Vitamins and Minerals

Definition and classification of vitamins

• Non caloric, organic, essential

• Role: help enzymes metabolize max. energy from macro-nutrients, maintain health of cells, tissues, and organs

  • Only disease a vitamin can cure is the one caused by that deficiency

Vitamin Precursor

• exist in an inactive form and need to be converted into the active

• The body chemically alters it to fulfill its biological needs

Antioxidant Vitamins

Beta-carotene

Vitamin E

Vitamin C

The Fat Soluble Vitamins

• A,D,E,K

• Food sources: fats and oils

• require bile for absorption

• stored in liver and fatty tissues

• Toxicity- If too much is consumed

• Does not need to be consumed every day

Vitamin A

DRI- Men: 900ug, Women: 700ug

Tolerable Upper Intake Level: 3000ug vitamin A/day

Function: Vision, maintenance of cornea, epithelial cells, mucous membranes, skin, bone and tooth growth, regulation of gene expression, reproduction, immunity

Deficiency: Night blindness, corneal drying (xerosis) and blindness. Impaired bone growth, decayed teeth, keratin lumps on skin and impaired immunity

Toxicity: Acute=nausea, vomiting, headache, vertigo, blurred vision, birth defects. Chronic= birth defects, liver abnormalities, bone abnormalities, brain and nerve disorders

Precursor: Beta-carotene- Harmless yelling of skin, precursor, don’t get active form of vitamin A, Antioxidant. is not converted fast enough to cause a toxicity

Active Forms: Retinol, Retinal, Retinoic acid.

Sources: Fortified milk, carrots, spinach, apricot, liver, fish oil, butter, eggs

Vitamin D

DRI: 15ug/day

DRI UL: 100ug/day

Function: calcium regulation (acts as hormone), raise calcium levels in skeleton, digestive tract, and kidneys, helps cells grow, multiply, and specialize

Deficiency: rickets in kids, softening of the bones, osteomalacia (poor mineralization), osteoporosis

Groups at risk: obese, elderly, northern areas, dark skinned people, strict vegetarians

Toxicity: danger to soft tissues, most potentially toxic vitamin, increases blood calcium concentrations, kidney/heart failure, nausea, arrhythmia, fractures etc

Will not reach toxic levels from sunlight, cholesterol compound forms precursor

Sources: milk, butter, fortified dairy products, sunshine

Vitamin E

DRI: 15mg/day

DRI UL: 1000

Recommendation: Smokers- need higher than average (can’t absorb as well)

Function: Antioxidant, protects cells from free radicals, immunity, regulates oxidation reactions

Deficiency: almost never seen, in premature babies before transfer from mother, fat malaborption, influence heart disease, cancer

Symptoms: decreases coordination & reflexes, impaired vision and speech

Toxicity: supplements can interfere with anticoagulant (prevents clotting) causing brain hemorrhages, prolonged clotting times

Food Sources: plant based oils, wheat germ, nuts and seeds

Vitamin K

DRI: men-120/day, women-90

Requirements: Newborns are given a dose of Vit K at birth

Function: synthesize proteins for blood clotting (to control bleeding), synthesize of bone proteins

some is made from intestinal bacteria

Deficiency: new born infants bc there intestines are sterile and people on antimicrobial medications, uncontrollable bleeding

Toxicity: rare, jaundice due to excess supplements

Sources: Dark leafy greens. cabbage, liver (dang

Vitamin C

DRI: Men-90mg/day, 75mg/day

Tolerable Upper Intake Level-2000mg/day

Functions: collagen synthesis, forms scar tissue, matrix for both growth, Antioxidant, production of hormones, enhances oxidation of iron and copper, immunity

Deficiency: Scurvy, fatigue, bleeding gums, bruises, bone fragility, joint pain, infenctions

symptoms: weakness, loose teeth, loss of appetite, growth sensation, tenderness of skin, edema, anemia, lesions

Toxicity: Nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, rashes, counteract anti-clotting medications, Increase risk of kidney stones and gout

sources: sweet red pepper, brussel sprouts, orange juice, potatoes, broccoli

Heat and oxygen/ washing- can diminish some of the vitamins

Smoking- increase oxidation

B Vitamins in Unision

• part of the coenzymes; combines with enzyme to active it with less energy

Roles in Metabolism:

• Help the embody use the energy-yielding nutrients for energy

• use amino acids to synthesize proteins

• aid in cell multiplication

Deficiencies:

• every cell is affected

• symptoms: nausea, exhaustion, irritability, depression, forgetfulness, loss of appetite and weight, pain in muscles, loss of immunity, skin problems, red tongue, tear/red eyes, cracked corner of mouth

• are rarely isolated

Thiamin

DRI: 1.2mg/day (men), 1.1mg/day (women)

Function: energy metabolism, muscles, nerve cell membranes

Deficiency: Beriberi- back when polished rice removed all the nutritious parts of the grain, edema, muscle wasting: enlarged heart, heart failure, muscular weakness, pain, apathy Confucian, irritability, memory issues and anorexia.

Alcohol- can impair absorption of thiamin

Sources: Ham, pork, sunflower seeds, legumes

Riboflavin

DRI: Men-1.2, Women-1.1mg/day

Function: Energy metabolism in all cells, connected to Thiamin, cellular growth

Deficiency: Cracked and redness of corners of moth, painful, purplish tongue, sore throat, inflamed eyes and eyelids, sensitivity to light, rashes

Examples: Children, elderly that do not consume milk and meats

Sources: Beef liver, cottage cheese, spinach, milk, pork chop, mushrooms

Niacin

DRI: Men-16, women-14 mg/day

Function: Energy metabolism
Deficiency: Pellagra; diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia, death. Flaky skin, depression, apathy, fatigue, memory loss, headache, abdominal pain, vomiting

Toxicity: flush, hives and rash, excessive sweating, blurred vision, liver damage, impaired glucose tolerance

Sources: chicken breast, pork chop, baked potato, tuna, mushrooms

Tryptophan: converted to niacin in the body, cure pellagra

Folate

DRI: 400 ug

Function: synthesize DNA- cell production, metabolism of B12 and several amino acids

Deficiency: anemia, diminished ammunity, smooth/red toungue, depression, weakness fatigue, irritability, increases the chance for neural tube defects (NTD) causing brain and spinal cord issues, cancer risk

Toxicity: Mask B12

Sources: leafy green vegetables, spinach, pinto beans, avocado, beets, lentils

Vitamin B12

DRI: 2.4ug/day

Function: maintain the sheaths around nerve fibers, closely related to folate (depends on eachother for activation), production of new RBC

Deficiency: damage to nerves, anemia, immature RBC, creeping paralysis, worsening dementia. Caused by lacking intrinsic factor or too little stomach acid

Intrinsic factor: a compound made by the stomach and needed for absorption

Sources: Chicken Liver, sirloin steak, cottage cheese, pork roast, sardines, tuna

Vitamin B6

DRI; 1.3mg/day

Function: coenzyme for amino and fatty acid metabolism, conversion of amino aicds into ones the body lacks, synthesize of hemoglobin and neurotransmitters. Converts tryptophan into niacin/serotonin, regulation of blood glucose, development of brain and nervous system in fetus

Deficiency: Anemia, depression, confusion, skin changes, weakened immunity

Toxicity: due to supplements, trouble walking

Sources: proportional to protein intake, liver, banana, sweet potato, chicken breast, spinach