May 9: Orientation to Vitamins – Water-Soluble Vitamins & Food Enrichment/Fortification Flashcards
Vitamin function
Regulation (no energy or structure)
Water-soluble vitamins (examples, where are they found, turnover rate, where does excess go?)
Vitamin B and C
Found in watery parts of cells
Fast turnover in body (~24-48 hours)
Excess from diet/supplement filtered from blood into urine
Water soluble vitamin function
Coenzyme - facilitates enzyme action
What does deficiency of water-soluble vitamins cause and clinical signs?
Vitamin deficient diet
Tissue depletion (3-4 weeks)
Biochemical lesion (4-6 weeks)
Clinical signs: skin changes, intestinal changes, tongue (smooth, purple), fatigue (6-8 weeks)
Fat-soluble vitamins (where are they found, turnover rate, where does excess go?)
Found in fatty parts of the cell and body, not soluble in H2O
Slow turnover in body
Excess from diet/supplement stays in body (not excreted unlike water-soluble vitamins)
Potential toxicity problems
Fat-soluble vitamin function
More general roles (not coenzymes)
Thiamin (B1) function
Coenzyme in carbohydrate and energy metabolism
If you eat more carbs, you also need more thiamin
Where is thiamin (B1) deficiency most prevalent and what does it cause?
Found among cultures that relied on grains for majority of calories, causes beriberi
Beriberi
Result of thiamin (vitamin B1) deficiency
Central nervous system dysfunction
Muscle fatigue
Heart failure
Food sources of thiamin (B1)
Grain, meat, poultry, fish, liver, pork, legumes, fortified cereals
Niacin (B3) deficiency
Causes pellagra
Pellagra (4 D’s)
Caused by niacin deficiency
Dermatitis, diarrhea, delirium, death
Niacin food sources
Meat, fish, poultry, grains, cereals, nuts, beans
Vitamin B12 and folate (folic acid) function
Coenzymes in the growth and turnover of new cells
Needed for metabolism of protein metabolite homocysteine (heart disease risk)
B12 is also needed for myelin sheaths
Special considerations for vitamin B12
Requires a special factor made in the stomach for absorption - intrinsic factor (IF)
The mineral cobalt is part of B12 structure
Stored in liver (approximately 2 year supply)
Found only in animal-based food or fermented food
Deficiency of B12 and folate deficiency
Consider cells with high turnover
Anemia - large, immature blood cells: folate deficiency
Pernicious anemia - same anemia, nerve damage: B12 deficiency
Low folate during pre and early pregnancy may lead to congenital disorders
What nutrient needs increase during pregnancy?
Protein needs increase
Iron needs increase
Folate needs increase
Vitamin B12 needs increase
Folate food sources
Liver, green vegetables, orange juice, enriched and fortified grains/breakfast cereal
Vitamin B12 food sources
Animal source foods, fermented products
What minerals/vitamins are added to refined grains?
Niacin
Iron
Thiamin
Riboflavin
Folate (1996)
What are the 3 components of a whole grain and what is in each?
Hull: minerals, B vitamins, fiber
Starch
Germ: minerals, B vitamins, Vitamin E
What does milling do to the nutrient content of grains?
Makes it lose water-insoluble fiber, B vitamins, iron, zinc, magnesium, thiamin
Examples of whole grains
Brown rice, whole wheat, popcorn, barley, oats, whole corn, millet
