Nutrition Cram Guide: Chapters 6 & 7 (Vitamins, Water, and Minerals)

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering key terms, functions, deficiencies, toxicities, and culinary applications from Chapters 6 & 7 (Vitamins, Water, and Minerals).

Organic

A chemical term describing substances that contain carbon (not referring to foods "grown without pesticides").

Coenzyme

A small molecule that works with an enzyme to speed up a chemical reaction.

Bioavailability

The proportion or extent of an ingested nutrient that is actually absorbed and used by the body.

Provitamin / Precursor

An inactive form of a nutrient that is converted inside the body into the active vitamin (e.g., beta-carotene into vitamin A).

Antioxidant

A compound that neutralizes cell-damaging free radicals (examples include vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and the mineral selenium).

Free Radicals

Unstable molecules that damage cells and are linked to aging, heart disease, and cancer.

Fortified Food

A food product to which nutrients have been added that were not originally present (e.g., vitamin D added to milk).

Enriched Food

A refined food product to which specific nutrients lost during processing have been added back (refined grains: thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, and iron).

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)

An umbrella term for nutrient reference values that includes EAR, RDA, AI, and UL.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)

The average daily dietary nutrient intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of nearly all ($~97\text{--}98\text{\%}$) healthy individuals.

Adequate Intake (AI)

A recommended daily intake value used when there is insufficient scientific evidence to establish an RDA.

Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)

The highest level of daily nutrient intake that is unlikely to pose a risk of adverse health effects or harm to almost all individuals.

Retinol Activity Equivalents (RAE)

The standard unit of measure used for reporting vitamin A activity.

Dietary Folate Equivalents (DFE)

The unit of measurement for folate, accounting for the higher bioavailability and absorption of synthetic folic acid compared to food folate.

Niacin Equivalents (NE)

The standard unit of measurement used for expressing niacin content and intake.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins A, D, E, and K; absorbed with dietary fat via the lymphatic system, stored in the liver and adipose tissue, fairly heat-stable, and carrying a higher toxicity risk.

Water-Soluble Vitamins

The $8$ B vitamins and vitamin C; absorbed directly into the bloodstream, not stored in large amounts (except B12 in the liver), easily lost in cooking, and excreted in urine.

Vitamin A

A fat-soluble vitamin (retinol; carotenoid precursors) needed for dim-light vision, mucous membranes, skin, and immune function; deficiency causes night blindness and xerophthalmia.

Xerophthalmia

Drying and hardening of the cornea caused by vitamin A deficiency; the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide.

Carotenemia

A harmless condition in which the skin turns yellow-orange due to high consumption of beta-carotene; distinct from toxic preformed vitamin A excess.

Vitamin D ("Sunshine Vitamin")

A fat-soluble vitamin synthesized in skin via sunlight that aids calcium and phosphorus absorption; deficiency causes rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.

Vitamin E

A fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin that protects cell membranes and polyunsaturated fats from oxidation; deficiency can cause hemolytic anemia in premature infants.

Vitamin K

A fat-soluble vitamin essential for blood clotting and bone proteins; partly synthesized by intestinal bacteria, injected at birth, and interacts with warfarin.

Thiamin (B1)

A water-soluble B vitamin required for carbohydrate energy metabolism and nerve function; deficiency causes beriberi and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

Beriberi

A thiamin deficiency disease characterized by nerve damage, muscle weakness, and heart problems.

Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome

A severe thiamin deficiency state commonly occurring in chronic alcoholics that impairs brain and nervous function.

Riboflavin (B2)

A water-soluble vitamin required for energy metabolism; destroyed by light (e.g., clear milk bottles) and alkaline conditions; deficiency leads to ariboflavinosis.

Ariboflavinosis

Riboflavin deficiency characterized by cracked and sore lips, sores at the corners of the mouth, and a swollen magenta tongue.

Niacin (B3)

A water-soluble vitamin needed for energy metabolism and DNA repair (can be synthesized from tryptophan); deficiency causes pellagra; high supplemental doses cause flushing.

Pellagra

A niacin deficiency disease characterized by the "$4$\text{ Ds}": dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, and death.

Nixtamalization

The traditional process of soaking and cooking corn in an alkaline solution (lime) to liberate bound niacin.

Pantothenic Acid (B5)

A water-soluble B vitamin that forms an essential structural part of coenzyme A in energy metabolism.

