Exam 4 - Nutrition Flashcards
essential organic compounds needed in small amount
- not synthesized by body
- measurable decline in health if missing from diet
13 total vitamins
- Fat soluble: A, D, E, K
- Water soluble: B and C
Vitamins needed for
- energy metabolism
- growth
- development
- maintenance
Fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed with:
- dietary fats
- adequate absorption depends on bile and pancreatic lipase
- 40-90% absorbed under optimal conditions
- diseases and drugs such as orlistat can impair absorption
water soluble vitamins absorption
not dependent on dietary fats: 90-100% absorption rate
all vitamins
- digestive process in the stomach begin the release of vitamins from food
- digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas aid in the release of vitamins from food
Fat-soluble vitamins only
- bile produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder aids in fat-soluble vitamin absorption
- fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed in the small intestine, along with dietary fat, and carried by chylomicrons into the lymphatic system
- absorbed in the small intestine and released directly into the blood
vitamin K only
small amounts of vitamin K are made by bacteria in the ileum of the small intestine and in the large intestine
Storage of fat-soluble vitamins
- stored in the liver and adipose tissue
- less storage of vitamin K
Storage of water-soluble vitamins
- some storage of B-6 and B-12
- other excreted rapidly
Storage of vitamins in the body
- best to meet DRIs daily, but for most vitamins it takes weeks of low intake before symptoms of deficiency develop
- toxicity possible if too much is consumed
Vitamin A - retinoids
- preformed vitamin - biologically active
- mostly animal source
Vitamin A - carotenoids
- provitamin A
- need to be activate in body
- mostly plant source
Vitamin A in foods
- retinoids are found in liver, fish, fish oils, fortified milk, and eggs
- Carotenoids are found in dark-green and yellow-orange vegetables and fruits: beta-carotene has greatest amount of provitamin A activity
- 70% of vitamin A in North American diets comes from animal sources
Absorption, transport, storage, and excretion of Vitamin A
- 90% of vitamin A is found in liver, which stores enough retinyl ester to last several months
- it is released into bloodstream from the liver as a retinoid bound to retinol-binding protein (RBP) and transthyretin
Functions of vitamin A retinoid
- growth
- development
- cell differentiation
- vision
- immune function
Vision
- retinal is needed in the retina, as it turns visual light into nerve signals to the brain
- rods and cones are sensory elements on retina: rods are responsible for translating objects into black-and-white images and detecting motion; cones are responsible for translating objects into color images
Vitamin D
- conditional vitamin
- prohormone
- vitamin: precursor from sunlight or diet
- hormone: activated 1, 25-(OH)2D2 is produced in the body
- in the gut, activated D switches on genes for proteins that enable calcium absorption
Vitamin A Deficiency Disease
- least common vitamin deficiency along with vitamin E
- major public health problem in developing countries (leading cause of non-accidental blindess)
Vitamin D3
- produced naturally in skin
- form of most supplements
- FYI vitamin D2: derived from ergosterol; plant origin
25-hydroxyvitamin D3
- calcifediol
- 25-OH added in liver
1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3
- calcitriol
- fully activated form
- 1-OH added in kidney under control of PTH
- sometimes abbreviated 1, 25-(OH)2D
Functions of Vitamin D
- calcium absorption and maintenance of levels
- vitamin D may also help regulate immune function, the function of other hormones, cell cycle, cardiovascular and nervous system function
- this does not mean that supplementation will help any health conditions related to these symptoms
Vitamin D needs
- RDA for most adults is 15 micrograms/600 IU
- for age 70+ 20 microgram/800 IU
- breastfed babies should be given vitamin D supplement
Vitamin D deficiency diseases: Rickets
- rickets: abnormal mineralization of bones in children
- signs include enlarged head, joints, and rib cage, deformed pelvis, bowed legs
- cab be associated with fat malabsorption, cystic fibrosis, dark skin, low milk intake, minimal sun exposure
Vitamin D deficiency diseases: Osteomalacia
- poor calcification of newly synthesized bone in adults
- leads to fractures
- can be seen in adults with: impaired fat absorption, dark skin, limited UV exposure
Vitamin D toxicity
- generally, only seen with excess supplementation
- upper level is set at 100mg/4000 IU day for 9 and older
- above this can cause: excess blood calcium, bone loss, calcification in kidneys, heart, and lungs
Should I take vitamin D and/or have my level checked?
Routine vitamin D supplementation does not prolong life, decrease the
incidence of cancer or cardiovascular disease, or decrease fracture rates.
