Lecture 26: VITAMINS AND MINERALS Flashcards

1
Q

How can we know if we get enough vitamins and minerals from the food we eat?

A

Clinical examination, anthropometry, biochemical tests or dietary assessment

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2
Q

What is involved in clinical examination?

A

Looking for symptoms - hair, skin, eyes, energy

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3
Q

What is involved in anthropometry?

A

Energy balance/growth - height, weight, BMI, % body fat

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4
Q

What is involved in biochemical tests?

A

Blood, urine, hair sample

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5
Q

What is involved in a dietary assessment?

A
  • Measure what you eat (diary, recall, questionnaire, history)
  • Convert foods into nutrients (food composition database)
  • Compare with nutrient reference values
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6
Q

What may be sampled?

A

Individuals, groups or national (NZ adult nutrition survey 08/09)

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7
Q

What are vitamins?

A

Essential, individual, organic molecules

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8
Q

Do vitamins provide energy?

A

No, not when broken down but they do help in metabolism

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9
Q

What happens if vitamins are absent or low in diet?

A

Symptoms of deficiency may appear

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10
Q

How much vitamins are required in the diet?

A

Small amount (milligrams or micrograms)

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11
Q

What is bioavailability?

A

The amount absorbed and used which is different for different vitamins

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12
Q

What are the fat soluble vitamins?

A

A,D,E,K

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13
Q

What are the water soluble vitamins?

A

C, B vitamins (x8)

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14
Q

What vitamins do we need more of?

A

Water soluble because the fat soluble vitamins are stored

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15
Q

What is fortification?

A

Addition of vitamins to other food in order to increase intake

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16
Q

Does the NZ diet have enough of all vitamins?

A

Typically yes for all vitamins except vitamins D as it isn’t fortified

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17
Q

What are vitamins and minerals important for?

A

Acting as cofactors and coenzymes

18
Q

What is other roles of vitamins and minerals?

A

Structural, antioxidants, DNA/RNA

19
Q

What doe B vitamins do?

A

Act as coenzymes in metabolic processes which provide energy

20
Q

What is niacin?

A

Vitamin B3 = nicotinic acid and nicotinamide

21
Q

What are the sources of niacin in the diet?

A

Meats, liver, milk, fish, legumes, wheat

22
Q

What is the function of niacin?

A

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD and NADP)

23
Q

How many enzymes depend on NAD and NADP?

A

Over 200 to carry out oxidation and reduction reactions

24
Q

What is NAD and NADP involved in?

A

Synthesis and breakdown of carbohydrates, lipids and amino acids

25
Q

What is niacin deficiency?

A

Pallegra (dermatitis, diarrhoea, dementia, death)

26
Q

What are minerals?

A

Essential, non-organic elements

27
Q

Do minerals provide energy?

A

No

28
Q

What happens if minerals are absent or low in the diet?

A

Symptoms of deficiency may appear

29
Q

How much minerals are required in the diet?

A

Small amounts (milligrams or micrograms)

30
Q

What mineral has high bioavailability?

A

Iron for use in haem group of haemoglobin

31
Q

What minerals do the NZ diet lack?

A

Calcium (especially in women) and selenium is thought to be low because of low levels in soil but isn’t too much of a problem. All others are adequate

32
Q

What is the role of minerals?

A

Cofactors (transfer of electrons in oxidation reduction reactions)

33
Q

What are other roles of minerals?

A

Structural role (hydroxyapatite crystal: Ca5(PO4)3(OH)), key constituent of molecules, nerve impulse and muscle contraction, fluid and electrolyte balance

34
Q

What are the roles of individual minerals?

A

They have multiple

35
Q

What are the roles of individual trace elements?

A

Some have multiple roles but molybdenum, iodine and fluoride have specific

36
Q

What is the role of molybdenum?

A

Cofactor for enzymes

37
Q

What is the role of iodine?

A

Thyroid hormones

38
Q

What is the role of fluoride?

A

Dental caries

39
Q

What is magnesium a cofactor for?

A

More than 300 enzymes in a myriad of cellular processes- chelates to ATP (kinases), enzymes requiring water acts as a carrier, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism (glycolysis, glucose homeostasis, insulin action)

40
Q

What are functions of magnesium?

A

Stabilises proteins, nucleic acids and membranes, an electrolyte, bone metabolism and remodelling, nerve impulse and muscle contraction