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Biol 203 > Chapter 7: Vitamins > Flashcards

Chapter 7: Vitamins Flashcards

(98 cards)

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1
Q

Do we have micro nutrient deficiency disease problems nowadays?

A

Yes

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2
Q

The resentment harbored toward macro nutrients in particular carbs and fat is it consequence of what?

A

Is a consequence of our ability to absorb nearly all macro nutrients

Indeed we can hold nearly unlimited amount of fat and having 10 sweet cravings because our bodies need fuel for cellular work

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3
Q

What is the term used to define the fickle nature of the absorption of vitamins

How much a vitamin or mineral is absorbed

A

Bio availability

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4
Q

The amount of vitamins we absorb is depending on what

A

what we ate

how it was cooked

how it was processed

our physiology

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5
Q

True or false

micro nutrients vary in their bio availability

A

True

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6
Q

What can inadvertently eliminate or enhance the bio availability of a vitamin within a particular food

A

The processing of such food

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7
Q

What are the deficiency diseases caused by the absence of thiamine, niacin, and vitamin C

A

Betiberi

pellagra

scurvy

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8
Q

The root cause of thiamin and niacin deficiencies can be traced to what

A

They can be traced to how staple grains were processed

Indeed the embryo and run of seeds are rich in thiamine

—> The practice of removing the brown layer from greens was adopted in the early 19 century because it reduced losses due to spoilage (takes of the thiamin)

—> This loss is aluminate the most significant plant derived sources of time in in the diet causing deficiency to appear at the population level almost overnight

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9
Q

How can we avoid vitamin deficiency diseases

A

By having a diet that is diverse

By eating nutrient dense food

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10
Q

What is the main vitamin today there is a cause or a reason for having a deficiency disease?

A

Vitamin A

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11
Q

What is the importance of vitamin A?

A

It is crucial for the proper development of the epithelial cells

–> blanket the surface of the body, line the inside of lungs, digestive tract, blood vessels, fallopian tubes etc.

Basically crucial for the development of epithelial cells

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12
Q

What happens if we don’t have enough vitamin A? Why?

A

Pathogens can easily invade the body

This is because vitamin A creates the epithelial tissue which is a shield to the outside world

The stomach and get pretty messed up too

If we lack vitamin A, we have a deficiency and everything else too

Keratinization of the skin

It makes us lack mucus which is what makes the eye not being able to wash itself which then makes us blind if it goes overboard

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13
Q

How can we obtain vitamin A outside of the animal kingdom

A

From a precursor vitamin A (also called provitamin) called beta carotene

Once absorbed, beta carotene along with a few other carotenoids can be converted to vitamin A

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14
Q

What are carotenoids

A

They are pigments that give fruits, leaves, and tubers their orange, red, or yellow hue

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15
Q

What is golden rice and what is its purpose

A

It is a genetically modified rice that carries genes to synthesize beta carotene and store it in the endosperm of rice

—> Also uses bio fortification

Part of the efforts to eradicate vitamin A deficiencies on a global scale

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16
Q

What does it fortification of food Involve

A

It involves adding vitamins and/or minerals to processed foods as a method to reduce risks of deficiency diseases at the population level

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17
Q

What is bio fortification

A

Insert genes rather than nutrients into a plant to yield beta carotene

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18
Q

In developed countries what type of fortifications have we seen

A

The addition of vitamin D in milk to prevent rickets in small children

The fortification of wheat products with folic acid to reduce rates of congenital defects Caused by spinal bifida

Vitamin 12 to a range of processed foods consumed by vegans as this vitamin is entirely outside in plant-based food

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19
Q

What are the modern challenges to food fortification

A

The modern trends such as dropping the milk in alternative food group and abandoning all things grain and an emergent a version of genetically modified foods

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20
Q

What are the three types of vitamins that plants can carry (depending on the type) and why do they carry them

A

Leaves have Carotenoids

Fruits have vitamin C

Seeds have vitamin E

They are all antioxidants that protect plant tissues from free radicals

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21
Q

Nutrient dense food

A

Food that has a higher amount of nutrients per kilo calorie

It is not the same as energy dense food because this means that it has a higher amount of calories

