What is your daily vitamin requirement? Many of us are familiar with the US RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of certain nutrients.
While the RDA helped to educate people about the various vitamins and minerals they needed, according to Dr. Michael Janson, a leading authority on preventive and alternative medicine "The RDA is actually a useless guideline for today, because it was designed to prevent deficiency diseases such as scurvy and beriberi ... [not for] achieving optimal health and treating disease...". Similar things can be said for the Daily Value (DV) that are referred to on many supplement labels.
I have complied the following table from various sources. It contains information on a daily mineral and vitamin requirement, based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet, and natural food sources for each nutrient. You can use this to determine what mineral and vitamin supplements you may need, based on your diet. The daily mineral and vitamin requirement range has been derived from various sources. Look at the nutritional content for any supplements you are taking to determine if your supplement is right for you.
Taking a supplement based only on a label that says that it fulfills your daily mineral and vitamin requirement may not mean your body is getting what it needs. The supplement needs to be properly absorbed by the body. Although bio-availability is difficult to measure outside of a laboratory, a simple test can weed out obvious problems.
Do your vitamin supplements pass the crumbling and dissolving test? If not, your body may not be getting the benefit of what you are consuming. Drop your vitamin-mineral supplement in a glass of plain water. It should start crumbling in about 30 – 45 minutes and completely dissolve in 4-5 hours. If your supplement does not crumble and dissolve in the specified time, it is a pretty good indication that it will not get absorbed by your body. Consuming vitamins and minerals in a liquid or powder form will help your body better breakdown and absorb their nutritional content, and give you your daily mineral and vitamin requirement. These forms start entering your system in your mouth, as they come in contact with your saliva. The next best option is gelatin-free capsules that easily dissolve in stomach acid. Supplements in hard tablet form - especially time released varieties - are most likely to pass through your system relatively intact.
If you feel you are getting your daily mineral and vitamin requirement and are happy with your supplement, that is great. However, if you are not, I have found a great supplement that is absorbed well in the body, provides the daily recommended mineral and vitamin requirement and also provides some phytonutrients. Here is my recommendation.
|
Mineral / Vitamin |
Helps Support |
Daily Mineral or Vitamin Requirement * |
Common Natural Sources |
|
Vitamin A |
Eyes |
5,000 IU |
Cod liver oil, egg yolks, butter, raw whole milk, liver |
|
Mixed carotenoids (e.g. beta carotene) |
Immune System |
5,000 – 15,000 IU |
Carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, spinach, butternut squash, tuna, cantaloupe, mangoes, apricots, broccoli, watermelon |
|
Folic Acid |
Heart , Brain, red blood cell development |
400 – 800 mcg |
Legumes, poultry, tuna, wheat germ, mushrooms, oranges, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupes |
|
Vitamin B6 |
Brain, Heart, Immune System, protein metabolism |
50 – 200 mg |
Fish, soybeans, avocados, lima beans, chicken, bananas, cauliflower, green peppers, potatoes, spinach, raisins |
|
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) |
Fat, protein and carbohydrate metabolism, nervous system |
25 mg (more in supplement form with medical supervision) |
Meats, poultry, fish, peanut butter, legumes, soybeans, whole grains, broccoli, asparagus, baked potatoes |
|
Vitamin B12 |
Nerves, Blood, tissue growth |
50 - 100 mcg |
Salmon, eggs, cheese, swordfish, tuna, clams, mussels, oysters |
|
Pantothenic Acid |
Energy, protein and carbohydrate metabolism |
25 - 150 mg |
