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Vitamins and Minerals checklist

Vitamin A

Food sources:

  • Eggs
  • Cheese
  • Milk
  • Butter
  • Broccoli
  • Lettuce
  • Red capsicum
  • Rockmelon
  • Silver beet
  • Spinach
  • Pumpkin
  • Carrots
  • Sweet potato
  • Cod liver oil

Aim to obtain most vitamin A from a varied diet containing colourful vegetables, eggs and dairy.

If using cod liver oil, check the label for its vitamin A content and consider your total intake from food and supplements. Avoid routinely using high doses of preformed vitamin A.

Supplement options:

  • Option 1: Obtain vitamin A through food.
  • Option 2: Cod liver oil, according to the product’s labelled dose.
  • Option 3: Cod liver oil extra strength, if appropriate, according to the product label and your individual nutritional requirements.

Vitamin B1 — Thiamine

Food sources:

  • Brown rice
  • Green peas
  • Pork
  • Whole grains
  • Beans
  • Nuts and seeds

Pork is particularly rich in thiamine.

Supplement option:

  • Life Extension Mega Benfotiamine 250 mg

Benfotiamine is a form of vitamin B1 that has been studied for its absorption and for specific clinical applications. Routine high-dose supplementation is not generally necessary when dietary intake is adequate.

Vitamin B2 — Riboflavin

Food sources:

  • Eggs
  • Avocado
  • Almonds
  • Spinach
  • Pork
  • Mushrooms
  • Salmon
  • Milk
  • Beef

Riboflavin is widely available in animal foods, dairy products, nuts and vegetables.

Supplement option:

  • Natural Factors BioCoenzymated B2 Riboflavin 5′-Phosphate

Riboflavin-5′-phosphate is a biologically active form of riboflavin.

Vitamin B3 — Niacin

Food sources:

  • Chicken
  • Turkey
  • Beef
  • Tuna
  • Salmon
  • Peanuts
  • Whole grains
  • Legumes

A balanced diet generally provides sufficient vitamin B3.

Supplement option:

  • A quality multivitamin such as Adam can provide additional B3.

Niacinamide is commonly used in multivitamins and does not produce the flushing associated with high doses of nicotinic acid.

Vitamin B5 — Pantothenic Acid

Food sources:

  • Chicken
  • Beef
  • Eggs
  • Mushrooms
  • Avocado
  • Dairy
  • Whole grains
  • Legumes

Vitamin B5 is found in a wide variety of foods, making deficiency uncommon.

Supplement option:

  • A quality multivitamin such as Adam can provide additional vitamin B5.

Calcium pantothenate is a commonly used supplemental form.

Vitamin B6

Food sources:

  • Chicken
  • Fish
  • Beef
  • Potatoes
  • Chickpeas
  • Bananas
  • Fortified foods

Vitamin B6 is widely available in protein-rich foods and vegetables.

Supplement option:

  • A multivitamin can provide vitamin B6.

Common supplemental forms include pyridoxine hydrochloride and pyridoxal-5-phosphate.

Avoid unnecessarily high doses of vitamin B6, particularly when taking multiple supplements containing B6.

Vitamin B7 — Biotin

Food sources:

  • Eggs
  • Nuts
  • Seeds
  • Salmon
  • Meat
  • Sweet potato
  • Legumes

Biotin deficiency is uncommon with a varied diet.

Supplement option:

  • A multivitamin can provide additional biotin when required.

High-dose biotin supplementation should be disclosed before blood testing because it can interfere with some laboratory tests.

Vitamin B9 — Folate

Food sources:

  • Eggs
  • Oranges
  • Spinach
  • Broccoli
  • Avocado
  • Beans
  • Lentils
  • Asparagus
  • Leafy green vegetables

Food sources should form the foundation of folate intake.

Supplement option:

  • Methylfolate can be considered when supplementation is clinically appropriate.

A 1,000 mcg methylfolate supplement is a high supplemental dose and should not automatically be used simply to increase daily intake.

Vitamin B12

Food sources:

  • Beef
  • Fish
  • Eggs
  • Milk
  • Yoghurt
  • Shellfish
  • Fortified foods

Vitamin B12 is naturally concentrated in animal foods and fortified foods.

