Nutrition Flashcards
Vitamin A
Found: In brightly colored vegetables, especially carrots, peppers, and tomatoes.
Function: maintain normal function of the eyes, skin, operates in the visual conductive system as part of rods and cones
Deficiency: reduced integrity of epithelial tissues, keratotic skin changes giving dry scaly patches on the skin, cloudiness of the cornea (xeropthalmia, and conjunctiva (Bitot spots)
slows adaptation to the dark
Hypervitaminosis A: intracranial pressure,
cheilitis, hyperostosis
Vitamin D
-Fat soluble
Deficiency: Rickets (children), osteomalacia (adults)
Signs and Symptoms: Kyphoscoliosis, craniotabes (soft skull), costochondral swelling “rachitic rosary”
Which Vitamins are fat soluble?
Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K
Which vitamins are water soluble?
Vitamin B (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, biotin, folate, cobalamin), and Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Where is it found? - wheat germ oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, nut oils, leafy greens
Overdose: interfere with Vitamin K - bleeding issues!
Deficiency: neurological deficits (loss of sensation, wide truncal ataxia - uncontrolled movements), hemolysis thrombocytosis, edema
Function: antioxidant, stabilizes cellular membranes,
Vitamin K
Food sources: bacteria in our guts, leafy greens, kale, spinach, collard greens and swiss chard
Function: important for normal blood clotting
Iron (Fe)
Sources: meat, seafood (heme iron)
fortified cereals, nuts, beans, dark chocolate, vegetables (non heme, so less readily absorbed)
Deficiency: (hypochromic microcytic anemia) fatigue, weakness, tachycardia, SOB, brittle nails, pica
Iron Poisoning: Liver malfunction, metabolic acidosis, jaundice, hypoglycemia, coagulopathy
Iodine
Deficiency: goiterous primary hypothyroidism (iodine is component of thyroid hormone)
Food sources: iodized salt, backed potatoes, milk, seafood, cranberries, yogurt
Magnesium
Deficiency: hypokalemia and hypocalcemia. QT prolongation -> Torsades de Pointes
Causes of deficiency: alcoholics as they lack B1, diurectics
Sources: nuts (especially almonds), spinach, beans, edemame, shredded wheat cereal, soy milk, peanut butter
Zinc
-Strong antioxidant, important for immunity and testosterone production
Signs and symptoms: leukonychia, dermatitis, acne, seborrheic dermatitis
Copper
Function: collagen development and nerve functioning
Deficiency: hypochromic microcytic anemia, also: weakness, neuropathy and osteoporosis. Zinc excess (zinc and copper compete)
Too much copper: Wilson’s disease ->liver disease and neuropsychiatric. Kayser-Fleischer rings
Molybdenum
Deficiency: (rare) intellectual disability, seizures, opisthotonus, and lens dislocation
Cobalt
Deficiency: part of B12 (cobalamin) necessary for the synthesis of blood cells. Tingling in hands and feet, difficulty walking, dementia
BMI scale
Obese >= 30
Overweight = 25-30
Normal = 18.5-25
Underweight =< 18.5
Undernutrition
inadequate consumption of macronutrients
Wasting
Low weight for age
Stunting
Low height for age
Folic Acid (Folate)
Vitamin B9
Deficiency: megaloblastic anemia
Protein- Energy Malnutrition (PEM)
marasmus and kwashiokor
Marasmus
60% of normal weight
Signs: wrinkling skin, simian facies, appears dehydrated
Kwashiokor
edema, moon facies, hepatomegaly, dermatitis
Vitamin C
Deficiency: scurvy - bleeding gums, hemorrhaging of blood vessels
Refeeding syndrome
after being starved, if given a big meal cells absorb too much phosphate which can cause hypophosphatemia and lead to necrosis of tissues.
Obesity rate in America
- Affect blacks and Mexican-Americans
- 65% of Americans are overweight or obese
Failure to Thrive
failure to grow at the expected rate given the child’s age
Types of Failure to Thrive (FTT)
- Inadequate caloric intake
- Inadequate absorption
- Increased metabolism
- Defective utilization
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
Vitamin B12 deficiency may lead to a reduction in healthy red blood cells (anemia) and RBC’s are LARGE (megaloblastic). The nervous system also may be affected (eg. tingling in hands and feet).
Symptoms: fatigue, breathlessness, numbness, poor balance, and memory trouble.
More likely to come from not eating meat
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Deficiency - pellagra (*corn): large red tongue, rash in sun exposed areas, diarrhea, dementia
Toxicity: flushing, liver damage (rare)
Treatment: for high cholesterol
Vitamin B9 (Folate)
Deficiency - megaloblastic anemia (RBC’s are big)
Function: needed in first 3 months of pregnancy to prevent cleft lip and spina bifida.
more likely from a lack of fresh plant foods
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)
Deficiency - Beriberi (poor diet or alcoholism)
Dry beriberi: degeneration of long nerves, first in legs then arms with muscle atrophy
Wet beriberi: more acute, gives edema
. Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome classically presents with the clinical triad of confusion, ataxia, and nystagmus. confabulation
Function: nerve and heart function
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
Deficiency: itchy eyes and mucous membranes, Chelitis
Function: mucus membrane integrity
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
Function: nerve health
Deficiency: seizure, rash, red tongue, anemia
Toxicity: numbness, difficulty walking