Fish, whole grain, mushrooms, avocados, broccoli, peanuts, cashews, lentils, soybeans, eggs |
|
Biotin |
Hair, Skin, Energy |
30 – 300 mcg |
Peanut butter, eggs, oatmeal, wheat germ, poultry, cauliflower, nuts, legumes |
|
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) |
Eyes, cell development, skin |
10 – 50 mg |
Milk, cottage cheese, avocados, tangerines, prunes, asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, beef, salmon, turkey |
|
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) |
Energy |
10 – 50 mg |
Pork, sheat germ, pasta, peanuts, legumes, watermelon, oranges, brown rice, oatmeal, eggs |
|
Vitamin C |
Immune System |
250 – 2000 mg |
Citrus fruit, strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach, cabbage, melons, broccoli, kiwi fruit, raspberries |
|
Vitamin D |
Bones, calcium absorption |
400 – 800 IU |
Sunlight, eggs, milk, butter, tuna, salmon |
|
Vitamin E |
Heart, Immune system |
200 – 400 IU |
Nut and vegetable oils, wheat germ, mangoes, blackberries, apples, broccoli, peanuts, spinach, whole wheat |
|
Vitamin K |
Blood clotting |
20 – 60 mcg |
Spinach, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, parsley, eggs, dairy products, carrots, avocados, tomatoes |
|
Mineral / Vitamin |
Helps Support |
Daily Mineral or Vitamin Requirement * |
Common Natural Sources |
|
Calcium |
Bones, teeth, muscle and nerve function |
800 – 1,200 mg |
Milk, cheese, yogurt, salmon, sardines with bones, broccoli, green beans, almonds, turnip greens, kale |
|
Magnesium |
Blood pressure, nerve and muscle function |
400 – 600 mg |
Molasses, nuts, spinach, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, seafood, dairy products, baked potatoes, broccoli, bananas |
|
Selenium |
Immune system |
100 – 300 mcg |
Meats, whole grain, dairy products, fish, shellfish, mushrooms, Brazil nuts |
|
Sodium |
Fluid balance, nervous system function |
2,400 mg |
Salt, processed food, soy sauce (most people will not need to supplement their sodium intake, given the prevalence of sodium in our diets) |
|
Potassium |
Acid balance in body, fluid balance (works with sodium) |
3,000 – 6,000 mg (from food sources) |
Potatoes, avocados, bananas, yogurt, cantaloupe, spinach, mushrooms, milk, tomatoes |
|
Zinc |
Immune system, prostate, wound healing |
15 – 20 mg |
Oysters, lean beef, wheat germ, seafood, lima beans, legumes, nuts, poultry, dairy products |
|
Phosphorus |
Energy, bones (teams up with calcium) |
800 mg –1,000 mg |
Meats, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products |
|
Manganese |
Blood sugar, energy |
2 – 10 mg |
Nuts, whole grains, legumes, fea, dried fruits, spinach, green leafy vegetables |
|
Molybdenum |
Nitrogen metabolism, energy |
25 – 250 mcg |
Legumes, meats, whole grains, milk and dairy products |
|
Chloride |
Aids digestion, fluid balance (works with sodium) |
750 mg |
Foods with salt (note most people will not have to supplement their chloride intake due to their high salt intake) |
|
Chromium |
Carbohydrate metabolism |
50 – 200 mcg |
Whole grains, broccoli, grapes, oranges, brown sugar, meats, black pepper, brewer’s yeast, cheese |
|
Copper |
Blood cells, connective tissue formation |
1.5 – 3 mg |
Oysters, other shellfish, nuts, cherries, cocoa, mushrooms, gelatin, whole grains, eggs, fish, legumes |
|
Flouride |
Tooth enamel |
1.5 – 4 mg |
Flouridated water, fish, tea (most people do not have to supplement their fluoride intake due to fluoridation of the water supply) |
|
Iodine |
Proper thyroid function |
150 mcg |
Spinach, lobster, shrimp, oysters, milk, iodized salt |
|
Iron |
Carries oxygen in blood, energy metabolism |
10 – 20 mg |
Clams, asparagus, meats, chicken, prunes, raisins, spinach, pumpkin seeds, soybeans, tofu |
* Based on a diet consisting of 2,000 calories per day. Your daily mineral and vitamin requirement is proportional to your daily calorie intake. For example, if you consume 3,000 calories per day, your daily vitamin requirement is increased by 50%.
Fulfilling your daily mineral and vitamin requirement is
The Natural Path to good health.
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