Sunday 3 March 2013

List of nutrients and where to find them in foods

Zinc - wholegrains, wholegrain rice, lentils, peanuts, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, squash seeds, watermelon seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, chocolate and cocoa powder, wheatgerm, tofu, oysters, veal liver (and most livers), beef shoulder, shank and chuck, lamb, crab, lobster, swordfish, and clams. (Zinc is an essential mineral needed by the body to maintain a sense of smell, keep a healthy immune system, build proteins, trigger enzymes, and create DNA. Zinc helps the cells in the body communicate by acting as a neurotransmitter. A deficiency in zinc can lead to stunted growth, diarrhea, impotence, hair loss, eye and skin lesions, impaired appetite, and depressed immunity. Consuming too much zinc can lead to nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and headaches in the short term, and can disrupt absorption of copper and iron in the long term. If you have a zinc deficiency, then animal foods are better sources of zinc than plant foods. The current percent daily value (%DV) for Zinc is 15mg.)

Iron -  tempeh, soy nuts, tofu, edamame, chia seeds, soy milk, soy nut and miso, chickpeas, clams

Iodine - green leafy vegetables, seaweed, kelp

Magnesium - soya beans, cashew nuts, almonds, broccoli, wholegrains, wheatgerms, tofu

Protein - tofu, rice, beans, legumes, wholegrains, cereals, soya milk, tahini, beansprouts, wholegrains

Fats - linseed oil, hempseeds, green leafy vegetables, tofu, nuts, avocados, olive oil

Folic Acid - tempeh, soy nuts, tofu, edamame, soy milk, soy nut and miso

Folate - beetroot

Omega 3 fatty acids - chia seeds, linseeds, hemp seeds, salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, lake trout, Alaskan halibut, sardines, herring.

Omega 6 fatty acids - hemp seeds

Total fat - mackerel

Antioxidants - black garlic, goji berries, beetroot, cloves

Probiotics - kefir

Protein - fish, meat, tofu

Amino acids - including 9 essential ones: threonine, tryptophan, histidine, lysine, leucine, isoleucine, methionine, valine and phenylalanine (as well as 11 non-essential that body produces itself) - buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa, soy and seafoods, lean meats, fish (such as salmon and swordfish), poultry, eggs, almonds and milk are excellent sources of amino acids - plant foods tend to lack lysine or methionine (bright, deeply coloured tend to be best) - best food combinations for amino acids are grains and legumes, grains and dairy or legumes and seeds (amino acids are intermediates in metabolism and building blocks of proteins. Amino acid roles include repairing skin, glands, ligaments, organs, nails, muscles and hair.)

Specific amino acids:
Essential:
Lysine - Eggs, cheese, fish, milk, potatoes, red meat, soy products, and yeast 
Tryptophan - milk, nuts, beans fish, eggs, yogurt, turkey and hard cheeses like gruyere, cheddar, and swiss
Isoleucine - nuts, seeds, meat, fish, eggs, lentils, peas and soy
Histidine - meat and dairy products, eggs, rice, wheat and rye 
Valine - yoghurt (vital for survival)
Threonine -
Leucine - yoghurt (vital for survival)
Isoleucine - yoghurt (vital for survival)
Phenylalanine - yoghurt
Non-essential:
Asparagine - potatoes
Glutamine - potatoes
Cysteine - yoghurt (may influences antioxidant activity in the human body)
Methionine - yoghurt (may influence antioxidant activity in the human body)
Glycine - yoghurt
Arginine - eggs
Alanine - yoghurt
Tyrosine - yoghurt
Aspartate - yoghurt
Glutamate - yoghurt
Serine - yoghurt
Glutamine - yoghurt

Vitamin A - carrots, spinach, green leafy vegetables, butternut squash, herbs including parsley, dill, basil, majoram, oregano, watercress, lettuce, tomatoes, yellow/red peppers, mangoes, paprika, cayenne pepper, chilli powder, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe/other yellow melons, dried apricots, liver (particularly turkey), pumpkin

Beta-carotene - sweet potato, kale, carrots, turnips greens, mustard greens, spinach, butternut squash, lettuce, collards

Vitamin B group - green leafy vegetables, wheatgerm, brewer's yeast, wholegrains, beansprouts, bananas, avocados, nuts, mushrooms, currants, sosmix, yeast extract

B12 - fortified products, yeast extract, oily fish (high), white fish (lower), clams

Vitamin C - green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, green peppers, parsley, potatoes, frozen peas, oranges, blackcurrants, kiwis, passion fruit

Vitamin D - sunshine, fortified products, margarine, kefir

Vitamin E - olive oil, peppers, tomatoes, wheatgerm, tahini, nuts & seeds, avocadoes, passion fruit

Vitamin K - green leafy vegetables, seaweeds, kelp, blackstrap molasses, lentils, peas

Iron - tofu, beans & pulses, spinach, cabbage, wheatgerm, wholegrains, parsley, prunes/dates, dried apricots, pumpkin seeds, millet, blackstrap molasses, clams, shrimp, mackerel, swordfish

Calcium - tofu, tahini, green leafy vegetables, parsley, watercress, broccoli, swede, almonds, brazils, figs, soya milk, edamame, miso, kefir, canned salmon with bones (highest content of fish)

Fibre - wholegrains, nuts, beans and pulses, wheatgerm, oats, fruit & vegetables, chia seeds, pumpkin

Carbohydrates - wholegrains, wholemeal bread, potatoes, beans & pulses, cereals, oats, pasta

Selenium - brazil nuts, fish (particularly tilapia),

Simple carbohydrates - dates, chickpeas

Phosphorus - fish

Mercury - high levels (not a good thing) in shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish

Most pollutants - wild catfish, shrimp, lake trout (warm-water and lake fish)

Least pollutants - deep-water ocean fish, salmon and tuna (deep-water fish)