Ragi is a calcium powerhouse. Bajra has highest iron among common grains. 4.2 Green Leafy Vegetables (Calcium & Iron) | Leafy veg (100g) | Ca (mg) | Fe (mg) | Carotene (µg) | Vitamin C (mg) | |----------------|---------|---------|---------------|----------------| | Amaranth (chaulai) | 490 | 25.5 | 5520 | 99 | | Moringa (drumstick leaves) | 440 | 7.0 | 6780 | 220 | | Fenugreek (methi) | 395 | 16.5 | 2340 | 52 | | Spinach (palak) | 73 | 10.9 | 6780 | 27 | Note: Spinach has oxalates reducing Ca absorption; amaranth has less oxalate. 4.3 Pulses (Protein & Folate) | Pulse (100g raw) | Protein | Folate (µg) | Fe | Absorption issue | |-----------------|---------|-------------|----|------------------| | Bengal gram (chana) | 17.1 | 147 | 4.6 | Moderate phytate | | Red gram (toor/arhar) | 19.7 | 147 | 3.8 | High phytate | | Green gram (moong) | 21.0 | 159 | 4.5 | Lower phytate |
Folate in pulses is high (150–160 µg/100g), important for neural tube defect prevention. 4.4 Animal Foods (Complete Protein & Vitamin B12) | Food (100g, edible) | Protein | Fat | B12 (µg) | Fe | Zn | |---------------------|---------|-----|----------|----|----| | Chicken (breast) | 25.9 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 1.5 | | Goat (lean) | 21.4 | 3.6 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 4.2 | | Rohu fish | 17.0 | 4.8 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 1.0 | | Egg (whole) | 13.3 | 13.3 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 4.5 Spices – High in Minerals (Small quantities matter) | Spice (10g) | Ca | Fe | Mg | |-------------|----|----|----| | Turmeric | 20 | 5.2 | 15 | | Cumin seeds | 98 | 6.6 | 36 | | Dried mint | 200 | 6.0 | 40 | 5. Bioavailability Notes (Hidden in PDF 19’s Introduction) The 2020 edition explicitly warns: “Chemical values ≠ absorbed values” nutritive value of indian foods icmr pdf 19
| Factor | Effect | |--------|--------| | Phytate (pulses, whole grains) | Reduces iron & zinc absorption 30–60% | | Oxalate (spinach, amaranth, tea) | Binds calcium | | Tannin (sorghum, tea, coffee) | Reduces iron | | Ascorbic acid (citrus, amla, guava) | Enhances iron absorption 2–6x | Ragi is a calcium powerhouse