compounds in food.
Alliums : e.g. garlic, onions, shallots, leeks,
Cruciferous (Brassicas): broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, turnips, kale, spring greens, radish.
Legumes: especially soyabeans , black beans, kidney, split peas and white beans.
Eggs and Dairy: parmesan, gorgonzola, cheddar.<br></br>Protein foods: meat, poultry, fish and seafood.

Question 26

Molybdenum: Food Sources

Answer 26

– Legumes (the richest source), whole grains, nuts, green leafy vegetables, beef liver and milk.

Question 27

Chromium: Food Sources

Answer 27

Vegetables: broccoli (11mcg), green beans, potatoes
Grains: barley (8.6mcg) , oats, whole wheat
Meat and poultry: turkey (2mcg), beef
Herbs/spices: black pepper (2tsp) (1mcg), basil, garlic

Question 28

Molybendum: Food Sources

Answer 28

Legumes (the richest source), whole grains, nuts, green leafy vegetables, beef liver and milk.

Question 29

Boron: Food Sources

Answer 29

The richest food sources are fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes (meat, fish and dairy are poor sources).

Question 30

Silicon: Food Sources

Answer 30

The richest food sources are whole grains, root vegetables, dried fruit and bananas (meat, fish and dairy have low values).