Supplement option:

  • A multivitamin such as Adam can provide B12.
  • Additional B12 may be appropriate for people with low intake, absorption problems or an identified deficiency.

Common supplemental form includes methylcobalamin.

Calcium

Food sources:

  • Milk
  • Greek yoghurt
  • Cheese
  • Calcium-fortified milk alternatives
  • Sardines with bones
  • Salmon with bones
  • Calcium-set tofu
  • Some leafy green vegetables

Aim to obtain most calcium from food.

Supplement option:

  • Calcium citrate can be used when dietary intake is insufficient or supplementation has been recommended.

Check the amount of elemental calcium provided by the product rather than relying only on the total weight of calcium citrate powder.

Calcium supplements are best used to fill a dietary gap rather than automatically taken at high doses.

Choline

Food sources:

  • Eggs
  • Beef
  • Chicken
  • Fish
  • Soybeans
  • Dairy

Eggs are an excellent and convenient source of choline.

Three eggs can provide a substantial amount of daily choline, although individual requirements can also be met through a broader combination of foods.

Chromium

Food sources:

  • Whole grains
  • Meat
  • Broccoli
  • Green beans
  • Nuts
  • Legumes

Chromium is present in a variety of foods.

Supplement option:

  • A multivitamin may provide chromium.

Routine high-dose chromium supplementation is generally unnecessary when dietary intake is adequate.

Copper

Food sources:

  • Shellfish
  • Nuts
  • Seeds
  • Whole grains
  • Dark chocolate
  • Beans
  • Organ meats

Copper is required in relatively small amounts and is widely available in food.

Supplement option:

  • A multivitamin can provide copper when required.

Maintain an appropriate balance between zinc and copper intake, particularly if using higher-dose zinc supplements.

Vitamin C

Food sources:

  • Capsicum
  • Oranges
  • Kiwi
  • Strawberries
  • Broccoli
  • Tomatoes
  • Potatoes
  • Other fruit and vegetables

A varied diet containing several servings of fruit and vegetables can provide substantial vitamin C.

Supplement option:

  • Vitamin C supplements can be used when dietary intake is inadequate.
  • Liposomal vitamin C is one available formulation.

There is generally no need to deliberately consume very high doses of vitamin C when dietary intake is already sufficient.

Vitamin D

Food sources:

  • Oily fish
  • Eggs
  • Fortified milk
  • Fortified foods
  • Some mushrooms

Sun exposure also contributes to vitamin D production.

Supplement option:

  • Vitamin D3 can be used when appropriate.
  • A vitamin D3 + K2 product can combine vitamin D with vitamin K2.

Vitamin D requirements vary considerably between individuals. Supplement dose should take into account dietary intake, sun exposure, medical history and, where appropriate, blood-test results.

Vitamin E

Food sources:

  • Almonds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Hazelnuts
  • Avocado
  • Vegetable oils
  • Spinach
  • Other nuts and seeds

A diet containing nuts, seeds, avocado and healthy oils can provide substantial vitamin E.

Supplement option:

  • A multivitamin may provide vitamin E.

Alpha-tocopherol is the main form of vitamin E used in many supplements.

Iodine

Food sources:

  • Seafood
  • Dairy
  • Eggs
  • Iodised salt

Iodine supports normal thyroid hormone production.

Supplement option:

  • A multivitamin can provide iodine.
  • Iodised salt can be used as the primary dietary source.

Avoid combining multiple high-dose iodine products unless recommended by a healthcare professional.

Iron

Heme-iron food sources:

  • Beef
  • Lamb
  • Shellfish
  • Chicken
  • Fish

Non-heme iron sources:

  • Lentils
  • Beans
  • Spinach
  • Tofu
  • Whole grains
  • Seeds

Vitamin C can improve absorption of non-heme iron.

Calcium can reduce absorption of some forms of supplemental iron, so separating iron and calcium supplements can be useful when iron supplementation is required.

Iron supplementation should ideally be based on an identified need, such as low iron stores or iron-deficiency anaemia.

Useful tests can include:

  • Full blood count
  • Ferritin
  • Iron studies when clinically indicated

Vitamin K

Food sources:

  • Spinach
  • Silver beet
  • Kale
  • Broccoli
  • Cabbage
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Other leafy green vegetables

Vitamin K1 is abundant in green vegetables, while vitamin K2 is found in certain fermented foods and animal products.

