4.1 Vitamins: Vital Dietary Components

Vitamins

_____ are organic compounds that the body needs in small amounts to regulate and support a variety of processes related to digestion, absorption, metabolism, and body regulations.

life

“vita-” means _____.

nitrogen containing

“-amine” means _____.

no

Do vitamins yield energy?

Essential

_____ vitamins cannot be synthesized by the human body, therefore, they must be consumed in our diets.

plant and animal

Essential vitamins are found in both _____ and _____ sources.

13

How many essential vitamins are there?

Vitamin K

Biotin

Vitamin D

What are some essential nutrients that are exceptions, meaning they are not consumed from plant nor animal sources?

they are produced by gut bacteria

How do we obtain Vitamin K and Biotin?

It is synthesized in the skin through sunlight

How do we obtain Vitamin D?

A

Vitamin _____ can be produced after we consume food containing beta carotene.

Niacin

_____ can be produced when we consume foods containing the amino acid tryptophan.

• Due to the inability of our bodies to manufacture the compound, enough of the compound must be consumed in the diet to maintain health

• Symptoms of deficiency occur in the absence of the compound, resulting in declining health. However, health is often restored when the deficiency is corrected.

In order to be considered a vitamin, an organic compound must meet two criteria. What are the criteria?

enriched or fortified

It is important to note, during the manufacturing of food, some nutrients are lost. To counter this, some foods have been _____ or _____.

Enrichment

_____ is the process of taking nutrients that were lost in the milling or processing of the food and adding them back to the final product.

Fortification

_____ is the process of supplementing a product with additional vitamins that would not normally be in that product.

Water-soluble

_____ vitamins dissolve in water and are absorbed into the bloodstream.

Fat-soluble

_____ vitamins dissolve in fats and are absorbed and stored in the body's fatty tissue.

liver and adipose tissue

Once absorbed, fat soluble vitamins are stored within the _____ and _____.

Vitamins A, D, E, and K

Which vitamins are fat-soluble?

(1) Preformed Vitamin A (retinol)

(2) Provitamin A Carotenoids

What are the two forms of Vitamin A?

animal

Preformed Vitamin A (retinol) comes from _____ sources.

beta-carotene

Carotenoids, like _____, are found in yellow, orange, and red vegetables and many are antioxidants.

plant

Provitamin A Carotenoids come from _____ sources.

Free Radicals

_____ are unstable substances, that may cause damage to DNA, protein, and other molecules.

Antioxidants

_____ stop free radicals (oxidants) from potentially causing damage to cells.

impacts vision - abilities to adjust to light and produce mucus (keeps eye moist)

What is the main function of vitamin A?

Retinal

_____, a form of vitamin A, helps the eye adjust from bright to dim light.

night blindness

A lack of retinol may lead to _____.

xeropthalmia

Progressive Vitamin A deficiency may lead to _____, meaning the eye is not producing mucus causing the eye to become abnormally dry.

blindness

If untreated, xeropthalmia can lead to _____.

skin cells and GI tract cells

In addition to vision, Vitamin A impacts _____.

Carotenodermia

_____ is a benign condition characterized by a yellow-orange discoloration of the skin due to elevated levels of carotene in the body.

hormone

Vitamin D is not only a vitamin but also a _____.

(1) Ergocalciferol

(2) Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D₃)

What are the two forms of Vitamin D?

80-100%

Ten minutes of sun two to three times per week provides _____% of our vitamin D needs.

Fatty fish

Fortified cereal

Eggs

Butter

Fortified milk

Yogurt

What are some good sources of vitamin D?

the regulation of calcium levels and bone metabolism

What is the primary function of Vitamin D?

parathyroid hormone (PTH)

In conjunction with _____, Vitamin D regulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the intestine and deposition of calcium in the bones.

rickets

In children, poor mineralization of the bone due to inadequate calcium deposits results in _____, a disease often characterized by bow legs.

osteomalacia

In adults, inadequate calcium absorption and deposition in the bones leads to _____, which means soft bones.

Osteoporosis

_____ occurs as we age and our bone mass decreases and bones become thin and porous.

1,000

Experts recommend that adults take _____ IUs of vitamin D daily

act as antioxidants

What is the main function of Vitamin E?

tocopherol

What is the chemical name for Vitamin E?

Oils

Cereals

Eggs

Margarine

Whole grains

Nuts

What are some good sources of Vitamin E?

hemolysis

While a Vitamin E deficiency is rare, it can lead to cellular breakdown and _____, the breakdown of red blood cells.

blood clotting (coagulation)

What is the main function of Vitamin K?

Soybean and canola oils

Fish

Green leafy vegetables

Green beans

Liver

What are some sources of Vitamin K?

80

For adults, the recommended Daily Value for Vitamin K is _____ micrograms.

24

Vitamin K disappears from the body within _____ hours, so toxicity is rare.