Lecture 26: VITAMINS AND MINERALS Flashcards
How can we know if we get enough vitamins and minerals from the food we eat?
Clinical examination, anthropometry, biochemical tests or dietary assessment
What is involved in clinical examination?
Looking for symptoms - hair, skin, eyes, energy
What is involved in anthropometry?
Energy balance/growth - height, weight, BMI, % body fat
What is involved in biochemical tests?
Blood, urine, hair sample
What is involved in a dietary assessment?
- Measure what you eat (diary, recall, questionnaire, history)
- Convert foods into nutrients (food composition database)
- Compare with nutrient reference values
What may be sampled?
Individuals, groups or national (NZ adult nutrition survey 08/09)
What are vitamins?
Essential, individual, organic molecules
Do vitamins provide energy?
No, not when broken down but they do help in metabolism
What happens if vitamins are absent or low in diet?
Symptoms of deficiency may appear
How much vitamins are required in the diet?
Small amount (milligrams or micrograms)
What is bioavailability?
The amount absorbed and used which is different for different vitamins
What are the fat soluble vitamins?
A,D,E,K
What are the water soluble vitamins?
C, B vitamins (x8)
What vitamins do we need more of?
Water soluble because the fat soluble vitamins are stored
What is fortification?
Addition of vitamins to other food in order to increase intake
Does the NZ diet have enough of all vitamins?
Typically yes for all vitamins except vitamins D as it isn’t fortified