Below is a table illustrating the functions and the sources of the minerals.

	Functions	Food Sources
Sodium	controls body's water balance maintains normal heart rhythm helps in the generation of nerve impulses and muscle contraction	Table salt, processed foods, smoked or cured meats and fish, snack foods, pickles, bread, cereals and cheese
Calcium	forms and maintains teeth and bones controls transmission of nerve impulses aids efficiency of muscle contraction assists blood clotting	Milk (both whole and skimmed), dairy products, green leafy vegetables, dried peas, beans, nuts, citrus fruit, fish with edible bones (sardines and tinned salmon)
Potassium	controls body's water balance maintains normal heart rhythm helps in the generation of nerve impulses and muscle contraction	Bread and whole grain cereals, green leafy vegetables, pulses and beans, meat, milk and fruit (particularly bananas and oranges)
Magnesium	forms and maintains healthy teeth and bones controls transmission of nerve impulses and contraction of muscles activates energy-producing chemical reactions inside cells	Nuts, soya beans, milk, fish, green vegetables, whole grain cereals and bread
Iron	helps form haemoglobin and myoglobin that, respectively, carry oxygen in the red blood cells and inside muscle cells aids production of enzymes which stimulate metabolism	Meat, fish, liver, egg yolks, bread, some green leafy vegetables, cereals, nuts and beans
Fluoride	hardens tooth enamel which helps prevent dental decay helps strengthen bones	Fish, tea, coffee, soya beans and drinking water
Zinc	assists wound healing maintains skin and hair enables growth and sexual development to occur normally helps to control the activities of many different enzymes	Lean meats, fish and other sea foods (oysters), beans, whole grain cereals, eggs, nuts and whole meal bread
Selenium	protects cells against damage from oxidizing substances found in the blood may reduce the risk of developing some cancers may help to preserve the elasticity of body tissues	Meat, fish, shellfish, whole grain cereals and dairy products
Copper	controls enzyme activity that stimulates the formation of connective tissues and pigments which protect the skin assists in the production of haemoglobin from iron	Liver, shellfish, peas, nuts, dried beans, mushrooms, grapes, whole grain cereals and bread
Iodine	assists in the formation of thyroid hormones, that control development and growth and also the production of energy inside the body's cells	Salt-water fish and shellfish