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• Calcium helps build strong bones & teeth, regulates muscle contraction - including the heartbeat. It makes sure blood clots normally.

Good sources: You should be able to get all the calcium you need from your daily diet. Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage & okra, soya beans, tofu, soya drinks with added calcium, nuts, bread & oranges.

• Copper is a trace element and helps produce red and white blood cells, and triggers the release of iron to form haemoglobin - the substance that carries oxygen around the body
• It is thought to be important for infant growth, brain development, the immune system & for strong bones

Good sources: Nuts

• Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. Calcium and phosphate are needed to help keep bones and teeth healthy.
• Other foods are fortified with vitamin D such as margarine, breakfast cereals & powdered milk.
• Most of our vitamin D comes from sunlight on our skin. The vitamin forms under the skin in reaction to sunlight. The best source is summer sunlight.
• Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. This means you don't need it every day because any of the vitamins your body doesn't need immediately is stored.

• Vitamin E helps protect cell membranes by acting as an antioxidant.
• Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin. This means you don't need it every day because any of the vitamins your body doesn't need immediately is stored.

Good sources: Mango, papaya, tomatoes, watermelon seeds. Plant oils: soya, corn and olive oil, also nuts, seeds & wheat germ, cereals.

• Folic acid, known as folate in its natural form, is one of the B-group of vitamins.
• Folate is a water-soluble vitamin, which means you need it in your diet every day because it can't be stored in the body.

Good sources: Avocado, broccoli, brussel sprouts, asparagus, peas, chick peas & brown rice, whole grain bread, oranges, bananas, cherries, mango, papaya, peach, raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes.

• Iodine helps make thyroid hormones. These hormones help keep cells and the metabolic rate healthy.
• Iodine is a trace element found in seawater, rocks & in some types of soil.
• Iodine can also be found in plant foods such as cereals & grains but the levels vary depending on the amount of iodine in the soil where the plants are grown.
• 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, for example weight gain. 

Good sources: Seaweed, dulse, kelp and eggs

• Iron helps make red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body
• It is easier to absorb iron from food if we eat it with foods that contain vitamin C. Try having some fruit or veg, or a glass of fruit juice with your meal
• Cutting down on tea and coffee could help to improve iron levels in the body. Tea and coffee contain compounds called polyphenols, which can bind with iron making it harder for our bodies to absorb.