Screening asymptomatic individuals for vitamin D deficiency and treating
those considered to be deficient do not reduce the risk of cancer, type 2
diabetes mellitus, or death in community-dwelling adults, or fractures in
persons not at high risk of fractures. Randomized controlled trials of vitamin
D supplementation in the treatment of depression, fatigue, osteoarthritis,
and chronic pain show no benefit, even in persons with low levels at
baseline.” (Am Fam Physician. 2018;97(4):254-260.)
Vitamin E
- family of 8 naturally occurring compounds:
- tocopherols: alpha, beta, gamma, delta
- tocotrienols: alpha, beta, gamma, delta
Vitamin E: alpha-tocopherol
- main functions: boosts antioxidant defense, protects cell membranes, enhances immune function
- daily recommendation: 15 mg
- good sources: vegetable oil, nuts, avocado
Vitamin E needs
- RDA is set at 15 mg/day alpha-tocopherol: based off prevention of hemolysis during in vitro studies, not based on long term health and disease risk, RDA is based on prevention of deficiency - might be too low
- average adult consumes 7-8 mg/day (marginal deficiency, symptoms rare)
- daily value is 30 IU: this system accounts for activity of different forms
Absorption, transport, storage, and excretion of Vitamin E
- absorption by passive diffusion
- variable: 20-70%
- travels to liver in chylomicrons
- liver repackages vitamin E into other lipoproteins for delivery
- does no accumulate in the liver; 90% is localized to adipose tissue
Functions of vitamin E
- antioxidants, especially in lipid-rich areas
- research on supplementation has been mixed: overall, supplementation of E beyond the RDA is not recommended, may be harmful in certain situations: increased cancer and bleeding risk
Vitamin E deficiency
- rare but possible in: those with fat malabsorption conditions, smokers, preterm infants
- characterized by: premature breakdown of red blood cells, which leads to development of hemolytic anemia, impaired immune function, neurological changes in spinal cord and peripheral nervous system
Vitamin K
- assists in blood clotting
- promotes bone calcification
- prevents blood vessel calcification
- Phylloquinones (vitamin K1): from plants, the main biologically active form
- menaquinones (vitamin K2): fermented foods, bacteria in large intestine
Vitamin K sources
- 10% absorbed daily comes from bacterial synthesis in colon
- remainder comes from food
- heat stable
- most people meet AI
Absorption, transport, storage, and excretion of vitamin K
- 80% if dietary vitamin K is absorbed and incorporated into chylomicrons
- menaquinones synthesized by bacteria are absorbed by passive diffusion in the large intestine
- incorporated into lipoproteins for transportation
Functions of Vitamin K
- used for posttranslational modification of proteins: coenzyme for synthesis of Gla domains
- Key proteins with Gla” prothrombin and other coagulation factors, osteocalcin
Warfarin
- patients should maintain steady intake of Vitamin K
- Vitamin K can be used to reduce warfarin effects
Vitamin K Deficiency
- can occur in newborns: stores are low and bacteria not yet present in colon, standard practice to give vitamin K injection at birth
- otherwise rare, but can occur in: prolonged antibiotic used, impaired fat absorption
- mega-dosesof vitamin A and E negatively affect either absorption or action of vitamin K
Water soluble vitamin overview
- only small amounts are stored in the body: risk of toxicity is low for most, readily removed by the kidneys and excreted in urine
- most easily destroyed by cooking compared to fat-soluble vitamins: can leech into cooking water, retention is greatest when steaming, stir-frying, and microwaving, thereby limiting exposure to heat and water
B-vitamins function as coenzymes
- small, organic molecules that combine with inactive enzymes to form active enzymes
- in foods, B-vitamins are present as individual molecules, in coenzyme form, or complexed with proteins
- digestion frees vitamin molecules from complexes
- most B-vitamins are contained in the germ and bran of wheat
- in the US white flour is enriched with 4 B-vitamins and iron: thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid
Thiamin (vitamin B-1)
- found in small amounts in a wide variety of foods
- some foods contain antinutrients that lower the bioavailability of thiamin
- antinutrients are controversial: not linked to deficiency, and may have beneficial effects
Thiamin Needs and Upper level
- most people get enough between natural sources and fortified foods
- no upper level has been set
Functions of Thiamin
- thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP) is a cofactor in certain decarboxylation reactions
- pentose phosphate pathway: coenzyme for transketolase
- needed for normal function of nervous system
Thiamin deficiency Beriberi
historically seen in populations where diet consisted primarily of white rice
Dry beriberi
- peripheral neuropathy and weakness
- muscle pain and tenderness
- Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a form of dry beriberi associated with alcoholism (psychosis and memory impairment
Wet beriberI
- affects cardiovascular system
- congestive heart failure
- edema