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.