Supplement option:

  • Vitamin K2 can be included in a vitamin D3 + K2 supplement.

If taking warfarin or another medication affected by vitamin K, discuss vitamin K intake with your doctor before changing supplementation.

Magnesium

Food sources:

  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Almonds
  • Cashews
  • Beans
  • Lentils
  • Spinach
  • Whole grains
  • Dark chocolate

Supplement option:

  • Magnesium glycinate
  • Magnesium citrate

Magnesium glycinate is commonly used when supplementation is required.

When calculating supplemental magnesium, check the label for the amount of elemental magnesium, rather than the total weight of the magnesium compound.

Avoid automatically taking multiple doses throughout the day without first calculating the total elemental magnesium being consumed.

Manganese

Food sources:

  • Whole grains
  • Nuts
  • Legumes
  • Leafy vegetables
  • Tea

Manganese is widely available in plant foods.

Supplement option:

  • A multivitamin can provide manganese.

Routine additional manganese supplementation is generally unnecessary when dietary intake is adequate.

Molybdenum

Food sources:

  • Beans
  • Lentils
  • Whole grains
  • Nuts
  • Dairy

Molybdenum is required in very small amounts and deficiency is uncommon.

Supplement option:

  • A multivitamin can provide molybdenum.

Additional supplementation is generally unnecessary.

Phosphorus

Food sources:

  • Dairy
  • Meat
  • Fish
  • Eggs
  • Beans
  • Lentils
  • Nuts
  • Seeds

Most people obtain sufficient phosphorus from their normal diet.

Supplement option:

  • Routine phosphorus supplementation is generally unnecessary.

Potassium

Food sources:

  • Potatoes
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Spinach
  • Tomatoes
  • Beans
  • Lentils
  • Bananas
  • Avocado
  • Yoghurt
  • Fish

Food should be the primary source of potassium.

Supplement option:

  • Potassium citrate or other potassium supplements should be used only when there is a specific reason to supplement and the dose has been appropriately determined.

Particular caution is required for people with kidney disease or those taking medications that increase blood potassium.

Selenium

Food sources:

  • Seafood
  • Fish
  • Meat
  • Eggs
  • Dairy
  • Brazil nuts

Selenium is required in relatively small amounts.

Brazil nuts can contain very variable amounts of selenium, so large quantities should not be consumed routinely.

Supplement option:

  • A multivitamin can provide selenium.
  • Additional selenium should be used carefully to avoid excessive intake.

Zinc

Food sources:

  • Beef
  • Shellfish
  • Chicken
  • Eggs
  • Dairy
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Beans
  • Nuts

Zinc is important for immune function, wound healing, DNA synthesis and normal growth.

Supplement option:

  • A multivitamin can provide zinc.
  • Additional zinc can be considered when dietary intake is inadequate or deficiency is identified.

Long-term high-dose zinc supplementation can interfere with copper status.

Food-First Daily Checklist

A varied diet can cover a large proportion of vitamin and mineral requirements.

Aim to regularly include:

  • 🥬 Leafy green vegetables
  • 🥦 Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables
  • 🥕 Orange/red vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin and capsicum
  • 🍓 A variety of whole fruits
  • 🥚 Eggs
  • 🐟 Fish and seafood
  • 🥩 Lean meat or alternative protein sources
  • 🥛 Dairy or calcium-fortified alternatives
  • 🫘 Beans and lentils
  • 🥜 Nuts and seeds
  • 🥑 Avocado
  • 🫒 Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 🌾 Whole grains
  • 🧂 Iodised salt in appropriate amounts

Supplementation Principles

Use supplements to fill nutritional gaps, not to maximise the percentage printed on a label.

Before taking multiple supplements together, calculate the total daily intake from all products, particularly for:

  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin B6
  • Folate
  • Vitamin D
  • Calcium
  • Magnesium
  • Iron
  • Zinc
  • Selenium
  • Iodine
  • Potassium

For people taking several supplements, a doctor or pharmacist can review the complete list for duplication, interactions and whether blood testing is appropriate.