Your guide to essential nutrients
Type of Nutrient
From A to Z
- Biotin — Vitamin B7 | B8 | H
- Calcium
- Chromium
- Copper
- Iodine
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Selenium
- Silicon
- Sodium
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B1 — Thiamin
- Vitamin B12 — Cobalamin
- Vitamin B2 — Riboflavin
- Vitamin B3 — Niacin
- Vitamin B5 — Pantothenic Acid
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin B9 — Folate
- Vitamin C — Ascorbic Acid
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
- Zinc
Vitamins and minerals are the micronutrients your body needs every day. They power your energy, build and repair your body, support your immune system and help protect your cells from damage — and the best place to get them is real, varied food.
This is a plain-English guide to the essential vitamins and minerals, from vitamin A to zinc: what each one does, why it matters, and the foods richest in it. Use it to understand your body a little better and to build meals that genuinely nourish you.
How to get more vitamins and minerals from your food
Eat more nutrient-dense foods: vegetables and fruit, whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, fish and seafood.
Aim for variety and colour across the week — different foods supply different nutrients.
Go easy on ultra-processed, sugary and refined foods, which tend to be low in the micronutrients your body actually needs.
What about supplements?
For most people, a varied, mostly whole-food diet provides what the body needs. At certain times — pregnancy, later life, a specific health condition or a diagnosed deficiency — a supplement can be genuinely helpful. But more isn't always better, some nutrients affect how others are absorbed, and needs are very individual. If you think you might be low in something, the best step is to talk to your doctor, who can test for it and advise what's right for you.
I'm a coach, not a doctor or dietitian, so everything here is general information to help you eat well — not medical advice, and never a substitute for the care of your own healthcare professional.
Common questions
Is it better to get nutrients from food or supplements? For most people, food first — a varied whole-food diet provides what the body needs. Supplements can help in specific situations, best guided by your doctor.
Which foods are richest in vitamins and minerals? Vegetables and fruit, whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, fish and seafood — variety across the week matters most.
Want help putting this into practice?
Understanding nutrients is one thing; building meals and habits that fit your real life is another. That's what coaching is for.
All the vitamins and minerals
from vitamin A to Zinc
Vitamin A
A fat-soluble vitamin best known for protecting your vision — and quietly essential for your immune system, skin and growing bones. Here's what vitamin A does, and where to find it in your food.
Vitamin B1 — Thiamin
The vitamin that helps turn the food you eat into usable energy — and keeps your nerves, mood and memory ticking along. Here's what thiamin does, and where to find it.
Vitamin B2 — Riboflavin
The bright-yellow vitamin that helps unlock energy from your food and protects your cells along the way. Here's what riboflavin does, and where to find it — it survives cooking, too.
Vitamin B3 — Niacin
The vitamin that helps power nearly every cell in your body — turning food into energy and keeping skin and nerves healthy. Here's what niacin does, and where to find it.
Vitamin B5 — Pantothenic Acid
Sometimes called the "anti-stress vitamin," B5 sits at the heart of how your body makes energy and hormones — and it's in almost everything you eat. Here's what pantothenic acid does.
Vitamin B6
A hard-working vitamin behind your mood, your sleep, your energy and your red blood cells — involved in more than a hundred reactions in the body. Here's what B6 does, and where to find it.
Biotin — Vitamin B7 | B8 | H
The vitamin behind all those "hair, skin and nails" supplements — but it does plenty more, helping turn your food into energy every day. Here's what biotin does, and where to find it.
Vitamin B9 — Folate
The "leaf" vitamin — essential for making new cells and especially important before and during pregnancy. Here's what folate does, and where to find it.
Vitamin B12 — Cobalamin
Essential for energy, red blood cells and your nervous system — and found almost entirely in animal foods, which makes it one to watch on a plant-based diet. Here's what B12 does.
Vitamin C — Ascorbic Acid
The famous immune-supporting antioxidant — also quietly essential for healthy skin, gums and iron absorption. Here's what vitamin C does, and where to find the most of it.
Vitamin D
The “sunshine vitamin” your body makes from daylight — essential for strong bones, muscles and immunity, and one many of us run low on in winter. Here's what vitamin D does.
Vitamin E
A fat-soluble antioxidant that protects every cell in your body and looks after your skin. Here’s what vitamin E does, and where to find it.
Vitamin K
The clotting vitamin — essential for healing wounds and keeping bones strong. Here’s what vitamin K does, where to find it, and one thing to know if you're on blood thinners.
Calcium
The body’s most abundant mineral — and not just for bones. Calcium also keeps your muscles, nerves and heartbeat working. Here’s what it does, and where to find it.
Magnesium
One of the hardest-working minerals you have — behind your energy, your muscles, and that sense of calm at the end of the day. Here’s what magnesium does, and where to find it.
Phosphorus
Calcium’s quiet partner — building strong bones and teeth, and helping every cell store and release energy. Here’s what phosphorus does, and where to find it.
Potassium
The mineral that helps balance out salt, steady your blood pressure and keep your muscles and nerves firing. Here’s what potassium does, and where to find it (beyond bananas).
Sodium
An essential mineral your body genuinely needs — but one most of us get far too much of, mostly from processed food. Here’s what sodium does, and how to find the right balance.
Chromium
A trace element that helps your body keep blood sugar steady by supporting insulin. Here’s what chromium does, and where to find it.
Copper
A trace element working quietly behind your blood, your nerves and your immune system. Here’s what copper does, and where to find it.
