Lesson 3.1.1 Fat Soluble Vitamins

Question 1

What do fat soluble vitamins need?

Answer 1

The fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E, and K, require the presence of dietary fat to be absorbed in the intestine and are therefore not as easily assimilated as water-soluble vitamins.

Question 2

What are the fat soluble vitamins?

Answer 2

The fat-soluble vitamins are: A, D, E, and K.

Question 3

Are fat soluble vitamins equal in assimilation to water soluble vitamins?

Answer 3

They are not as easily assimilated as water-soluble vitamins.

Question 4

Do fat free diets promote absorption of fat soluble vitamins?

Answer 4

Fat-free diets interfere with the metabolizing of these vitamins since fatty acids are needed for their absorption.

Question 5

Where are fat soluble vitamins stored?

Answer 5

Once fat-soluble vitamins enter the bloodstream, they are stored in the tissues.

Question 6

How many fat soluble vitamins are necessary for health?

Answer 6

Four.

Question 7

How does vitamin A benefit the body?

Answer 7

It is also required for the development and renewal of the skin and mucous membranes. It is involved with repair of the digestive and respiratory tract linings, protecting against pollutants and enabling appropriate gastric juices to be secreted for protein digestion. Vitamin A helps maintain the health of the tissues that line the bladder, kidneys, and genital organs. Our immune and reproductive systems are dependent on vitamin A to function properly.

Question 8

What is vitamin A most known for?

Answer 8

It’s role in healthy vision.

Question 9

What is beta carotene known as?

Answer 9

Pro-vitamin A.

Question 10

What is pro-vitamin A?

Answer 10

Vitamin A is crucial for many bodily processes, and is perhaps best known for its role in healthy vision. It is also required for the development and renewal of the skin and mucous membranes. It is involved with repair of the digestive and respiratory tract linings, protecting against pollutants and enabling appropriate gastric juices to be secreted for protein digestion. Vitamin A helps maintain the health of the tissues that line the bladder, kidneys, and genital organs. Our immune and reproductive systems are dependent on vitamin A to function properly.

Question 11

What are carotenes?

Answer 11

Of all the carotenes, beta carotene is the most active as a vitamin A precursor.

Question 12

Which carotene is most active as a vitamin A precursor?

Answer 12

Beta carotene.

Question 13

What elements are necessary for the conversion of beta carotene into vitamin A?

Answer 13

While most people have no trouble converting beta carotene into vitamin A, the presence of vitamin B12, vitamin C, zinc, and protein are necessary for this conversion.

Question 14

Where is vitamin A stored?

Answer 14

In the liver?

Question 15

When is vitamin A well absorbed?

Answer 15

Vitamin A is usually well absorbed, especially when adequate protein, zinc, and vitamin E are available.

Question 16

What are the sources of vitamin A?

Answer 16

Food sources of preformed vitamin A include chicken and beef liver, eggs, and butter. Food sources of beta carotene (and thus pro-vitamin A) that can be converted by the body to vitamin A include: green, red, orange, and yellow vegetables, mango, and cantaloupe.

Question 17

What is commonly known as the sunshine vitamin?

Answer 17

Vitamin D.

Question 18

What are the sources of vitamin D?

Answer 18

Vitamin D is manufactured by ultraviolet rays on the skin and provided in food and nutritional supplements.

Question 19

What does vitamin D support in the body?

Answer 19

Vitamin D is crucial for bone growth and renewal as it stimulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D is also required for nervous system function.

Question 20

How is the precursor to vitamin D manufactured?

Answer 20

The precursor to this vitamin is manufactured from cholesterol in the skin and is converted to pro-vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) with sunlight.

Question 21

How is pro-vitamin D converted?

Answer 21

It requires conversion first by the liver and then by the kidneys to become active vitamin D.

Question 22

What is another name of pro-vitamin D?

Answer 22

(cholecalciferol)

Question 23

What are the sources of vitamin D?

Answer 23

To increase vitamin D intake, enjoy more organic eggs and butter, cold-water fish such as halibut, herring, sardines, or salmon, cod-liver oil, high-quality vegetable oils, mushrooms, and dairy products.

Question 24

Is vitamin E an antioxidant?

Answer 24

Yes.

Question 25

Where is vitamin E stored?

Answer 25

It is mainly stored in adipose tissue.

Question 26

How is vitamin E divided?

Answer 26

Vitamin E can be divided into two families: the tocopherols and the tocotrienols.

Question 27

What is the value if vitamin E?

Answer 27

It protects cell membranes, red blood cells, vitamin A, and the cells lining the lungs from oxidative damage. The immune system is dependent upon vitamin E to function properly, and the nerves and muscles also require this vitamin for proper maintenance.

Question 28

How many tocopherols are there?

Answer 28

Four.

Question 29

How many tocotrienols are there?

Answer 29

Four.

Question 30

Describe tocopherols and tocotrienols.

Answer 30

Vitamin E can be divided into two families: the tocopherols and the tocotrienols. Each family consists of four different compounds (four tocopherols and four tocotrienols), all of which contain alpha, beta, gamma, and delta forms.

Question 31

Where does the active form of vitamin E come from?

Answer 31

It appears that the active form of vitamin E in the body comes from the tocopherols, with the most active being alpha-tocopherol.

Question 32

What are the sources of vitamin E?

Answer 32

Sources of vitamin E include cold-pressed vegetable oils, dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains.

Question 33

What is the main role of vitamin K?

Answer 33

The main role of vitamin K is to maintain healthy blood clotting. Vitamin K is also needed to support bone structure.

Question 34

Does this vitamin need to be supplemented?

Answer 34

No.

Question 35

Where is vitamin K manufactured?

Answer 35

The body’s intestinal bacteria manufacture vitamin K thereby making deficiencies rare.

Question 36

What are the sources if vitamin K?

Answer 36

Vitamin K is found in foods such as cruciferous and green leafy vegetables, vegetable oils, and soybeans.