Avidin

A protein in raw egg whites that binds tightly to biotin and prevents its absorption (inactivated by cooking).

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

A B vitamin critical for amino acid/protein metabolism, neurotransmitter synthesis, and hemoglobin formation; megadoses cause irreversible nerve damage.

Folate (Folic Acid)

A B vitamin essential for DNA synthesis and cell division; deficiency causes megaloblastic anemia and fetal neural tube defects (e.g., spina bifida).

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

A water-soluble vitamin found naturally only in animal foods, essential for nerve function and RBC synthesis; deficiency causes pernicious anemia and irreversible nerve damage.

Intrinsic Factor

A compound required for the normal absorption of vitamin B12; absence results in pernicious anemia.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

A water-soluble antioxidant vitamin required for collagen synthesis, wound healing, and non-heme iron absorption; deficiency causes scurvy.

Scurvy

The deficiency disease of vitamin C, characterized by bleeding gums, loose teeth, bruising, fatigue, and poor wound healing.

Choline

An essential nutrient required for cell membrane structure, acetylcholine neurotransmitter synthesis, and liver fat transport.

Phytochemicals

Non-nutrient plant compounds with health-promoting properties, such as color pigments like lycopene in tomatoes and anthocyanins in berries.

Hyponatremia

Dangerously low blood sodium concentration resulting from excessive water intake (water intoxication) that dilutes the blood, seen in endurance athletes.

Hard Water

Water with a high concentration of dissolved minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium, which can toughen cooked vegetables and legumes.

Major Minerals

Essential inorganic minerals required in amounts greater than $100\,\text{mg/day}$ (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, sulfur).

Trace Minerals

Essential inorganic minerals required in amounts less than $100\,\text{mg/day}$ (iron, zinc, iodine, selenium, copper, manganese, fluoride, chromium, molybdenum).

Electrolytes

Charged minerals (principally sodium, potassium, and chloride) that regulate fluid balance across cell membranes and facilitate nerve impulses.

Calcium

The most abundant major mineral in the body ($99\text{\%}$ in bones and teeth) needed for bone structure, muscle contraction, and blood clotting; chronic deficiency causes osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis

A condition characterized by porous, brittle bones and increased fracture risk, associated with aging, menopause, and inadequate lifelong calcium/vitamin D intake.

Phosphorus

A major mineral found in bones, teeth, ATP energy molecules, cell membrane phospholipids, and DNA; high intake from colas can reduce calcium balance.

Magnesium

A major mineral involved in bone structure and over $300$ enzymatic reactions; supplemental toxicity triggers diarrhea.

Sodium

The primary extracellular electrolyte regulating fluid balance and nerve transmission; excessive intake is directly linked to hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Potassium

The principal intracellular electrolyte that works opposite sodium to regulate fluid balance, support nerve/muscle function, and lower blood pressure.

Heme Iron

The form of iron found exclusively in animal flesh (meat, poultry, fish) with high intestinal absorption rates ($15\text{--}35\text{\%}$).

Non-Heme Iron

The form of iron found in plant foods, dairy, eggs, and fortified products; has lower absorption ($2\text{--}20\text{\%}$) and is influenced by enhancers and inhibitors.

Meat Factor

A property found in meat, fish, and poultry that significantly enhances the absorption of non-heme iron consumed during the same meal.

Hemochromatosis

A genetic disorder causing excessive intestinal iron absorption leading to toxic iron overload and organ damage.

Zinc

A trace mineral essential for immunity, wound healing, growth, taste, and smell; excessive intake impairs copper absorption.

Iodine

A trace mineral essential for the production of thyroid hormones that regulate metabolic rate; deficiency leads to goiter and cretinism.

Goiter

Visible enlargement of the thyroid gland resulting from iodine deficiency or excess.

Cretinism

Severe congenital physical and mental impairment in an infant resulting from maternal iodine deficiency during pregnancy.

Keshan Disease

A heart muscle disease occurring in regions with low-selenium soil, caused by selenium deficiency.

Fluorosis

Mottling and discoloration of tooth enamel caused by excessive fluoride intake during childhood tooth development.

Chromium

A trace mineral that enhances the action of insulin in carbohydrate and glucose metabolism.

Low Sodium Label Claim

An official FDA food label claim defined as containing $140\,\text{mg}$ or less of sodium per serving.