Nutrient Food Sources
Zinc
The mineral zinc is very important for many of the enzyme systems in the body, for immunity and for the production of hormones, including insulin and sex hormones. Zinc in plant foods is less bioavailable that in animal foods because it binds to phytate (a fibre) that makes it difficult to absorb. Zinc also competes with calcium and iron for absorption.
| Food Sources of zinc | Amount (mg/100g) |
| Almonds | 3.2 |
| Asparagus | 0.7 |
| Beef | 4.1 |
| Blackeye beans | 1.1 |
| Brazil nuts | 4.2 |
| Broccoli (raw) | 0.6 |
| Brown rice | 1.8 |
| Calf liver | 15.9 |
| Cashew nuts | 5.7 |
| Cheese, cheddar | 4.1 |
| Chickpeas | 1.1 |
| Crab | 5.5 |
| Fish, sardines | 2.3 |
| Ginger | 6.8 |
| Green peas | 1.6 |
| Hazelnuts | 2.1 |
| Lamb | 3.3 |
| Lentils | 1.4 |
| Milk | 0.5 |
| Miso | n/a |
| Mushrooms | 0.5 |
| Mustard powder | 6.5 |
| Oats | 3.3 |
| Oysters | 148.7 |
| Peanuts | 3.5 |
| Pecan nuts | 5.3 |
| Pine nuts | 6.5 |
| Poultry | 1.7 |
| Pumpkin seeds | 7.5 |
| Rye flour | 3 |
| Sesame seeds | 5.3 |
| Soya flour | 3.9 |
| Spinach | 0.5 |
| Steak (beef) | 9,5 |
| Sunflower seeds | 5.1 |
| Thyme | 6.2 |
| Venison | 3.9 |
| Wheat bran | 16.2 |
| Wheat germ | 17 |
| Yoghurt | 0.6 |
(n/a = figures not yet available)
Source: McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods (6th Edition)