All you need to know about vitamins and minerals your body needs every day:
- daily values,
- non-animal sources,
- health benefits.
BETA CAROTENE
Daily value: none established
Non-animal sources: cantaloupe, carrots, dark green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach), lettuce, pumpkin, red peppers, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, yellow fruits (e.g. apricot, mango).
Beta carotene is converted to vitamin A by the body. It is a powerful antioxidant. It lowers a risk of heart diseases, helps to prevent many types of cancer, boosts the immune system, making it more resistant to viruses and infections, helps to maintain night vision.
BIOTIN (VITAMIN H, VITAMIN B7)
Daily value: 300 micrograms
Non-animal sources: bananas, barley, brewer’s yeast, cauliflower, filberts, mushrooms, oat bran, peanuts, soybeans and other legumes, walnuts.
Human body needs biotin to metabolize carbohydrates, fats and amino acids and to produce the energy. It contributes to strengthen hair and nails. Biotin deficiency causes hair loss, skin peeling, cheilosis, glossitis, dry eyes, loss of appetite, weariness, insomnia and depression.
CALCIUM
Daily value: 1000 milligrams
Non-animal sources: almonds, Brazil nuts, broccoli, cornmeal, dried beans, fortified foods, green leafy vegetables, mustard greens, okra, sunflower seeds, tahini, tofu, turnip greens.
Calcium is a key for strong bones and teeth. Proper levels of this mineral over a lifetime can help prevent osteoporosis and colon cancer. It also helps the body with clotting blood, sending and receiving nerve signals, squeezing and relaxing muscles, releasing hormones and other chemicals, keeping a normal heartbeat.
References:
www.livestrong.com
www.umm.edu
www.whfoods.com
www.livestrong.com
www.umm.edu
www.whfoods.com