Coronavirus (46) NHS website on vitamins and minerals

Coronavirus (46) NHS website on vitamins and minerals
After reading the last two blog posts, you might be eager to start a balanced diet in order to strengthen your immune system. The NHS website on vitamins and minerals provides examples of food that can be easily found in UK supermarkets.¹ Here in this blog post, I would like to tabulate the information from the website to make it easier for you to have a look. The harmful effects if we have too much of the vitamins/minerals and the suggested maximum daily intake amount for an adult in the website are also included in the table.

As the daily intake requirement for the vitamins/minerals between adults and children, male and female are different, you might have an interest to have a look at the report from the Public Health of England on dietary recommendations for both children and adults before you plan for your diet.²

Table 1. Sources of vitamins and minerals

	Sources of Vitamin	Can it be stored in the body?	Effects if having too much
Vitamin A	cheese, eggs, oily fish such as trout, salmon, sardines, pilchards, fortified low-fat spreads milk and yoghurt, liver and liver products such as liver pâté	Yes	Having more than an average of 1.5 mg a day of vitamin A over many years may affect your bones, making them more likely to fracture when you're older..Having large amounts of vitamin A can harm your unborn baby.
Beta-carotene (Precursor of vitamin A)	Yellow, red and green (leafy) vegetables, such as spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes and red peppers, yellow fruit, such as mango, papaya and apricots	Yes	If you eat more beta-carotene, less is converted, and the rest is stored in fat reserves in the body. So too much beta-carotene can make you turn yellow, but will not kill you with hypervitaminosis.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)	Peas, some fresh fruits (such as bananas and oranges), nuts, wholegrain breads, some fortified breakfast cereals, liver	No	There's not enough evidence to know what the effects might be of taking high doses of thiamin supplements each day. Taking 100mg or less a day of thiamin supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	Milk, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals, mushrooms, plain yoghurt	No	There's not enough evidence to know what the effects might be of taking high doses of riboflavin supplements each day. Taking 40mg or less a day of riboflavin supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin: nicotinic acid and nicotinamide. )	Meat, fish, wheat flour, eggs	No	Taking high doses of nicotinic acid supplements can cause skin flushes. Taking high doses for a long time could lead to liver damage. Taking 17mg or less of nicotinic acid supplements a day, or 500mg or less of nicotinamide supplements a day, is unlikely to cause any harm.
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)	Chicken, beef, liver and kidney, eggs, mushrooms, avocado	No	If you take supplements, do not take too much as this might be harmful. Taking 200mg or less a day of pantothenic acid in supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)	Pork, poultry, such as chicken or turkey, some fish, peanuts, soya beans, wheatgerm, oats, bananas, milk, some fortified breakfast cereals. The bacteria that live naturally in your bowel are also able to make vitamin B6.	No	Taking 200mg or more a day of vitamin B6 can lead to a loss of feeling in the arms and legs known as peripheral neuropathy. This will usually improve once you stop taking the supplements. But in a few cases when people have taken large amounts of vitamin B6, particularly for more than a few months, the effect can be permanent.
Vitamin B7 (Biotin)	Biotin is also found in a wide range of foods, but only at very low levels. The bacteria that live naturally in your bowel are able to make biotin, so it's not clear if you need any additional biotin from the diet.	No	If you take biotin supplements, do not take too much as this might be harmful. Taking 0.9mg or less a day of biotin in supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
Vitamin B9 (Folate or folic acid)	Broccoli, brussels sprouts, leafy green vegetables such as cabbage, kale, spring greens and spinach, peas, chickpeas and kidney beans, liver (but avoid this during pregnancy), breakfast cereals fortified with folic acid	No	Taking doses of folic acid higher than 1mg can mask the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, which can eventually damage the nervous system Taking 1mg or less a day of folic acid supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
Vitamin B12	Meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs, some fortified breakfast cereals	No	There's not enough evidence to show what the effects may be of taking high doses of vitamin B12 supplements each day. Taking 2mg or less a day of vitamin B12 in supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)	Citrus fruit, such as oranges and orange juice, peppers, strawberries, blackcurrants, broccoli, brussels sprouts, potatoes	No	Taking large amounts (more than 1,000mg per day) of vitamin C can cause stomach pain, diarrhoea, flatulence. These symptoms should disappear once you stop taking vitamin C supplements.
Vitamin D	The body creates vitamin D from direct sunlight on the skin when outdoors. Vitamin D is also found in a small number of foods. Sources include oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel, red meat, liver, egg yolks, fortified foods – such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals	Yes	Taking too many vitamin D supplements over a long period of time can cause too much calcium to build up in the body (hypercalcaemia). This can weaken the bones and damage the kidneys and the heart. If you choose to take vitamin D supplements, 10 micrograms a day will be enough for most adults.
