Vitamins in Foods - Module 5

History and Discovery

• 1500 BC: Ancient Egyptians used liver (rich in vitamin A) to treat night blindness.
• 400 BC: Hippocrates described several vitamin deficiencies, including scurvy.
• 1536: Jacques Cartier used local native knowledge to save his men from scurvy by boiling cedar needles to make a vitamin C-rich tea while exploring the St. Lawrence River.
• 1795: The British navy added lemons to sailors' rations, 40 years after James Lind urged the use of citrus fruits to prevent scurvy.
• 1884: The Japanese navy eradicated beriberi (vitamin B1 deficiency) by feeding sailors meat and fruit in addition to polished white rice.
• 1897: Beriberi (polyneuritis) was induced in birds fed only polished rice and reversed by feeding rice polishings.
• 1911: Casimir Funk isolated an amine-containing concentrate from rice polishings that was curative for polyneuritis in pigeons, naming it 'vitamine' for vital amine.

Vitamin Definition

• An organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism.
• Cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism and must be obtained from the diet.

Vitamin Biological Functions

• Hormone-like functions as regulators of mineral metabolism (vitamin D).
• Regulators of cell and tissue growth and differentiation (some forms of vitamin A).
• Antioxidants (vitamin E, C).
• Enzyme cofactors (tightly bound to enzyme as a part of prosthetic group, coenzymes).

Types of Vitamins

• Water-Soluble Vitamins:
  • Thiamin (B1)
  • Riboflavin (B2)
  • Niacin (B3)
  • Pantothenic Acid (B5)
  • Pyridoxal, Pyridoxamine, Pyridoxine (B6)
  • Biotin
  • Cobalamin (B12)
  • Folic Acid
  • Ascorbic Acid
• Fat-Soluble Vitamins:
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin K

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

• Do not serve as coenzymes but act directly or bind to specific receptors in the cell nucleus.
• Absorbed in association with dietary fat; bile is required for absorption. Ulcerative colitis can lead to deficiencies.
• Vitamins A and D are stored in the liver, taking time to bring on a deficiency state.
• More likely to cause toxicity on overdosage.

Vitamin - Vitamers, Deficiency and Overdose Effects (Fat Soluble)

• Vitamin A
  • Vitamers: Retinol, retinal, retinoic acid; Carotenoids
  • Deficiency: Night-blindness, Hyperkeratosis (goose-bump skin)
  • Overdose: Hydrocephalus/headache, brittle bones, birth defects
• Vitamin D
  • Vitamers: Ergocalciferol, cholecalciferol
  • Deficiency: Rickets, Osteomalacia
  • Overdose: Hypercalcification of bones, soft tissues, kidneys
• Vitamin E
  • Vitamers: Tocopherols, tocotrienols
  • Deficiency: Very rare
• Vitamin K
  • Vitamers: Phylloquinone, menaquinones
  • Deficiency: Bleeding diathesis

Vitamin - Vitamers, Deficiency and Overdose Effects (Water Soluble)

• Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
  • Deficiency: Beriberi
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
  • Deficiency: Oral-ocular-genital syndrome, 'Magenta tongue'
• Vitamin B3 (Niacin, Niacinamide)
  • Deficiency: Pellagra (4 D's)
  • Overdose: Liver damage (sustained release); Rare anaphylactic reactions.
• Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)
  • Deficiency: Paresthesia
• Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine, pyridoxal, pyridoxamine)
  • Deficiency: Rare
  • Overdose: Nerve damage
• Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin, hydroxycobalamin, methylcobalamin)
  • Deficiency: Pernicious anemia
• Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)
  • Deficiency: Scurvy
• Biotin
  • Deficiency: Rare
• Folic acid (Folic acid, folinic acid)
  • Deficiency: Birth (neural tube) defects
  • Overdose: Possible decrease in seizure threshold

Vitamin A (Retinoids)

• Blanket term for retinoids, biologically active compounds that occur naturally in both plant and animal tissues.
• Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A.
• Functions:
  • Promotes good vision
  • Promotes healthy skin
  • Helps with growth and maintenance of bones, teeth, and cell structure
• RDA: 900 micrograms for males; 700 micrograms for females

Vitamin A - Functions

• Vision
• Gene transcription
• Immune function
• Embryonic development and reproduction
• Bone metabolism
• Hematopoiesis
• Skin health
• Antioxidant activity

Too Much Vitamin A

• May turn your skin orange
• May cause fatigue, weakness, severe headache, blurred vision, hair loss, and joint pain
• Toxicity:
  • May cause severe liver or brain damage
  • Birth defects
• Having more than an average of 1.5mg a day over many years may affect bones, making them more likely to fracture when older.

