The best food sources of every vitamin and mineral – CNET

Skip the supplements and add these healthy foods to your diet.

When people suffer symptoms like lethargy, headaches, muscle weakness, sleeplessness and lack of focus, many turn to supplements in an attempt to load their bodies with the missing nutrient responsible for their symptoms.

However, doing so without first considering the quality of your diet may not get you anywhere. Supplements can help fill gaps in your diet, but it's always best to get most of your vitamins and minerals through a nutritious diet.

Try taking a food-first approach with this guide to the top food sources for every vitamin and mineral. You'll notice that many overlap and -- who'd've known -- vegetables appear as a top source for almost every nutrient.

Read more: Personalized multivitamins: Worth it or no better than store-bought?

Vitamin A is a single vitamin, but two types are found in food. Preformed vitamin A, which your body can use immediately, is found in animal foods. Provitamin A is found in plant foods, and it's a precursor to the type of vitamin A your body can use. Beta-carotene is the most common example of provitamin A.

To avoid vitamin A deficiency with your diet, eat these foods high in vitamin A:

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The B vitamins are a group of eight essential nutrients humans need to support health. They're all lumped into one class of vitamins because they have similar properties and are found in many of the same foods.

The eight B vitamins include:

The best food sources of B vitamins are:

Best known for supporting immune health, vitamin C also contributes to the growth, development and repair of various tissues in your body. Vitamin C is an important part of the structure of your skin, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels, and it helps to form scar tissue in response to injuries.

To make sure you're getting enough vitamin C in your diet, eat plenty of these vitamin C-rich foods:

The very best source of vitamin D is sunshine, but plenty of foods contain trace amounts of vitamin D to support a well-rounded diet. It's hard to get enough vitamin D from food alone, so it's a good idea to get outside for a few minutes each day in addition to prioritizing these foods.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant responsible for many bodily functions, including the formation of red blood cells. Deficiency in vitamin E can lead to complications such as nerve damage, muscle weakness, loss of motor control, weakened immune function and vision problems.

The best food sources of vitamin E are:

Vitamin K is primarily a coagulant, which means it helps blood clot. Without vitamin K, you would lose too much blood even from a small cut or scrape. People on blood-thinning medications should talk to their doctor about vitamin K before increasing their consumption. If it's safe for you to eat more vitamin K-containing foods, try adding these sources to your diet:

In addition to vitamins, the human body requires several minerals to function optimally. Mineral deficiencies are often responsible for symptoms like fatigue, poor sleep, low moods and lack of focus.

You need two types of minerals to support your health: macrominerals, which you need in large amounts, and trace minerals, which you need in smaller quantities. The macrominerals include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride and sulfur. Trace minerals include iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride and selenium.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body -- you need plenty of it to keep your bones and teeth healthy, as well as support muscle and nerve function. The best sources of calcium include:

Second only to calcium in terms of abundance, phosphorus makes up 1% of your bodyweight and is present in every cell in your body. Phosphorus helps form your bones and teeth, makes protein for tissue growth and repair, and produces the molecules your cells use for energy. These foods contain ample phosphorus:

Many plant foods contain phosphorus, but most plants store the mineral as phytic acid, which humans can't digest or absorb. The best way to get phosphorus is from animal foods.

Like the other macrominerals, magnesium supports nerve and muscle function, as well as bone and heart health. You can find magnesium in:

This electrolyte is essential for maintaining fluid balance in your body and helping your muscles contract, among other things. Many people try to limit their sodium intake (and some people need to), but consuming too little sodium can lead to health problems just like consuming too much can.

The foods highest in sodium generally aren't the healthiest sources of sodium, and sometimes a single savory snack can nearly reach the daily recommended sodium limit. However, some whole foods contain trace amounts of sodium, including:

You likely already eat plenty of foods high in sodium, such as bread, pasta, soup, deli meat, sauces and dressings, broths, stocks, canned foods, frozen foods and snack foods. Most people don't need to increase their sodium intake and should limit sodium-rich foods if they tend to eat more than the recommended daily allowance of 2,300 milligrams.

Another important electrolyte, potassium supports a regular and healthy heartbeat, offsets sodium's effect on blood pressure, supports nerve function and muscle contraction, and moves waste products out of cells. Foods high in potassium include:

Chloride is an electrolyte that works with sodium and potassium to fulfill a variety of roles in the body. Dietary chloride primarily comes from table salt and sea salt, and most people get enough through the foods they eat daily, but you can maximize chloride intake by eating these foods:

Your body uses sulfur to repair DNA, protect your cells against damage, metabolize food and provide structure to your skin and other connective tissues. It's an important trace mineral you can get from a variety of foods, including:

Most people know iron for its role in blood production. Most of the iron in your body is found in hemoglobin and myoglobin, two substances essential to the transport and transferring of oxygen throughout your body. The top food sources of iron include:

This trace mineral is a cofactor for many enzymes, which means it plays a role in lots of chemical reactions that occur in your body, including the metabolism of carbs and protein. The best food sources of manganese are:

Like manganese, copper is a cofactor for several enzymes. It's also important for proper brain development and connective tissue integrity. Here's where to find copper in food:

Your body needs iodine for proper thyroid function: Without it, your body can't make enough thyroid hormones. Iodine is especially important for babies and pregnant women, because this mineral is crucial to bone and brain formation.

The primary source of iodine in the American diet is iodized salt. If you consume a lot of salt, you probably get enough iodine. But in case you don't, you can find iodine in these other foods:

Zinc, the mineral popularized for its rumored defenses against COVID-19, has long been an ingredient in cold medications and throat lozenges. In addition to its well-known role in immune function, zinc also contributes to wound healing and protein synthesis. The best food sources of zinc include:

Cobalt is found in the body as part of vitamin B-12 and helps your body process and absorb the vitamin. Most foods contain trace amounts of cobalt, but foods high in vitamin B-12 are particularly high in cobalt.

Fluoride keeps your teeth healthy and strong. It also spurs new bone formation, so it's especially important for infants and children. Most drinking water contains fluoride, although if you have well water, it may not be fluoridated.In addition to water, you can get fluoride from:

Selenium protects cells from damage, promotes reproductive health and thyroid function and supports DNA production. The most potent food source of selenium is Brazil nuts, and these can actually cause selenium toxicity if consumed too often. Other sources of food high in selenium include:

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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The best food sources of every vitamin and mineral - CNET