Calcium Lactose-free milk, rice milk, soy milk, almond milk, cottage cheese, feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, swiss cheese, greek yogurt, and lactose-free yogurt. Insoluble fiber Almonds, brazil nuts, pecans, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, potatoes with skin, carrot with skin, cucumber, lentils, kale, eggplant, brown rice, amaranth, quinoa.

Soluble fiber Strawberries, raspberries, kiwi fruit, firm bananas, avocado, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, oats, and white rice. Iron Beef, lamb, veal, pork, bacon, eggs, chicken, fish, ham, lentils, firm tofu, spinach, kale, almonds, oats, quinoa, and brown rice.

Optional GI-trained dietitian support is available to help you learn your trigger foods and gain ongoing control of your digestive health. Baze provides at-home blood nutrient testing so you can be aware of what micronutrients you are suboptimal or deficient in and take action to bring your blood nutrient levels into an optimal range.

Written by Gabrielle McGrath MS, RD of Baze Your gut is literally and metaphorically at the core of your overall health. Essential nutrients for supporting your gut health 1. B vitamins, iron, and vitamin C Your digestive system craves B vitamins to help your body create red blood cells and gain energy from food, but it is primarily vitamin B12 that is helpful for boosting your gut health.

Adequate levels of B12 and vitamin C aid in iron absorption as well. Your gut bacteria need iron to function effectively, and iron may also help your healthy gut bacteria to grow. Vitamin D. Back to Blog.

Vitamin D Vitamin D supports digestion, immunity, and helps with calcium absorption. Good sources of calcium include dairy foods like milk, yoghurt and cheese and some plant-based foods with added calcium for example, soymilk, tofu and breakfast cereals.

Iodine is essential to make thyroid hormones. These hormones control your metabolic rate the rate your body uses energy when it is resting.

They also help your brain and body grow and develop. We only need a very small amount of iodine in our diet. Iodine is found naturally in foods such as:. Iodine can also be found in iodised salt. All bought breads except organic in Australia are fortified with iodised salt.

You are likely to be getting enough iodine through your diet. However, if you are deficient and need to take a supplement, be guided by your doctor. Too much iodine can be harmful, especially if you have an underlying thyroid disorder.

Iron is an important mineral that is involved in various bodily functions, including the transport of oxygen in the blood the provision of energy to cells. It also vital to help our immune system function effectively to fight infection.

Iron deficiency is common and can affect adults and children. Around one in 8 people do not consume enough iron to meet their needs. Some factors such as certain foods and drinks can affect how much iron your body absorbs.

Also, some groups are more at risk of iron deficiency, such as babies and young children, teenage girls, women with heavy periods , vegans and vegetarians and people with chronic conditions.

Zinc is an important mineral involved in various bodily functions — growth and development as well as immune function. Zinc is highest in protein-rich foods but may also be found in some plant foods. Dietary sources include:.

Magnesium is important due to its many functions in the body — including maintaining bone health and using glucose for energy.

Potassium is important for the nerves, muscles and heart to work properly. It also helps lower blood pressure. Our bodies are designed for a high-potassium diet, not a high-salt diet.

Food processing tends to lower the potassium levels in many foods while increasing the sodium content. It is much better to eat unprocessed foods — such as fruit, vegetables and lean meats, eggs, fish and other healthy, everyday foods.

Be guided by your doctor, some people with kidney disease , or who are taking some medications, need to be careful not to get too much potassium in their diet. A small amount of sodium is important for good health as it helps to maintain the correct volume of circulating blood and tissue fluids in the body.

Most of us are consuming far more sodium than we need. In fact, many Australians are consuming almost double the amount required.

Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure hypertension and other health conditions. Salt is the main source of sodium in our diet. It is a chemical compound electrolyte made up of sodium and chloride.

Many foods — wholegrains, meat and dairy products — naturally contain small amounts of sodium, while highly processed foods usually contain large amounts. The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K can be locked away in the liver and body fat, and stored for a long time.

The water-soluble vitamins, including B-complex and vitamin C, are mostly only stored for a shorter period. A vitamin deficiency takes weeks or months before it will affect your health. For instance, it would take months of no vitamin C before you developed scurvy.

Vitamin and mineral supplements may be recommended in certain circumstances to correct vitamin and mineral deficiencies — such as folate for women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Others who may be at risk of a vitamin or mineral deficiency include:.

Remember, supplements are a short-term measure and should only be taken on advice from your doctor or a dietitian. An occasional lapse in good eating will not harm you, if your usual diet consists of a wide variety of fresh foods.

This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. Learn all about alcohol - includes standard drink size, health risks and effects, how to keep track of your drinking, binge drinking, how long it takes to leave the body, tips to lower intake.

The Alexander technique stresses that movement should be economical and needs only the minimum amount of energy and effort. A common misconception is that anorexia nervosa only affects young women, but it affects all genders of all ages. Antioxidants scavenge free radicals from the body's cells, and prevent or reduce the damage caused by oxidation.

Antipsychotic medications work by altering brain chemistry to help reduce psychotic symptoms like hallucinations, delusions and disordered thinking.

Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.

The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances.

The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Healthy eating. Home Healthy eating.

Vitamins and minerals. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. About vitamins and minerals Types of vitamins and their functions Vitamin A Vitamin B Vitamin C Vitamin C deficiency and scurvy Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K Types of minerals and their functions Calcium Iodine Iron Zinc Magnesium Potassium Sodium Vitamin and mineral deficiencies and supplements Where to get help.

About vitamins and minerals Vitamins and minerals are organic compounds that our bodies use in very small amounts for a variety of metabolic processes.

Vitamins and minerals can cause toxicity if consumed in large amounts. Once inside the enterocyte, iron is liberated and essentially follows the same pathway for export as absorbed inorganic iron. Some heme may be transported intact into the circulation. There appear to be two processes responsible for copper absorption - a rapid, low capacity system and a slower, high capacity system, which may be similar to the two processes seen with calcium absorption.

Many of the molecular details of copper absorption remain to be elucidated. Inactivating mutations in the gene encoding an intracellular copper ATPase have been shown responsible for the failure of intestinal copper absorption in Menkes disease. A number of dietary factors have been shown to influence copper absorption.

For example, excessive dietary intake of either zinc or molybdenum can induce secondary copper deficiency states. Zinc homeostasis is largely regulated by its uptake and loss through the small intestine. Although a number of zinc transporters and binding proteins have been identified in villus epithelial cells, a detailed picture of the molecules involved in zinc absorption is not yet in hand.

Intestinal excretion of zinc occurs via shedding of epithelial cells and in pancreatic and biliary secretions. A number of nutritional factors have been identified that modulate zinc absorption. Certain animal proteins in the diet enhance zinc absorption.

Phytates from dietary plant material including cereal grains, corn, rice chelate zinc and inhibit its absorption.