Micronutrients Flashcards

1
Q

Water Soluble Vitamins

What is Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)?

A

Vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, is essential for the proper functioning of enzymes in the body. It helps break down sugars in the diet, and keeps nerves and the heart healthy.

Insufficiency may cause beriberi (a condition marked by heart, nerve, and digestive disorders).

Women’s RDA: 1.1 mg
Men’s RDA: 1.2mg

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2
Q

Water Soluble Vitamins

What is Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)?

A

Vitamin B2 is a key component of two major
coenzymes that play a role in energy production, cellular function, growth and development.

While deficiency is rare, riboflavin deficiency may cause mouth sores, reproductive issues, and skin problems.

Women’s RDA: 1.1 mg
Men’s RDA: 1.2 mg

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3
Q

Water Soluble Vitamins

What is Vitamin B3 (Niacin)?

A

Vitamin B3 assists in enzymatic functions, helps maintain healthy skin, nerves, and digestive tract. It may help to lower blood cholesterol.

Insufficiency may cause pellagra (a condition marked by skin, nerve, and digestive disorders).

Women’s RDA: 14 mg
Men’s RDA: 16 mg

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4
Q

Water Soluble Vitamins

What is Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)?

A

Vitamin B5 is used in the enzymatic action to build and break down fatty acids as well as perform other metabolic functions, including building fats.

Pantothenic acid is in many foods. Gut microbiota can produce some pantothenic acid but not sufficient to meet daily needs.

Pantothenic acid deficiency is very rare.

Women’s RDA: 5mg
Men’s RDA: 5mg

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5
Q

Water Soluble Vitamins

What is Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)?

A

Vitamin B6 helps keep nerves and skin healthy, fight infections, keep blood sugar levels normal, assists in red blood cell production, and enzymatic function.

Not enough vitamin B6 can cause mouth and tongue sores and nervous system disorders.

Women’s RDA: 1.3 mg
Men’s RDA: 1.3 mg

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6
Q

Water Soluble Vitamins

What is Vitamin B7 (Biotin)?

A

Biotin assists in enzymatic breakdown of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. It also regulates cellular signaling and genetic activity genes.

Although biotin deficiency is rare, a deficiency may cause brittle nails, hair thinning and loss, and skin rashes.

Women’s RDA: AI 30mcg
Men’s RDA: AI 30mcg

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7
Q

Water Soluble Vitamins

What is Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)?

A

Vitamin B12 maintains nerve cell health, assists with all blood cell production, DNA, RNA, energy synthesis, neuronal structure maintenance and tissue metabolism.

Not enough vitamin B12 can cause certain types of anemia (a condition in which the number of red blood cells is below bnormal and they become enlarged) and neurologic disorders.

Women’s RDA: 2.4 mcg
Men’s RDA: 2.4 mcg

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8
Q

Water Soluble Vitamins

What is Vitamin B9 (Folate)?

A

Folate helps in red blood cell production.

Not enough folate can cause anemia, diseases of the heart and blood vessels, and defects in the brain and spinal cord in a fetus.

Women’s RDA: 400 mcg
Men’s RDA: 400 mcg

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9
Q

Water Soluble Vitamins

What is Vitamin C?

A

Vitamin C supports the immune system, helps with iron absorption, assists with wound healing, and is required for the synthesis of collagen. It is an antioxidant that prevents cell damage caused by free radicals (highly reactive chemicals).

Insufficient vitamin C may cause scurvy, characterized by fatigue, capillary fragility, and connective tissue weakness.

Women’s RDA: 75 mg
Men’s RDA: 90 mg

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10
Q

Fat Soluble Vitamins

What is Vitamin A?

A

Vitamin A is important for vision, bone growth, reproduction, growth of epithelium (cells that line the internal and external surfaces of the body), and fighting infections.

Insufficient vitamin A can lead to the inability to see in low light and blindness.

Women’s RDA: 700 mcg
Men’s RDA: 900 mcg

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11
Q

Fat Soluble Vitamins

What is Vitamin D?

A

Vitamin D supports bone health, muscle growth, cell function, glucose metabolism, and the immune system.

A deficiency causes rickets, (soft, weak, bones and bone deformities) in children. In adults it causes osteomalacia (bone pain and muscle weakness), which can lead to bone fractures.

Women’s RDA: 600 IU
Men’s RDA: 600 IU

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12
Q

Fat Soluble Vitamins

What is Vitamin E?

A

Vitamin E supports the immune system and decreases blood clot formation. Additionally, it prevents cell damage caused by free radicals.

A deficiency is very rare. It is almost always linked to fat not being properly digested or absorbed, as in Crohn’s disease and cystic fibrosis.

Women’s RDA: 15 mg
Men’s RDA: 15 mg

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13
Q

Fat Soluble Vitamins

What is Vitamin K?

