Mineral consumption varies widely in raw vegetables because of genetics. Leafy vegetables tend to have higher concentrations of nutrients that less mobile in the plant e.g. calcium and depend on direct water flow rather than recycling from leaves.
Vegetables can be excellent sources of several minerals, but the mineral content of vegetables can vary dramatically depending in the minerals in the soil where the plants are found.
Nowadays different postharvest strategies for improving the mineral intake from vegetables are being implemented.
These comprise increasing consumption of vegetables and increasing levels of essential nutrients through fortification methods.
The most important minerals in vegetables are iron, followed by calcium, phosphorus and potassium of equal value. Only one vegetables, parsley, is high in four of the five minerals.
Vegetables are grouped into yellow vegetables, leaf vegetables and other vegetables. Yellow vegetable and leafy vegetables are rich sources in calcium, iron.
But the iron content in vegetables are good sources of minerals like calcium and trace elements.
Higher concentration of calcium available in broccoli (100 mg/100g) and spinach (600 mg/100 g).
Magnesium has a strong present in vegetable and in general it contains in the range of 5.5-191 mg/100 g fresh weight.
Mineral content in vegetables
