ER

Vitamins and Minerals Notes

Vitamins

  • General requirement to know all vitamins covered.
  • Water-soluble vitamins:
    • Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
    • Vitamin B2
    • Vitamin B3
    • Vitamin B5
    • Vitamin B6
    • Vitamin B12
    • Biotin
    • Folate
    • Vitamin C
  • Fat-soluble vitamins:
    • Vitamins A, D, E, and K
  • Key information to know for each vitamin:
    • Other names
    • Forms
    • Functions
    • Roles
    • Deficiency symptoms
    • Toxicity outcomes
    • Food sources

Water-Soluble vs. Fat-Soluble Vitamins

  • Key differences to identify:
    • Absorption
    • Transport
    • Storage
    • Excretion
    • Toxicity
    • Requirements
  • Fat-Soluble Vitamins:
    • Require bile for absorption.
    • Travel via the lymphatic system (hydrophobic).
    • Excesses stored in the liver.
    • Can go without them for weeks or months.
    • Higher risk of toxicity.
    • Not readily eliminated through the kidneys.
    • Need chylomicrons to act as carriers.
  • Water-Soluble Vitamins:
    • Absorbed directly into the bloodstream.
    • Travel freely.
    • Readily excretable.
    • Needed more frequently.
    • Lower risk of toxicity overall, but toxicity is still possible.

Bioavailability

  • Definition: The actual amount of a nutrient that is absorbed and used by the body.
  • Depends on:
    • Quantity provided by the food.
    • Amount absorbed and used by the body.
  • Example: Consume 100mg of a vitamin, but only absorb 20mg.
  • Factors affecting bioavailability:
    • Efficiency of digestion and transit time.
    • Previous nutrient intake and nutritional status:
      • Example: Iron deficiency anemia leads to higher iron absorption when supplemented.
      • Vitamin C increases iron absorption from non-heme iron food sources.
    • Method of food preparation:
      • Raw vs. processed.
      • Storage methods (airtight containers).
      • Cooking methods (minimal water, microwave, steamer).
      • Reusing cooking water in dishes like casseroles and soups.
    • Source of the nutrient:
      • Synthetic vs. fortified.
      • Supplemental folate is more easily absorbed than folate from food sources.
  • B group vitamins and vitamin C: Absorb directly into the blood and travel freely.
  • Fat soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K): absorbed first into the lymph and then the blood.

Major and Trace Minerals

  • Major Minerals (covered):
    • Calcium
    • Sodium
  • Trace Minerals (covered):
    • Iron
    • Zinc
    • Iodine
  • Key information to understand:
    • Bioavailability
    • Enhancers and inhibitors
    • Roles and functions
    • Deficiency symptoms
    • Toxicity outcomes
    • Food sources
  • Examples:
    • Iron absorption enhanced by vitamin C.
    • Calcium found in dairy foods, important for bone structure.
    • High calcium intake can impede iron absorption due to competition for absorption, especially in children who drink excessive amounts of milk.
    • Ca^{2+}
    • Fe^{2+}

Supplements

  • Preferred sources of vitamins and minerals are food sources.
  • Role for supplements in certain cases.
  • Who might need supplements:
    • People with nutritional deficiencies.
    • Those with low energy intake (fasting, avoiding food groups).
      • Vegans and those with atrophic gastritis need vitamin B12.
      • Lactose intolerant individuals, those with milk allergies, or inadequate dairy intake might be deficient in calcium.
    • Certain life stages:
      • Infancy
      • Pregnancy
      • Lactation
      • Elderly
    • Disease, infections, injuries, or surgery impacting nutrient absorption, digestion, or metabolism.
    • Medications that interfere with nutrient use or metabolism.
  • More supplements doesn't always mean better; effectiveness plateaus and can lead to toxicity.
  • Some groups benefit from supplements.

Putting it All Together

  • Relate nutrients, macros, and microbes to food groups and sources.
  • Integrate knowledge of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients with overall recommendations.
  • Australian Guide to Healthy Eating:
    • Plate designed to meet RDIs if approximate portions are consumed daily.
    • Ensures adequate energy and fat soluble vitamins.
    • Water is important; shown alongside the plate.
      • Necessary, especially with a high-fiber diet, to facilitate food passage through the gut.
    • Extras:
      • Occasional/discretionary foods (sometimes foods in small amounts).
      • Oils (polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats and fat soluble vitamins) to be consumed in small amounts.
    • In Australia, a third of energy intake comes from discretionary/nutrient-poor foods high in sugar and saturated fat.
    • Consume less discretionary food and more core food groups with key nutrients.

Feedback

  • UTI feedbacks at the end of the semester appreciated.
  • Feedback regarding:
    • What was done well.
    • What was not done so well.
    • Areas for improvement.
    • Meeting expectations.
    • Other improvements to suggest.