Lesson 5 - Vitamins & Minerals Flashcards
The body is made up of:
Oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, minerals
Epigenetics
The study of how gene expression, rather than changes to genetic code, affect organisms
Our genes can be expressed or triggered by diet and lifestyle choices
A supplement can be:
A single nutrient, a combination, extracted from food, or man made
Vitamins and minerals are components of:
Enzymes and coenzymes
Enzymes are made up of:
Protein, vitamins, minerals
Chelated supplements
A mineral bound to another molecule (typically amino acids) that help facilitate absorption of ions
So nutrients need help absorbing into gut
Synthetic vitamins
Created in a lab but can be identical to natural. Watch out for fillers
Natural supplements
Term isn’t regulated. Can mean extracted from whole food, but also not
International units (IU)
The concentration or potency of the substance is what determines the volume or mass that makes up one IU. Will vary from substance to substance
Fat soluble vitamins
- require presence of fat for absorption
- absorbed in small intestine
- can be stores in tissue for later use, but this can lead to toxicity if high intakes
- A D E K
- with the exception of D, easily destroyed by heat and light
Water soluble vitamins
- dissolves in water and need to be consumed regularly as they don’t stay in body for long
- digested in small intestine and small amounts in large intestine
- bind to proteins that enzymes must remove before absorption
- easily destroyed by heat, acidity, improper storage
- vitamin C and B vitamins
Minerals
- are elements
- work synergistically with vitamins
- some compose structures in body like teeth
- some trigger enzymatic reactions throughout body, regulating heartbeat and making hormones
- needed only in small amounts
The 5 major minerals are:
Calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium
Trace elements
Sulphur Cobalt Zinc Iron Chlorine Copper Manganese Molybdenum Selenium Iodine In large amounts they can be toxic
Electrolytes
To function normally, the body must keep fluid levels from varying too much in: fluid within cells, fluid in the space around cells, blood
The amount of fluid a compartment contains is determined by the concentration of electrolytes in it
