The 6 Nutrients You Need Most
SPECIAL OFFER: - Limited Time Only!
(The ad below will not display on your printed page)

SAVE EVEN MORE! Say "Yes" to Fitness® Magazine today and get a second year for HALF PRICE – 2 full years (20 issues) for just $15. You also get our new Fitness Band and Total Body Express Band Workout ABSOLUTELY FREE! (U.S. orders only)

Email:

First Name:

Last Name:

Address:

City:

State:

Zip:

100% Money-Back Guarantee: You must be pleased, or you may cancel any time during the life of your subscription and receive a refund on any unserved issues – no questions asked. Fitness® Magazine is currently published 10 times annually – subject to change without notice. Double issues may be published, which count as 2 issues. Applicable sales tax will be added. E-mail address required to access your account and member benefits online. We will not share your e-mail address with anyone. Click here to view our privacy policy.
« Back | Print Print
Fitness

The 6 Nutrients You Need Most

Many women may be missing out on key vitamins and minerals, says Mark Moyad, MD, MPH, director of preventive and alternative medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center. To get what you need, fill your plate with these crucial nutrients and take a multivitamin daily for added protection.

By the editors of FITNESS

Vitamin B6

Key benefits

  • Regulates sleep, appetite, and mood
  • Helps your nervous system function properly

Best foods

  • 1 baked sweet potato (0.33mg)
  • 1 banana (0.43mg)
  • 3.5 ounces (the size of a deck of cards) cooked, skinless chicken breast (0.6mg)

Daily intake: 1.3mg

Vitamin B12

Key benefits

  • Improves alertness and fights fatigue
  • Produces hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells

Best foods

  • 8 ounces plain low-fat yogurt (1.4mcg)
  • 1 large hard-boiled egg (0.56mcg)
  • 3.5 ounces cooked sirloin (1.7mcg)

Daily intake: 2.4mcg

Folate

Key benefits

  • Especially crucial in the first few weeks of pregnancy to prevent brain and spinal defects
  • Helps lower your risk of colon and breast cancers

Best foods

  • 1/2 cup cooked asparagus (134mcg)
  • 1 cup raw spinach (58mcg)
  • 1/2 cup cooked lentils (179mcg)

Daily intake: 400mcg

Vitamin D3

Key benefits

  • Strengthens your bones, teeth, and muscles
  • May protect against autoimmune diseases and breast and ovarian cancer

Best foods

  • 1 large egg yolk (18IU)
  • 1 ounce canned sardines (77IU)
  • 1 teaspoon cod-liver oil (453IU)

Daily intake: 400-800IU (the RDA is 200IU, but will soon be increasing)

TIP: Ask your MD for a 25-OH vitamin D blood test to make sure you're not deficient.

Calcium

Key benefits

  • Reduces symptoms of PMS
  • May help maintain blood pressure

Best foods

  • 1 cup skim milk (316mg)
  • 1 ounce almonds (70mg)
  • 1/2 cup tofu (434mg)

Daily intake: 1,000mg

Iron

Key benefits

  • Crucial for proper brain function
  • Boosts energy levels and prevents anemia by helping to produce red blood cells

Best foods

  • 3 ounces cooked lean steak (2.7mg)
  • 3 ounces shrimp (2.6mg)
  • 1/2 cup chickpeas (1.6mg)

Daily intake: 18mg

TIP: Iron is harder to absorb from plant sources. Vegetarians should aim for 34mg if they don't take a multivitamin.

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, October 2007.

shim
 
© Copyright Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.