Vitamins/Vitamin-Like Substances/Major Minerals/Trace Minerals

Lipid-Soluble Vitamins...

Vitamins A, D, E, K

Water-Soluble Vitamins...

B1 (Thiamin), B2 (Riboflavin), B3 (Niacin), B5 (Pantothenic Acid), B6, B7 (Biotin), B9 (Folate), B12, Vitamin C

Vitamin A Function:

normal vision, growth & reproduction, immune function

Vitamin A Signs/Symptoms of Deficiency:

night blindness, xerophthalmia, poor growth, dry skin, reduced immune function

Vitamin A Signs/Symptoms of Toxicity:

nausea, vomiting, bone pain & fracture, hair loss, interference with vitamin K absorption

Vitamin D Function:

absorption of calcium and phosphorus, maintenance of blood calcium, calcification of bone, immune function

Vitamin D Signs/Symptoms of Deficiency:

rickets in children & osteomalacia in adults, soft bones, poor growth, reduced immune function

Vitamin D Signs/Symptoms of Toxicity:

poor growth, calcium deposits in soft tissues

Vitamin E Function

antioxidant

Vitamin E Signs/Symptoms of Deficiency:

loss of muscular coordination, retinal damage, anemia

Vitamin E Signs/Symptoms of Toxicity:

excessive bleeding, interfering with vitamin K metabolism

Vitamin K Function:

production of clotting factors, prevents calcification of soft tissues

Vitamin E Signs/Symptoms of Deficiency:

excessive bleeding

Vitamin E Signs/Symptoms of Toxicity:

unknown

B1 Thiamin Function:

part of TPP, coenzyme needed for carbohydrate & certain amino acid metabolism; neurotransmitter production

Vitamin B1 Signs/Symptoms of Deficiency:

beriberi & wernicke-korsakoff: weakness, abnormal nervous system function

Vitamin B1 Signs/Symptoms of Toxicity:

none

B2 Riboflavin Function:

part of FMN & FAD, coenzyme needed for carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid metabolism

Vitamin B2 Signs/Symptoms of Deficiency:

inflammation of the mouth and tongue, eye disorders

Vitamin B2 Signs/Symptoms of Toxicity:

none

B3 Niacin Function

part of NAD & NADH, coenzyme needed for energy metabolism

Vitamin B3 Signs/Symptoms of Deficiency:

pellagra (diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia, death)

Vitamin B3 Signs/Symptoms of Toxicity:

flushing of skin, itchy skin, nausea, vomiting, liver damage

B5 Pantothenic Acid Function:

part of conenzyme A that is needed for synthesizing fat and release energy from carbohydrate, fat, and protein

Vitamin B5 Signs/Symptoms of Deficiency:

rarely occurs

Vitamin B5 Signs/Symptoms of Toxicity:

unknown

B7 Biotin Function:

coenzyme needed for synthesizing glucose and fatty acids

Vitamin B7 Signs/Symptoms of Deficiency:

skin rash, hair loss, convulsions, neurological disorders, developmental delays in infants

Vitamin B7 Signs/Symptoms of Toxicity:

unknown

B6 Function:

part of PLP, coenzyme needed for amino acid metabolism, neurotransmitter & hemoglobin synthesis

Vitamin B6 Signs/Symptoms of Deficiency:

dermatitis, anemia, depression, confusion, neurological disorders

Vitamin B6 Signs/Symptoms of Toxicity:

nerve destruction

B9 Folate Function:

part of THFA, coenzyme needed for DNA synthesis and conversion of cysteine to methionine, preventing homocysteine accumulation

Vitamin B9 Signs/Symptoms of Deficiency:

megaloblastic anemia, diarrhea, neural tube defects in embryos

Vitamin B9 Signs/Symptoms of Toxicity:

cancer cell growth

B12 Function

part of coenzymes needed for cellular processes: folate metabolism, maintenance of myelin sheaths

Vitamin B12 Signs/Symptoms of Deficiency:

pernicious anemia, megaloblastic anemia and nerve damage

Vitamin B12 Signs/Symptoms of Toxicity:

unknown

Vitamin C (Absorbic Acid) Function:

needed for connective tissue synthesis, antioxidant, neurotransmitter & some hormones synthesis, immune function

Vitamin C Signs/Symptoms of Deficiency:

scurvy: poor wound healing, pinpoint hemorrhages, bleeding gums, bruises, depression

Vitamin C Signs/Symptoms of Toxicity:

diarrhea & GI tract discomfort

Vitamin-Like Compounds...

Choline, Carnitine, Inositol, Taurine, Lipoic Acid

Choline Function:

neurotransmitter & phospholipid synthesis; methionine metabolism

Choline Signs/Symptoms of Deficiency:

liver damage

Choline Signs/Symptoms of Toxicity:

fishy body odor & reduced blood pressure

Carnitine Function:

transports long-chain fatty acids for energy metabolism

Carnitine Signs/Symptoms of Deficiency:

rarely occurs

Carnitine Signs/Symptoms of Toxicity:

nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps

Inositol Function:

regulatory role in cells

Taurine Function:

vision, antioxidant in WBCs, insulin action, cell growth and development

Lipoic Acid Function

component of metabolic reactions that remove CO2 from compounds, antioxidant

Major Minerals...

Calcium, Phosphorus, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Magnesium, Sulfur

Sodium Function:

maintain fluid balance, transmitting nerve impulses, functioning of muscles, transporting small substances into cells

Phosphorus Function:

synthesizing ATP and creatine phosphate, synthesize phospholipids, DNA, and RNA, regulating acid-base, activate enzymes and hormones

Magnesium Function:

contraction and relaxation of muscles, enzyme function, energy production, DNA and protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, BP, blood glucose, bones, immune, sleep

Chloride Function

regulation of fluid and electrolyte balance, HCl production, acid-base balance, nerve impulses, immune of WBCs

Sulfur Function

amino acid: methionine and cysteine, vitamins: biotin and thiamin, vitamin-like substances: lipoic acid, activity of enzymes and part of antioxidant molecules

Potassium Function

fluid balance, nerve impulses, contracting muscles, kidney function, associated with lower BP

Calcium Function:

regulate enzyme activity, blood clotting, signals in nerves and muscles, cell cycle, differentiation, muscle contraction, neuronal function, glandular secretion, glycogen synthesis pathway

Trace Minerals...

zinc, copper, iodine, selenium, manganese, iron, fluoride, chromium, molybdenum

Iron Function:

oxygen carrier-as part of hemoglobin and myoglobin, immune function, cognitive development, temperature regulation, energy metabolism

Selenium

selenoproteins: antioxidants

Iodine Function

thyroid hormones

Fluoride Function

promote bone development, mineralize teeth and bones, prevent tooth decay

Chromium Function:

enhances effect of insulin, carb, fat, and protein metabolism and storage

Zinc Function:

enzyme function, growth and development, wound healing, sense of taste and smell, DNA synthesis, functioning of nervous and immune systems

Copper Function

cuproenzymes: antioxidant, energy metabolism, collagen formaiton, iron strorage and transport, synthesis and metabolism of neurotransmitters, myelin formation, melanin synthesis, gene

Manganese Function:

wound healing, metabolism, bone and cartilage formation, antioxidant