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22
Q

Linolenic acid (omega 3) RDA

A
  1. 6 g for men

1. 1g for women

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23
Q

Threonine RDA

A

46g

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24
Q

Thiamin RDA

A

1.1 mg

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25
Riboflavin RDA
1.1 mg
26
Niacin RDA
14 mg
27
Calcium RDA
1000 mg
28
Chromium RDA
25 ug
29
Where do the natural sources of vitamins come from
From the four kingdoms Plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria
30
Which type of four main sources can we get our vitamins from
Natural sources synthetic fortification enrichment
31
Enrichment
A food that has nutrients added back that were lost during processing
32
How are vitamins usually classed
In terms of solubility
33
Water soluble vitamins
Vitamin B and vitamins C Easily transported in blood Can be found in the water compartments of the bod Easily excreted in urine
34
Fat soluble vitamins
Vitamins A, E, D, and K In the body, they are pocketed in chylomicrons and then they are stored in fatty tissue Because they cannot be easily excreted in urine, they can accumulate in the body and cause toxicity
35
What does our absorption of vitamins depend on
Our physiological needs such as age diet and gender, pregnancy status
36
What are the forms in which we can find vitamin A
Retinol Retinal Retinoic acid
37
Retinol
The form we observe from vitamin A rich animal food
38
How is the amount of vitamin A in a food expressed as?
RAE (Retinal activity equivalents)
39
How are the amounts of beta carotene calculated
Calculated on the amount of retinol they use
40
Beta carotene
A lipid soluble Bio availability increases if sautéed in butter or oil An orange yellow pigment
41
What are the major functions of vitamin A and beta carotene
Cell differentiation Vision Antioxidant function
42
Cell differentiation
The process by which immature sells develop specific functions different from those of the original their characteristic of their mature type of cell soul Basically cells divide and form an identity
43
a free radical
A molecule filled with one or more unpaired electrons Causes the atom to become unstable and highly reactive
44
How to stop the negative affects of free radicals
Antioxidants donate electrons to free radicals
45
What makes vitamin D
Sunlight + cholesterol + body heat
46
What prevents us from synthesizing vitamin D and why?
Sunscreen, air pollution, tall buildings, and clothing These are all stop UV radiation
47
What is the problem with vitamin D regarding our diet
It is not a common vitamin in food
48
Roles of vitamin D
Bone development Vitamin D can regulate cell growth It could perhaps have fighting cancer properties
49
How does vitamin D relate with bone growth
Vitamin D increases the bio availability of calcium When we don’t have enough vitamin D the intestine absorbs only 10% to 15% of the calcium and foods —> When we do you have vitamin D absorption can increase up all the way to 80% —> calcium is deposited in bones
50
The two types of vitamn Ds useful to us
Vitamin D3 (inactive form) which is used to fortify milk and other dairy products The active vitamin D form call calcitriol
51
How do we characterize Rickets and what is the cause of it
A deficiency characterized mostly in children by bowed legs Lack of vitamin D
52
Osteomalacia
The adult form of rickets which can lead to osteoporosis A bone disease characterized by softening of the bones Symptoms include bending of the spine and bowing of the legs Occurs more often in adult woman
53
What can happen if you get too much vitamin D
Can make us have too much calcium This excess calcium is deposited in soft tissues of the body including arteries and kidneys which can then cause damage Impossible to be caused by the sun
54
What can happen without Vitamin E
Can cause the red blood cells to break open and spill their content Free radicals can also oxidize LDL deposited in plaque
55
The main functions of vitamin E
Major fat soluble antioxidant found in cells Protects PUFAs in cell membranes from being damaged by free radicals
56
What is Vitamin K important for
It is important for the synthesis of blood clotting factors —> without it, a minor cut could prove fatal
57
What synthesizes vitamin K
It is synthesized by the bacteria living in the large intestine The rest of supplied by the diet
58
Vitamin K deficiency in infants
Can occur in infants because newborns have sterile intestines (no bacteria) Children are at risk for vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) Babies are given a single dose of Vitamin K at birth —> they are in a sense, fortified
59
What are B vitamins crucial for
Crucial for energy metabolism Support the generation of energy from macro nutrients Without B vitamins your body you can be lacking energy
60
Energy metabolism
The sum total of all chemical reactions that go on in living cells Includes all the reactions by which the body obtains and expo09mands the energy from food
61
What are the common features all B vitamins share