Vitamin A Deficiency

• May cause night blindness
• Lowered immune system
• Keratinized skin
• Dry mucous membranes
• Susceptibility to disease
• Impairs immunity, hematopoiesis, fat malabsorption, liver function

Sources of Vitamin A

• Top sources of vitamin A include:
  • Beef liver
  • Egg yolk
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Fortified milk
• Top sources of beta-carotene include:
  • Sweet potato
  • Carrots
  • Pumpkin
  • Cantaloupe
  • Broccoli
  • Apricots
  • Spinach and collard greens

Vitamin D

• Essential for building and maintaining bones and teeth
• Responsible for absorption and utilization of calcium
• Other health benefits:
  • May boost the immune system
  • May also help decrease certain cancers
• RDA: 5 mcg until age 50; 10 mcg/day until 70; 15 mcg 70+

Vitamin D - Benefits

• Promotes cell growth
• Supports healthy immune system
• Promotes calcium absorption
• Encourages good moods
• Prevents depression
• Reduces the risk of flu

Vitamin D - Therapeutic Uses

• Bone and calcium homeostasis
• Infections
• Psoriasis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Respiratory health
• Diabetes & other conditions

Vitamin D Deficiency

• Putting at risk of bone problems, including rickets in children and osteomalacia/osteoporosis in adults
• Severe asthma in children
• Increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer

Sources of Vitamin D

• Sun exposure for 10 minutes a day
• Foods:
  • Fortified milk
  • Tuna
  • Salmon
• May need a supplement; check with doctor first.

Vitamin E

• Important to red blood cells, muscles, and other tissues
• Deficiency is rare
• Toxicity is rare
• Acts as a blood thinner

Benefits of Vitamin E

• Some people use vitamin E for diseases of the:
  • Brain and nervous system, including Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, Parkinson's disease
  • Night cramps, restless leg syndrome, and for Epilepsy
• Vitamin E is also used for Huntington's chorea and other disorders involving nerves and muscles.

Benefits of Vitamin E (Women)

• Preventing complications in late pregnancy due to high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia)
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), painful periods, menopausal syndrome
• Hot flashes associated with breast cancer and breast cysts.

Sources of Vitamin E

• Foods:
  • Vegetable oils, salad dressings, whole-grain cereals, green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, and wheat germ.

Vitamin K

• Important for blood clotting
• Also has a role for bone health
• Mostly made in the intestines

Risks of Taking Vitamin K

• Side effects of oral vitamin K at recommended doses are rare.
• Interactions: Many drugs can interfere with the effects of vitamin K, including:
  • Antacids
  • Blood thinners
  • Antibiotics
  • Aspirin
  • Drugs for cancer, seizures, high cholesterol, and other conditions.

Sources of Vitamin K

• Foods:
  • Turnip greens, cauliflower, spinach, liver, broccoli, kale, and cabbage.

Water-Soluble Vitamins

• Vitamins B's and C
• Eight B vitamins:
  • Thiamin (B-1)
  • Riboflavin (B-2)
  • Niacin (B-3)
  • Pyridoxine (B-6)
  • Cobalamin (B-12)
  • Folic acid
  • Pantothenic acid
  • Biotin

Health Benefits of B Vitamins

• B1 for a healthy heart
• B9 for a healthy immune system
• B7 for healthy hair
• B2 for healthy skin & energy production
• B3 for a healthy nervous system
• B6 - helps regulate hormones
• B5 - good for concentration

Thiamin or B-1

• Helps to convert carbohydrates to energy
• Food sources:
  • Pork
  • Beef
  • Liver
  • Peas
  • Seeds
  • Legumes
  • Whole-grain products
  • Oatmeal

Thiamin - Diseases/Deficiency

• Fatigue, nausea, depression, nerve damage
• Deficiency causes Beri-beri and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
  • Beriberi Early Symptoms
    • Loss of appetite
    • Tingling hands and legs
    • Numbness, aches, pains
    • Weakness and wasting of leg muscles
    • Difficulty in walking
  • Wernicke-korsakoff syndrome
    • Confusion
    • Confabulation
    • Ataxia
    • Nystagmus & Opthalamoplegia (eye muscle weakness)
  • Infantile beriberi
    *Babies can get beriberi by a vitamin B1 deficient woman
    * Symptoms:
    * Fretting
    * Vomiting
    * Weight loss
    * Swelling
    * Convulsions

Thiamin - Therapeutic Use/Benefits

• Digestive problems like ulcerative colitis
• AIDS
• Diabetic pain
• Heart diseases
• Aging
• Vision problem
• Prevent cervical cancer, etc.

