Fat Soluble Vitamins

Question 1

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin required for what biological functions?

Answer 1

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin required by the body for the:

• absorption of calcium
• bone development
• immune functioning
• alleviation of inflammation

Question 2

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to…

Excess vitamin D can lead to….

The U.S. recommended Daily Value of Vitamin D is ___ IU and the toxicity threshold is thought to be from _____ to _______ IU

1μg of Vitamin D = __ IU of Vit D

Answer 2

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to:

• rickets
• weakened immune system
• increased cancer risk
• poor hair growth
• osteomalacia

Excess vitamin D can:
-cause the body to absorb too much calcium, leading to increased risk of heart disease and kidney stones.

The U.S. recommended Daily Value of Vitamin D is 600 IUand the toxicity threshold is thought to be from 10,000 to 40,000 IU

1μg of vit D = 40 IU of vit D

Question 3

List the 4 foods highest in Vitamin D

What is your best source of vitamin D?

Answer 3

Vitamin D is fat soluble, which means you need to eat fat to absorb it. Natural foods high in vitamin D include:

1) fish oils
2) fatty fish
3) Portabello mushrooms
4) fortified milk or OJ

Other foods that contain less vitamin D include:
fortified cereals, tofu, beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks.

Vitamin D is also naturally made by your body when you expose your skin to the sun, and is called the sun-shine vitamin

Question 4

Name the top 5 sources of Vitamin A
(in order from most Vit A per serving to least)

Optimal absorption of vitamin A:

Answer 4

Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin, and therefore, needs to be consumed with fat in order to have optimal absorption. High vitamin A foods include:

1) sweet potatoes
2) carrots
3) dark leafy greens
4) Squash
5) Dried Apricots

One serving of any of the above will exceed your daily value of Vit A

Also: lettuce, cantaloupe, bell peppers, fish, liver, and tropical fruits.

Question 5

Vitamin A is essential for supporting what in the human body?

Answer 5

Vitamin A is an essential vitamin required for:

• vision
• gene transcription
• boosting immune function
• skin health

Question 6

Vitamin A deficiency can lead to:

Overconsumption of Vitamin A can lead to:

Daily value for Vitamin A:

Chronic toxicity:

Answer 6

A deficiency in vitamin A can lead to: blindness and increased viral infection, however deficiency is only considered a problem in developing countries where it is a leading cause of blindness in children.

Overconsumption of vitamin A can lead to: jaundice, nausea, loss of appetite, irritability, vomiting, and even hair loss.

Daily value for Vitamin A: 5000 IU

Chronic toxicity: 4000 IU/kg for 6-12months

Question 7

Vitamin A is a group of unsaturated nutritional organic compounds that includes:

Answer 7

Vitamin A is a group of unsaturated nutritional organic compounds, that includes:

retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, several provitamin A carotenoids, and beta-carotene

Question 8

Vitamin D refers to a group of fat-soluble secosteroids responsible for enhancing intestinal absorption of:

In humans, the most important compounds in this group are:

Answer 8

Vitamin D refers to a group of fat-soluble secosteroids responsible for enhancing intestinal absorption of:
calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphate and zinc

In humans, the most important compounds in this group are:
vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol)

Question 9

Vitamin E is a group of 8 fat-soluble vitamins which help prevent __________ in the body.

Adequate amounts of Vitamin E can help decrease the risk of:

Answer 9

Vitamin E is a group of 8 fat-soluble vitamins which help prevent oxidative stress to the body, and other vitamins within the body.

Adequate amounts of vitamin E can help protect against heart disease, cancer, and age related eye damage (macular degeneration).

Question 10

Too much Vitamin E can lead to:

How can one get too much vitamin E?

What is the recommended daily value?

Answer 10

too much vitamin E from supplements can lead to excessive bleeding, or hemorrhaging

Vitamin E foods are considered to be safe and healthy (vitamin E toxicity can only occur from over-supplementation, not from eating too many Vit E rich foods)

DV: 20mg

Question 11

List the top 5 foods highest in Vitamin E in order from most to least:

Answer 11

1. Sunflower Seeds
2. Almonds
3. Hazelnuts
4. Squash
5. Tofu

Others

6. Leafy Greens
7. Avocados
8. Rainbow Trout
9. Shrimp
10. Olive Oil (10%/tblspn)
11. Sweet potato

Question 12

List all the fat soluble vitamins:

If foods rich in fat soluble vitamins are cooked, will they lose some of their fat soluble vitamin content?

Answer 12

Vitamin E, A, D and K

Fat soluble vitamins are not lost when foods that contain them are cooked

Question 13

Does the body need each of the fat soluble vitamins everyday?

Answer 13

No. The body does not need a dose of fat soluble vitamins everyday because it stores them in the liver and adipose

Question 14

Which is more likely to cause toxicity when taking a megadose: fat soluble vitamins or water soluble vitamins?

Answer 14

Fat soluble

Question 15

What biological functions does vitamin K carry out?

Answer 15

Vitamin K refers to a group of structurally similar, fat-soluble vitamins the human body needs for complete synthesis of certain proteins that are required for BLOOD COAGULATION, and also certain proteins that the body uses to control BINDING OF CALCIUM in bone and other tissues

Question 16

Biochemically, what does vitamin K do?

Answer 16

The function of vitamin K2 in the animal cell is to add a carboxylic acid functional group to a glutamate amino acid residue in a protein, to form a gamma-carboxyglutamate (Gla) residue

Question 17

Vitamin K consists of 2 natural vitamers: describe the difference between the two

Answer 17

K1 and K2

K1 (phylloquinone): synthesized by plants (most in leafy greens) but is still an active vitamin in humans, performing all the same tasks as K2. Animals can also convert K1 to K2.

K2: main storage form in animals. Has many subtypes called menaquinones

Question 18

Vitamin K may play a role in treating ___________ and __________.

Consuming increased levels of vitamin K can help prevent ________ and ________.

Answer 18

Vitamin K may play a role in treating Alzheimer’s and Osteoporosis.

Consuming increased levels of vitamin K can help prevent cancer and heart disease.

Question 19

When can it be risky to take too much vitamin K?

Answer 19

If you are on anticoagulant medications like Warfarin (Coumadin). Warfarin inactivates vitamin K, preventing thrombosis (blood clot formation) and thromboembolism (blood clot migration), lessening the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Question 20

How does warfarin work?

Answer 20

Warfarin inhibits the enzyme that recycles vitamin K1 (vitamin K epoxide reductase). The left over oxidized form of Vitamin K1 can’t be reduced and so can no longer participate in carboxylation of clotting factors, leading to decreased blood clotting.

Question 21

List the top five food sources of vitamin K from best to worst:

Answer 21

1. Leafy Greens (best by far)
2. Onions/scallions (salad veggies)
3. Basil (1 dried tblspoon = %100 DV)
4. Broccoli
5. Pickles

Others

6. Brussel sprouts
7. Asparagus
8. Dried Prunes
9. Soy beans
10. Chili Powder