They work with coenzymes B vitamins bind with coenzymes to activate them to enable chemical reactions If it doesn’t bind to the coenzyme l, it will remain inactive, which will then prevent it from doing a chemical reaction
62
How did we discover in the 1980s that indeed, we needed thiamin?
Since people would only eat white rice in a lot of Asian territories including prisoners and the poor, a vitamin B deficiency disease came about and affected chickens too The chicken symptoms of beri beri where eradicated once they ate the bran from the refinement of rice
63
What are the effects if beri beri
Weakness Memory loss Weight loss
64
Wernicke korsakoff
Another deadly form of thiamin deficiency Alcohol interferes with thiamin absorption Related to chronic alcoholism
65
Deficiency or riboflavin symptoms
Weakness Inflamed tongues Sores on edges of lips
66
What does light do to riboflavin
It destroys it
67
What amino acid is used to produce niacin What else can supply it
Tryptophan Our diet can also supply it
68
Which deficiency disease is associated with a lack if niacin and what are the effects
Pellagra Dementia Dermatitis Diarrhea
69
How can we free niacin from complex carbs and proteins
Using acidic substances such as lime
70
Why is Vitamin B6 crucial
It works as a coenzyme for over 100 enzymes Needed for energy metabolism Needed for amino acid metabolism Needed cor Heme synthesis It is necessary for the making of the non-essential amino acids Converting tryptophan into niacin requires Vitamin B6 Needed to keep levels of Homocysteine low by converting it back into methionine
71
Con of Vitamin B6
In large amounts, it can be toxic as fuck
72
Homocysteine
It is used to covert the essential amino acid Methionine into the non essential amino acid Cysteine It is a toxic thingy
73
Why does Homocysteine contribute to CVD
Anything that causes irritation to blood vessels leading to inflammation increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases
74
Heme
The iron in foods that is bound to haemoglobin in myoglobin proteins Find only meat, fish, poultry, and eggs Binds the four polypeptides to the homeglobin
75
What happens if we lack Heme because we lack Vitamin B6
Anemia because the RBCs is smaller than normal Anything that compromises the ability of your red blood cells to carry the max load of blood will lead to anemia
76
The three key roles of folate
Energy metabolism Amino acid metabolism DNA metabolism (most important)
77
Folate deficiency
Affects cells that divide rapidly —> basically, in early pregnancy —> will affect the neural tube ——> spina bifida ——> anencephaly Red blood cells also divide quick —> lack makes large immature RBCs which makes cells get less oxygen
78
Spina bifeda
The tube fails to close properly One of the most common types of neural tube defect’s Characterized by the incomplete closer of the spinal cord and it’s bony encasement
79
Anencephaly
Brain is malformed are missing An uncommon and always fatal type of neural tube defect
80
Importance of Vitamin B12
Energy metabolism DNA metabolism Amino acid metabolism Also necessary for nerve cells by maintaining myelin sheaths
81
what happens if we lack Vitamin B12
maintaining myelin sheaths gradually undergo destruction --> can lead to Neuropathy
82
Neuropathy
degeneration of the spinal chord
83
Vitamin B12 absorption
in food, this vitamin is bound to proteins that prevent its absorption 1. HCI and Pepsin reales B12 from the protein 2. B12 binds to intrinsic factor (IF), a protein produced by stomach cells --> without IF, the absorption of B12 is impossible, even with supplements 3. reaches the ileum where it can be absorbed
84
pernicious anemia
caused by a lack of the protein intrinsic factor (IF) not being produced or having the wrong shape because of incorrectly placed amino acids commonly affects the elderly
85
percentage of people over 50 vitamin B12 deficient
15%
86
Pantothenic acid and Biotin
deficiencies are rare abundant in food requirements are low Biotin is synthesized by our gut microbes
87
The best known deficiency disease
scurvy
88
best way to prevent scurvy why?
eating oranges and lemons because they are loaded with ascorbic acid
89
what is Vitamin C best know for
for its anti oxidant power --> donates electrons to free radicals
90
Which group of people is encouraged to increase Vitamin C intake beyond RDA
smokers
91
vitamins that play an essential role in energy metabolism
B6 and B12
92
vitamins that play an essential role in blood health
Vitamine B6 Vitamin B12 Folate Vitamin K
93
vitamin that plays essential role in Vision
Vitamin A
94
vitamins that play an essential role in amino acid Metabolism
Vitamine B6 Vitamin B12 Folate
95
vitamins that play an essential role in growth and development
Vitamine B6 Vitamin A Folate Vitamin D
96
vitamins that play an essential role in DNA metabolism
Vitamin B12 Folate
97
vitamins that play an essential role in bone health
Vitamins D and C
98
vitamins that play an essential role in anti oxidation
Vitamins C, E, and carotenoids

Biol 203 (12 decks)

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