Riboflavin or B-2

• Was once called Vitamin G.
• Key to metabolism and red blood cells
• Intestinal bacteria are also known to synthesize riboflavin.
• Added as a food coloring agent and to fortify some foods like baby foods, breakfast cereals, sauces, processed cheese, fruit drinks, and vitamin-enriched milk.

Riboflavin - Food Source

• Milk, yogurt, cheese, whole-grain breads, green leafy vegetables, meat, and eggs

Riboflavin - Deficiency/Disease

• Dry, scaly skin
• Riboflavin decomposes when exposed to visible light. This characteristic can lead to riboflavin deficiencies in newborns treated for hyperbilirubinemia by phototherapy.
• The severe deficiency of riboflavin is known as ariboflavinosis.

Riboflavin - Therapeutic Uses

• Migraine headaches (high doses of riboflavin)
• Improve memory
• Healthy development of the fetus
• Boost the body's level of glutathione, which is an antioxidant.

Niacin or B-3

• Also involved with energy production
• Also helps with skin, nerves, and the digestive system
• Foods:
  • Meat, poultry, liver, eggs, brown rice, baked potatoes, fish, milk, and whole-grain foods

Niacin - Deficiency/Diseases

• Rare, but causes: diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia, and death
• Niacin chronic deficiency results in Pellagra.

Niacin - Therapeutic Use/Benefits

• Decreases blood cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of heart attack.
• Niacinamide used on a long-term basis to prevent the onset of juvenile diabetes (children).
• Involved in the production of sex and stress hormones.
• Improves blood circulation.
• Regulates blood sugar levels.

Pyridoxine or B-6

• Vitamin B6 refers to a group of chemically very similar compounds that can be interconverted in biological systems.
• Involved in chemical reactions of proteins and amino acids.

Pyridoxine - Benefits

• Important for maintaining healthy brain function
• Formation of red blood cells
• Breakdown of protein
• Synthesis of antibodies in support of the immune system

Pyridoxine - Sources

• Tuna
• Beef
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Venison
• Potatoes
• Codfish
• Sunflower seeds
• Halibut
• Spinach

Pyridoxine - Deficiency

• Skin changes
• Dementia
• Ulceration
• Conjunctivitis
• Intertrigo
• Confusion
• Anemia
• Nervous system disorders

Cobalamin or B-12

• Helps with the nervous system, red blood cells, and DNA synthesis
• Deficiency:
  • Nervous system disorders and pernicious anemia
• Foods:
  • Only found in animal products
    • Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk products, and clams

Cobalamin - Benefits

• Important for metabolism
• Formation of red blood cells
• Maintenance of the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord

Cobalamin - Causes of Deficiency

• Low protein diet
• Antacids
• Altered intestinal function (leaky gut)
• Medications
• Stress
• Alcohol
• Aging

Cobalamin - Consequences of Deficiency

• Reduced Absorption - Anemia, Fatigue, Numbness and Tingling, Slower Healing, Increased Homocysteine, Impaired Detoxification

Folic Acid (Folacin, Folate)

• Key role in red blood cell formation and cell division
• Deficiency:
  • Anemia, digestive disorders
• Foods:
  • Leafy, dark green vegetables
  • Also found in liver, beans, peas, asparagus, oranges, avocados

Pantothenic Acid and Biotin

• Help with metabolism and formation of some hormones
• Deficiencies are rare
• Foods:
  • Almost any food, plant-based or animal-based

Vitamin C

• Important to bone health, blood vessel health, cell structure, and absorption of iron
• Deficiency: Rare
• May cause:
  • Foods:
    • Melons, berries, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, fortified juices, kiwi, mangos, yellow peppers, and citrus fruits