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As well as vitamins and more common minerals, a healthy diet includes many other nutrients.
This section has information on:
Beta-carotene gives yellow and orange fruit and vegetables their colour. It's turned into vitamin A in the body, so it can perform the same jobs in the body as vitamin A.
The main sources of beta-carotene are:
You should be able to get the amount of beta-carotene you need from your daily diet.
There's no evidence the beta-carotene we get from food is harmful.
But beta-carotene supplements have been found to increase the risk of lung cancer in people who smoke or have been heavily exposed to asbestos at work.
You should be able to get the amount of beta-carotene you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.
If you decide to take beta-carotene supplements, it's important not to take too much as this could be harmful.
Do not take more than 7mg of beta-carotene supplements a day unless advised to by a doctor.
People who smoke or who have been exposed to asbestos are advised not to take any beta-carotene supplements.
Good sources of chromium include:
Around 25 micrograms of chromium a day should be enough for adults. A microgram is 1,000 times smaller than a milligram (mg).
The word microgram is sometimes written with the Greek symbol μ followed by the letter g (μg).
You should be able to get all the chromium you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.
There's not enough evidence to know what the effects might be of taking high doses of chromium each day.
You should be able to get all the chromium you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.
If you take chromium supplements, do not take too much as this might be harmful.
Having 10mg or less a day of chromium from food and supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
Copper helps:
It's also thought to be important for infant growth, brain development, the immune system and strong bones.
Good sources of copper include:
Adults aged 19 to 64 need 1.2mg of copper a day.
You should be able to get all the copper you need from your daily diet.
Taking high doses of copper could cause:
You should be able to get all the copper you need by eating a varied and balanced diet. If you take copper supplements, do not take too much as this could be harmful.
Having 10mg or less a day of copper is unlikely to cause any harm. This includes copper from food, water and supplements.
Magnesium is a mineral that helps:
Magnesium is found in a wide variety of foods, including:
The amount of magnesium you need is:
Taking high doses of magnesium (more than 400mg) for a short time can cause diarrhoea.
There's not enough evidence to say what the effects might be of taking high doses of magnesium for a long time.
You should be able to get all the magnesium you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.
If you take magnesium supplements, do not take too much as this could be harmful.
Having 400mg or less a day of magnesium from supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
Manganese helps make and activate some of the enzymes in the body. Enzymes are proteins that help the body carry out chemical reactions, such as breaking down food.
Manganese is found in a variety of foods, including:
You should be able to get all the manganese you need from your daily diet.
Taking high doses of manganese for long periods of time might cause muscle pain, nerve damage and other symptoms, such as fatigue and depression.
You should be able to get all the manganese you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.
If you take manganese supplements, do not take too much as this could be harmful.
For most people, taking 4mg or less of manganese supplements a day is unlikely to cause any harm.
For older people, who may be more sensitive to manganese, taking 0.5mg or less of manganese supplements a day is unlikely to cause any harm.
Molybdenum helps make and activate some of the proteins involved in chemical reactions (enzymes) that help with repairing and making genetic material.
Molybdenum is found in a wide variety of foods. Foods that grow above ground tend to be higher in molybdenum than foods that grow below the ground, such as potatoes or carrots.
You should be able to get all the molybdenum you need from your daily diet.
There's some evidence to suggest taking molybdenum supplements might cause joint pain.
You should be able to get all the molybdenum you need by eating a varied and balanced diet. The molybdenum we get from food is not likely to be harmful.
Phosphorus is a mineral that helps build strong bones and teeth, and helps release energy from food.
Phosphorus is found in many foods.
Good sources include:
Adults need 550mg of phosphorus a day.
You should be able to get all the phosphorus you need from your daily diet.
Taking high doses of phosphorus supplements for a short time can cause diarrhoea or stomach pain.
Taking high doses for a long time can reduce the amount of calcium in the body, which means bones are more likely to fracture.
You should be able to get all the phosphorus you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.
If you take phosphorus supplements, it's important not to take too much as this could be harmful.
Taking 250mg or less a day of phosphorus supplements on top of the phosphorous you get from your diet is unlikely to cause any harm.
Potassium is a mineral that helps control the balance of fluids in the body, and also helps the heart muscle work properly.
Potassium is found in most types of food.
Good sources of potassium include:
Adults (19 to 64 years) need 3,500mg of potassium a day. You should be able to get all the potassium you need from your daily diet.
Taking too much potassium can cause stomach pain, feeling sick and diarrhoea.
You should be able to get all the potassium you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.
If you take potassium supplements, do not take too much as this could be harmful.
Taking 3,700mg or less of potassium supplements a day is unlikely to have obvious harmful effects.
But older people may be more at risk of harm from potassium because their kidneys may be less able to remove potassium from the blood.
Older people should not take potassium supplements unless advised to by a doctor.
Selenium helps the immune system work properly, as well as in reproduction. It also helps prevent damage to cells and tissues.
Good sources of selenium include:
The amount of selenium you need is:
If you eat meat, fish or nuts, you should be able to get all the selenium you need from your daily diet.
Too much selenium causes selenosis, a condition that, in its mildest form, can lead to loss of hair and nails.
You should be able to get all the selenium you need by eating a varied and balanced diet that includes meat, fish or nuts.
If you take selenium supplements, it's important not to take too much as this could be harmful.
Taking 350μg or less a day of selenium supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
Sodium chloride is commonly known as salt.
Sodium and chloride are minerals needed by the body in small amounts to help keep the level of fluids in the body balanced. Chloride also helps the body digest food.
Salt is found naturally at low levels in all foods, but some salt is added to many processed foods, such as:
You should have no more than 6g of salt (2.4g of sodium) a day.
But, on average, people in the UK eat approximately 8g of salt (about 3.2g of sodium) a day, which is much more than the body needs.
A few practical tips for cutting down on salt include:
Read more facts about salt, cutting down on salt and how much salt is good for me?
You can also download the Change4Life Be Food Smart app, which allows you to scan food barcodes to check the salt content.
Having too much salt is linked to high blood pressure, which raises your risk of serious problems like strokes and heart attacks.
Adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day – that's around 1 teaspoon. On average, we eat 2.1g more salt than we should each day.
The Department of Health and Social Care advises that people cut down on salt and says sodium chloride should not be used in supplements.
Zinc helps with:
Good sources of zinc include:
The amount of zinc you need is about:
You should be able to get all the zinc you need from your daily diet.
Taking high doses of zinc reduces the amount of copper the body can absorb. This can lead to anaemia and weakening of the bones.
You should be able to get all the zinc you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.
If you take zinc supplements, do not take too much as this could be harmful.
Do not take more than 25mg of zinc supplements a day unless advised to by a doctor.