Vitamin E	Plant oils – such as rapeseed (vegetable oil), sunflower, soya, corn and olive oil; nuts and seeds; wheatgerm-found in cereals and cereal product	Yes	There is not enough evidence to know what the effects might be of taking high doses of vitamin E supplements each day. Taking 540mg (800 IU) or less a day of vitamin E supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
Vitamin K	Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, vegetable oils, cereal grains. Small amounts can also be found in meat and dairy foods.	n.a	There's not enough evidence to know what the effects might be of taking high doses of vitamin K supplements each day. Adults need approximately 1 microgram a day of vitamin K for each kilogram of their body weight.
Calcium	Milk, cheese and other dairy foods, green leafy vegetables such as curly kale, okra but not spinach (spinach does contain high levels of calcium but the body cannot digest it all), soya drinks with added calcium, bread and anything made with fortified flour, fish where you eat the bones such as sardines and pilchards	n.a.	Taking high doses of calcium (more than 1,500mg a day) could lead to stomach pain and diarrhoea. Adults aged 19 to 64 need 700mg of calcium a day.
Chromium	Meat, nuts, cereal grains	n.a.	There's not enough evidence to know what the effects might be of taking high doses of chromium each day. Having 10mg or less a day of chromium from food and supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
Copper	Nuts, shellfish, offal	n.a.	Taking high doses of copper could cause stomach pain, sickness, diarrhoea, damage to the liver and kidneys (if taken for a long time). Having 10mg or less a day of copper supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
Iodine	Sea fish, shellfish, plant foods such as cereals and grains (the levels vary depending on the amount of iodine in the soil where the plants are grown)	n.a.	Taking high doses of iodine for long periods of time could change the way your thyroid gland works. This can lead to a wide range of different symptoms, such as weight gain. However, taking 0.5mg or less a day of iodine supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
Iron	Liver (but avoid this during pregnancy); red meat; beans such as red kidney beans, edamame beans and chickpeas; nuts; dried fruit such as dried apricots; fortified breakfast cereals; soy bean flour	n.a.	Side effects of taking high doses (over 20mg) of iron include: constipation, feeling sick, being sick, stomach pain. Very high doses of iron can be fatal, particularly if taken by children. Taking 17mg or less a day of iron supplements is unlikely to cause any harm. But continue taking a higher dose if advised to by a GP.
Manganese	Bread, nuts, breakfast cereals (especially wholegrain), green vegetables such as peas	n.a.	Taking high doses of manganese for long periods of time might cause muscle pain, nerve damage and other symptoms, such as fatigue and depression. For most people, taking 4mg or less of manganese supplements a day is unlikely to cause any harm. For older people, who may be more sensitive to manganese, taking 0.5mg or less of manganese supplements a day is unlikely to cause any harm.
Molybdenum	Molybdenum is found in a wide variety of foods. Foods that grow above ground tend to be higher in molybdenum than foods that grow below the ground, such as potatoes or carrots.	n.a.	There's some evidence to suggest taking molybdenum supplements might cause joint pain.
Phosphorus	Red meat, dairy foods, fish, poultry, bread, brown rice, oats	n.a.	Taking high doses of phosphorus supplements for a short time can cause diarrhoea or stomach pain. Taking high doses for a long time can reduce the amount of calcium in the body, which means bones are more likely to fracture. Taking 250mg or less a day of phosphorus supplements on top of the phosphorous you get from your diet is unlikely to cause any harm.
Potassium	Bananas, some vegetables such as broccoli, parsnips and brussels sprouts, beans and pulses, nuts and seeds, fish, beef, chicken, turkey	n.a.	Taking too much potassium can cause stomach pain, feeling sick and diarrhoea. Taking 3,700mg or less of potassium supplements a day is unlikely to have obvious harmful effects. But older people may be more at risk of harm from potassium because their kidneys may be less able to remove potassium from the blood.
Selenium	Brazil nuts, fish, meat, eggs	n.a.	Too much selenium causes selenosis, a condition that, in its mildest form, can lead to loss of hair and nails. Taking 350μg or less a day of selenium supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
Sodium chloride (salt)	Ready meals, meat products such as bacon, some breakfast cereals, cheese, tinned vegetables with added salt, some bread, savoury snacks	n.a.	Having too much salt is linked to high blood pressure, which raises your risk of serious problems like strokes and heart attacks. You should have no more than 6g of salt (around 1 teaspoon) a day.
Zinc	Meat, shellfish, dairy foods such as cheese, bread, cereal products such as wheatgerm	n.a.	Taking high doses of zinc reduces the amount of copper the body can absorb. This can lead to anaemia and weakening of the bones. Do not take more than 25mg of zinc supplements a day unless advised to by a doctor.

By now, you might have an idea what you would like to have in your meals. However, before you start the next meal, you can think about preparing it by yourself: buy fresh and unprocessed foods, add less salt and sugar, and use moderate amounts of oil for cooking. This way, you can get the most value of vitamins/minerals from the meal. Last but not least, don’t forget to drink enough water and exercise regularly.³



References
1. Vitamins and minerals. NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/
2. Government dietary recommendations. Government recommendations for energy and nutrients for males and females aged 1 – 18 years and 19+ years. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/618167/government_dietary_recommendations.pdf
3. Nutrition advice for adults during the COVID-19 outbreak. WHO. http://www.emro.who.int/nutrition/news/nutrition-advice-for-adults-during-the-covid-19-outbreak.html