On Mon, 20 Mar 2000 16:46:37 -0500, Bruce Sherrod <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >Here's a more categorical search of the USDA database. >This table lists the top 100 foods, sorted by zinc content per 100g. .. >For the curious, here is the SQL code I used for the search: >(Someone please check my work!) > >mysql> select > -> food_des.Description,... > Thanks for sharing your SQL-code. Unfortunately I haven't sql on my machine...... could you do the same for tryptophan? (tryptophan lack or unavailability may be a main reason for some psychic and niacin deficiency problems in the "common" nutrition). Another limitation of the USDA database i have encountered is, that all ingredients are listed by *weight* only. But weight is not the real limiting, or amount determining property of food. More interesting would be ingredients per *energy* or per *protein*. So one could more easily determine how good a days amount of energy of a given food item can supply ingredients. For SQL this may require to establish a temporary database, with a "ratio"-column included. Or maybe a good sql can list and sort on "computed" fields like "tryptophan per 2400kcal". I'm sorry having such a technical question on a nutrition forum. I hope it may end in a better information about zinc/tryptophan or whatever. Amadeus S.