Subtropical fruits grown in Spain and elsewhere: A comparison of mineral profiles

• Sub-tropical fruits are a proper but not well-explored source of micronutrients.
• The content of Ca, P, Na and K of Spanish and international fruits was studied.
• The mineral content of national fruits was comparable to the international ones.
• The P and K concentration was noticeably higher in the international fruits.
• A fruit serving contributes up to 10% of the daily intake of K in adult population.

Large quantities of essential minerals are present in subtropical fruits, which constitute a valuable, if relatively unknown, source of dietary micronutrients, and consumption of these foods is tending to increase. Our aim in this study was to investigate the mineral composition (Ca, P, Na and K) of Spanish-grown subtropical fruits in comparison with that of similar fruits sourced elsewhere. The contribution of these fruits to total daily mineral intake per capita in Spain and to mineral intake per regular fruit size was also estimated. The results obtained showed the mineral content of the Spanish-origin samples to be comparable to that of those from other countries, except for avocados, in which the concentrations of P and K were noticeably higher in the non-Spanish fruits (530 vs. 196 and 5260 vs. 3664 mg/kg, respectively). The contribution of subtropical fruits to daily mineral intake in adults was estimated to be 2–7% for Ca and P, approximately 10% for K and negligible for Na. In conclusion, subtropical fruits of Spanish origin present a balanced mineral composition and the consumption of these fruits is recommended as a means of increasing the intake of essential minerals (especially in a population such as that of Spain, where there is considerable room for improvement in dietary patterns).