The NNWA nutrition handbook
Minerals
Iron, calcium and the other minerals: Indian requirements, food sources, and who runs short.
Minerals in brief
Mineral shortfalls are among the most common nutritional problems in India, with anaemia the best known. Each entry gives the ICMR-NIN requirement, the foods that supply the mineral, what helps or blocks its absorption, and the survey figures on deficiency.
Every entry on minerals
Each entry opens with the figures most readers come for, then covers requirements, Indian food sources, safety and the evidence.
Iron: ICMR-NIN Requirement by Age and Sex, Absorption, Anaemia Figures and Programme Doses
Fe; haem and non-haem iron
19 mg a dayAdult man, daily allowance
Iron for Indian readers: ICMR-NIN 2020 values for every age, the 45 mg upper limit, NFHS-5 anaemia figures, what blocks absorption and the national IFA doses.
Read the entryCalcium: ICMR-NIN Requirement by Age, Absorption, Indian Intake and the Kidney Stone Question
Ca
1,000 mg a dayAdult man and woman, daily allowance
Calcium for Indian readers: ICMR-NIN 2020 values by age, the 2,500 mg upper limit, how oxalate and vitamin D change absorption, and supplements and stones.
Read the entryZinc: ICMR-NIN Requirement by Age, Phytate in Cereal Diets and Zinc with ORS for Diarrhoea
Zn
17 mg a dayAdult man, daily allowance
Zinc for Indian readers: ICMR-NIN 2020 values for every age, the 40 mg upper limit, why phytate in cereals and pulses lowers absorption, and zinc with ORS.
Read the entryMagnesium: ICMR-NIN Requirement by Age, Indian Food Sources, Supplement Forms and the Laxative Limit
Mg; sold as magnesium oxide, citrate, chloride or sulphate (Epsom salt)
440 mg a dayAdult man, daily allowance
Magnesium for Indian readers: ICMR-NIN values for every age, the 350 mg supplement limit, what millets, dals and nuts supply, and which tablets loosen stools.
Read the entryIodine: ICMR-NIN Requirement, Iodised Salt, FSSAI's Standard and India's Deficiency Programme
I; iodide and iodate, the forms added to salt
140 mcg a dayAdult daily allowance, men and women
Iodine for Indian readers: ICMR-NIN values by age and pregnancy, the 1,100 mcg limit, FSSAI's 15 to 30 ppm salt standard and NFHS-5 household coverage.
Read the entryPotassium: ICMR-NIN's 3,500 mg Intake, Indian Food Sources, Blood Pressure and Kidney Cautions
K; the mineral that balances sodium
3,500 mg a dayAdult recommended intake
Potassium for Indian readers: ICMR-NIN's 3,500 mg adult intake, portions of dal, greens, fruit and coconut water, the trial evidence, and who must ask a doctor.
Read the entrySodium and Salt: The 5 g Limit, What Indians Actually Eat, Hidden Salt and FSSAI Label Rules
Na; common salt is sodium chloride
2,000 mg a daySafe intake of sodium, adults
Sodium for Indian readers: ICMR-NIN's 2,000 mg and 5 g salt limit, measured Indian intake, hidden salt in pickle, papad and namkeen, and FSSAI's label rules.
Read the entrySelenium: ICMR-NIN Intake, Indian Food Sources, Punjab's High-Selenium Belt and the Upper Limit
Se; selenomethionine, selenite
40 mcg a dayAdult adequate intake
Selenium for Indian readers: ICMR-NIN's 40 mcg adequate intake, how much atta, dal, fish and egg supply, Punjab's high-selenium villages and the upper limit.
Read the entryPhosphorus: ICMR-NIN Requirement, the Calcium Balance, Phosphate Additives and Kidney Disease
P; phosphate
1,000 mg a dayAdult recommended intake
Phosphorus for Indian readers: ICMR-NIN's 1,000 mg a day, the 1:1 balance with calcium, Indian food sources, phosphate additives and colas, and kidney disease.
Read the entry
Other subjects
The handbook is arranged in subjects. These are the others that have entries.
Carbohydrates
Starch, sugars and fibre: how much of an Indian plate they fill, and what the type and amount do to blood glucose.
Proteins and amino acids
Protein and the amino acids it is built from: requirements, quality, and how cereal and pulse meals combine.
Fats
Cooking oils, ghee and the fatty acids in them: how much visible fat is advised, and which kinds matter.
Vitamins
The fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins: requirements, Indian sources, deficiency and upper limits.
Supplements
What the common supplements are, what the trials show, and what FSSAI allows on a label.
Hormones
Insulin and the other hormones that govern blood glucose, appetite and metabolism: what each does, and how food interacts with it.
Diets
Named diets such as DASH: what each plan asks, an Indian day on it, the trial evidence and whom it does not suit.
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