4.1 Vitamins: Vital Dietary Components Flashcards
What does vita mean?
life
What does amine mean?
nitrogen containing
What are vitamins?
organic compounds required in small amounts by the body that function in regulation and support of processes related to digestion, absorption, metabolism, and body regulations
Do vitamins produce energy?
no
How many essential vitamins are there?
13
What sources are essential vitamins found from?
animal and plants sources
Which essential vitamins can be synthesized from the body?
vitamin K
biotin
vitamin D
Which two vitamins can be produced from precursors?
vitamin A
niacin
How can the body produce vitamin K and bioton?
gut flora in the intestine
How can the body produce vitamin D?
synthesized in the skin through sunlight
What are precursors in relation to vitamins?
substances in food or our body that have to be converted into an active form
What is the precursor for vitamin A?
beta carotene
What is the precursor for niacin?
amino acid tryptophan
What are the two criteria a compound must meet in order to be classified as a vitamin?
- enough of the compound must be consumed in our diet to maintain health
- symptoms of deficiency occur in the absence of the compound resulting in a decline of health
What is enrichment?
process of taking nutrients that were lost in the milling or processing of the food and adding them back to the final product
