NUTRIENTS IN FOOD

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Proteins
Carbohydrates
Vitamins
Minerals
Essential Fatty Acids: Omega's
Fibre

PROTEINS

Beans, Pulses and Wholegrains
Beansprouts
Cereals
Eggs
Fish
Meat
Nuts
Rice
Soya milk
Tahini
Tofu
Vegetables

CARBOHYDRATES

Beans and Pulses
Cereals
Oats
Pasta
Potatoes
Wholegrains; i.e. Rice
Wholemeal bread

VITAMINS

Vitamin A

Carrots
Dried apricots
Fruit
Green leafy vegetables
Peppers
Spinach
Watercress
Yellow vegetables

Vitamin B group

Avocados
Bananas
Beansprouts
Brewer's yeast
Currants
Green leafy vegetables
Mushrooms
Peanuts
Wheatgerm
Wholegrains
Yeast Extract

Vitamin B12

Miso
Seaweed
Soya Milks
Yeast Extract; ie Marmite, Vegemite

Vitamin C

Blackcurrants
Broccoli
Cabbage
Frozen peas
Green leafy vegetables
Green peppers
Oranges
Parsley
Potatoes

Vitamin D

Fortified Cereals
Margarine; animal-free
Sunlight on the skin

Vitamin E

Avocados.
Nuts and seeds.
Tahini.
Vegetable Oils.
Wheatgerm.

Vitamin K

Blackstrap molasses
Green leafy vegetables
Kelp
Seaweeds
Vegetable oils; ie, sunflower, safflower

MINERALS

Iron

Beans and pulses
Blackstrap molasses
Cabbage
Dried Apricots
Millet
Parsley
Prunes and Dates
Pumpkin seeds
Spinach
Tofu
Wheatgerm
Wholegrains

Calcium

Almonds
Brazils
Broccoli
Figs
Fortified Soya Milk; ie Provamel
Green leafy vegetables
Parsley
Swede
Tahini; (A rich source)
Tofu
Watercress

Zinc

Almonds
Lentils
Oats
Pumpkin seeds
Sesame seeds
Wheatgerm
Wholegrain Rice
Wholegrains

Iodine

Green leafy vegetables
Kelp
Seaweeds

Magnesium

Almonds
Bananas
Broccoli
Cashew nuts
Green leafy vegetables
Prunes
Soya beans
Wheatgerm
Wholegrains

Phosphorous/Sulphur/Potassium

Chick peas
Many fruits and vegetables; Bananas high in potassium
Nuts
Pinto beans
Potatoes
Pumpkin seeds
Wheatgerm
Wholgrains
Yeast Extract

Trace Minerals:

Fluorine/Copper/Cobalt/Chromium/Manganese/etc..

Almonds
Bananas
Beans and pulses
Brewer's Yeast
Green leafy vegetables
Legumes
Potatoes
Seaweeds
Wholegrains

Fibre

The main function of fibre is to keep the digestive system healthy and functioning properly. Fibre aids and speeds up the excretion of waste and toxins from the body, preventing them from sitting in the intestine or bowel for too long, which could cause a build-up and lead to several diseases.

Beans and Pulses
Fruit and vegetables
Nuts
Oats
Wheatgerm
Wholegrains

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS (EFA’s)

WHAT ARE EFA'S?

EFA’s are fats that are needed by the body but are not manufactured by it and thus must be obtained through our diet.
They are sometimes collectively referred to as vitamin F, though there is no established RDA. In the body, EFA’s act to strengthen cell membranes and promote the growth of muscles and nerves.
They are used therapeutically to thin the blood and inhibit clotting and to improve blood cholesterol and triglyceride profiles. Thus they help prevent heart disease.
EFA’s also have natural anti-inflammatory effects and so are potentially useful in the treatment of arthritis, allergies, asthma, and skin conditions.
There is some evidence for a cancer-preventive effect.
Important EFA’s include the Omega-3’s, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenioc acid (DHA) and alpha linolenic acid, a plant-oil-derived EPA/DHA precursor.
EPA and DHA are found primarily in the oil of cold-water fish.
They usually occur together and have similar effects on the body – reducing inflammation, lowering blood fat and cholesterol levels, and thinning the blood. Taken in excess they can reduce blood clotting capability to an unhealthy degree.
Other EFAs are the omega-6’s, including linoleic acid and gamma linoleic acid (GLA). GLA is found in significant quantities only in oils derived from a few plants, especially evening primrose, borage, and blackcurrant. Studies indicate GLA has potential therapeutic use in the prevention or treatment of heart disease, arthritis, skin problems, and PMS.
GLA may also stimulate the growth of hair and nails. It has a soothing effect when applied topically to the skin.

WHERE CAN I GET MY ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS?

The following substances are among the richest dietary sources of essential fatty acids. Supplements derived from these sources may need to be refrigerated. Many EFA supplements have vitamin E oil added in order to prevent rancidity. They are sold as liquids and capsules.

Blackcurrant oil

The oil from this plant (Ribes nigrum) usually provides 50 to 100mg of GLA per 1,000mg capsules.

Borage oil

This is a vegetable oil derived from the seeds of a blue flowering plant (Borago officinalis) that is also used as a herb in Europe, primarily to restore adrenal function and counter inflammation. The seed oil is taken as a supplement because it is one of the most concentrated natural sources of GLA – capsules providing 1,000mg to 1,300mg of borage oil usually have 240 to 300mg of GLA.

Cod liver oil

This is a fish oil rich in EPA and DHA. Unless the fat-soluble vitamins A and D have been removed, however, consuming too much cod liver oil may result in toxic levels of these vitamins building up in the body.

Concentrated fish oils

These are the fatty liquids

xpressed from certain cold-water fish, including salmon, mackerel, sardines, cod, bluefish, herring, and tuna. The omega-3 fish oils are the most popular form of the essential fatty acid supplements. Most contain 1,000 to 1,250mg of fish-oil concentrate, representing an EPA range of 180 to 360mg and a DHA range of 120 to 240mg.

Evening primrose oil

This fatty liquid is extracted from the seeds of a yellow-flowering willow-family plant (oenothera biennis) that is a richly endowed source of the omega-6 essential fatty acid GLA. Evening primrose oil is produced primarily in Great Britain and is a popular remedy in Europe. Technically its use is still experimental in the USA, but few side-effects have appeared. Since the late 1980’s, evening primrose oil has been the subject of an ongoing regulatory dispute between the FDA and importers, who had some shipments seized as an “unapproved food additive.” Nevertheless, it is still available as a liquid or in capsules.

Flax seed oil

The flax plant (Linum usitatissimum) is used to make linen fibre as well as a seed oil rich in EFA’s.

Hemp seed oil

This seed oil, derived from marijuana (Cannabis sativa), is a new one on the US natural-food market. It is pressed from sterilized seeds imported from Canada and has both omega-3’s and some GLA. The seeds and the oil have no psychoactive property and are completely legal in the US.

Rape seed oil

Rape seed (Brassica napus) is the source for canola oil, the popular cooking oil.

RDA

An optimal supplement level of EFA’s for adults is 250 to 500mg per day.

Notes

To a certain extent, omega-3’s and omega 6’s overlap. Both tend to enhance the body’s ability to reduce inflammation and improve cholesterol profiles. Which one is best suited for an individual is often a matter of trial and error. Some studies show that best results are achieved by using them together.