A

Vitamin K helps to form blood clots and maintain strong bones. Vitamin K is also made by bacteria that live in the large intestine.

Severe vitamin K deficiency leads to bruising and bleeding due to decreased blood clotting.

Women’s RDA: 90 mcg
Men’s RDA: 120 mcg

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14
Q

Macrominerals

What is Calcium?

A

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. It makes up much of the structure of bones and teeth and allows normal bodily movement by keeping tissue rigid, strong, and flexible. It also mediates blood vessel contraction and dilation, muscle function, blood clotting, nerve transmission, and hormonal secretion.

Insufficient calcium can lead to osteoporosis (weak, fragile bones), rickets (soft, weak bones in children), osteomalacia (soft bones in adults).

Women’s RDA: 1,000 mg
Men’s RDA: 1,000 mg

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15
Q

Macrominerals

What is Chloride?

A

Chloride is important to intracellular fluid. It contributes to osmotic and acid–base balance, muscular and nerve activity, and the movement of water in and out of cells.

Note that there is not an RDA for chloride, only an adequate intake (AI) recommendation.

AI: 3,100 mg

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16
Q

Macrominerals

What is Magnesium?

A

Magnesium couples with more than 300 enzymes to build proteins and strong bones, regulate blood sugar, blood pressure, and muscle and nerve functions. It is also responsible for muscle contractions including maintaining a steady heartbeat.

Magnesium deficiencies take a long time to occur. Symptoms include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, possibly irregular heart rhythm.

Women’s RDA: 310 – 320 mg
Men’s RDA: 400 – 420 mg

17
Q

Macrominerals

What is Potassium?

A

Potassium is present in all body tissues and is required for normal cell function because of its role in maintaining fluid volume inside cells and regulates heart beat rate. It has a strong
relationship with sodium, the main regulator of fluid volume outside the cell.

Getting too little potassium can increase blood pressure, deplete calcium in bones, and increase the risk of kidney stones.

Women’s RDA: 2,600 mg
Men’s RDA: 3,400 mg

18
Q

Macrominerals

What is Phosphorus?

A

Phosphorus is a key element in bones, teeth, and cell membrane health. It activates many enzymes, keeps blood pH within a normal range and regulates the normal function of nerves and muscles, including the heart. It builds genes, as it makes up DNA, RNA, and ATP, the body’s major source of energy.

Phosphorus deficiency is rare in the United States.

Women’s RDA: 700 mg
Men’s RDA: 700 mg

19
Q

Macrominerals

What is Sodium?

A

Sodium is needed to conduct nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles, and maintain the proper balance of water and minerals.

The minimal amount needed is 500 mg a day.

Women’s RDA: 2,300 mg
Men’s RDA: 2,300 mg

20
Q

Macrominerals

What is Sulphur?

A

After calcium and phosphorus, sulfur is the most abundant mineral found in the body.
Sulfur keeps cell rigidity such as those that are found in the hair, nails and skin, and maintains amino acid shape to perform various roles in the body.

There is no RDA for sulfur because it is so abundant in the US food supply.

N/A

21
Q

Microminerals

What is Chromium?

A

Chromium helps to keep blood sugar levels normal.

Note that there is not an RDA for chromium, only an adequate intake (AI) recommendation.

Women’s RDA: 25 mcg
Men’s RDA: 35 mcg

22
Q

Microminerals

What is Cobalt?

A

Cobalt is also known as cobalamin, cyanocobalamin. Cobalt is in the body only as part of vitamin B-12 and has many of the same jobs as manganese and zinc. It can replace manganese in activating several enzymes.

There isn’t an RDA established for cobalt.

N/A

23
Q

Microminerals

What is Copper?

A

Copper assists enzymes that produce energy, break down and absorb iron, and build red blood cells, collagen, connective tissue, and brain signaling. Copper also supports normal brain development and immune functions, and dismantles harmful oxygen “free radicals.”

Copper deficiency is rare in the United States.

Women’s RDA: 900 mg
Men’s RDA: 900 mg

24
Q

Microminerals

What is Fluoride?

A

Fluoride is found in small amounts in a variety of foods. known for its role in preventing and reversing dental caries and building strong teeth and bones. Children absorb fluoride more efficiently than adults, as their teeth and bones are rapidly forming.

Deficiencies are rare as people get from what they eat and drink, as well as from any dental products they use.

Women’s RDA: AI 3 mg
Men’s RDA: AI 4 mg

25
Q

Microminerals

What is Chromium?

A

Copper assists enzymes that produce energy, break down and absorb iron, and build red blood cells, collagen, connective tissue, and brain signaling. Copper also supports normal brain development and immune functions, and dismantles harmful oxygen “free radicals.”

Copper deficiency is rare in the United States.

Women’s RDA: 25 mcg
Men’s RDA: 35 mcg