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Nutrition - vitamins Flashcards

1
Q

Why are vitamins essential to humans?

A

generally cannot be made in the body

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2
Q

Which vitamins can be made in the body?

A

vitamin D (synthesised in skin upon exposure to sun), vitamin K and some B vitamins (synthesised by gut flora)

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3
Q

Which vitamins are fat soluble?

A

A, D, E, K

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4
Q

What is required to demonstrate that a compound is a vitamin?

A
  1. Deprivation leads to deficiency disease and abnormal metabolic signs.
  2. Restoration prevents or cures the deficiency disease and normalizes metabolic abnormalities.
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5
Q

What are the categories of vitamins?

A

Fat Soluble and Water Soluble.

Examples include:
* Fat Soluble: Vitamin A, D, E, K
* Water Soluble: Vitamin C, B vitamins (e.g., Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, etc.)

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6
Q

What are fat-soluble vitamins?

A

Vitamins that are found with fat in food, absorbed in lymph, transported attached to protein, and stored in the liver or fatty tissues.

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7
Q

Where can fat soluble vitamins be stored?

A

liver or fatty tissues

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8
Q

What are water-soluble vitamins?

A

Vitamins that are absorbed directly into the bloodstream in free form, and have a higher turnover in the body with little storage.

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9
Q

Which type of vitamins could be harmful in high doses?

A

water soluble vitamins (excess cannot be stored and instead circulates in blood)

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10
Q

What influences the utilization of vitamins?

A
  1. Availability
  2. Antivitamins
  3. Provitamins
  4. Biosynthesis in gut by bacterial flora
  5. Intestinal disease
  6. Interactions of nutrients
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11
Q

What are essential minerals?

A

Inorganic elements that are essential for human health, and cannot be produced in body.

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12
Q

What are the major minerals?

A

Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Magnesium, Sodium, Chloride, Potassium, Phosphorus

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13
Q

What are the trace elements?

A

Selenium, iodine, fluoride, manganese, copper, cobalt, chromium, molybdenum

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14
Q

What are the main functions of essential minerals?

A
  1. Constituents of bones and teeth
  2. Formation of soluble salts controlling body fluid composition
  3. Essential components of enzymes & proteins for energy release
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15
Q

Examples of minerals required for bone and teeth

A

calcium, phosphorous, magnesium

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16
Q

Examples of minerals that form soluble salt to control body fluid composition

A

sodium, potassium, chlorine

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17
Q

Examples of minerals that are essential components to many enzymes and proteins

A

iron (Hb), zinc

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18
Q

What factors affect the absorption and bioavailability of minerals?

A
  1. Solubility
  2. Mineral status (e.g. deficiency increases absorption)
  3. Food ingredients (can bind to minerals)
  4. Form of nutrient (charge)
  5. Interactions with other nutrients (positive or negative)
  6. Pregnancy, growth, lactation
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19
Q

What are the prevalent mineral deficiencies?

A

Iron and iodine - widespread. Zinc and selenium - specific conditions.

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20
Q

What are the two groups of Vitamin A compounds?

A

Preformed Vitamin A and Provitamin A

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21
Q

Which foods contain preformed vitamin A?

A

liver, oily fish, eggs, dairy

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22
Q

Which molecules have preformed vitamin A?

A

retinol, retinaldehyde and retinoic acid

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23
Q

Which foods contain provitamin A?

A

dark green leafy vegetables, orange and yellow fruits and veg

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24
Q

Which molecules contain provitamin A?

A

carotenoids e.g. Beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein, lycopene, beta-cryptoxanthin

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25
What is the most potent source of vitamin A?
beta-carotene
26
How can Beta-carotene form retinol?
beta-carotene can split to form 2 molecules of retinol
27
What are the main functions of Vitamin A?
Regulation of gene expression, RBC production, cell differentiation, antioxidant, immunity, tooth & oral epithelia development.
28
Function of retinol
supports reproduction
29
Function of retinal
participates in vision
30
Function of retinoic acid
regulates growth
31
What are the effects of Vitamin A deficiency on oral health?
Decreased oral epithelial tissue development, impaired tooth formation, enamel hypoplasia, periodontitis
32
What effects does a vitamin A deficiency have on the whole body?
decreased oral health (decreased epithelial development, enamel hypoplasia, impaired tooth formation, periodontitis), increased susceptibility to infection (decreased mucus production, increased tissue keratinisation, decreased lysozyme, decreased macrophage activity), impaired growth and development (embryological development, gene expression, cell differentiation, bone growth, infertility)
33
What are the acute toxic effects of Vitamin A?
Vomiting, headaches, blurred vision, uncoordinated muscle movements, vertigo, shedding skin
34
What are the chronic toxic effects of vitamin A?
bone and muscle pain, headaches, alopecia, liver toxicity, poor muscle coordination
35
What are the teratogenic toxic effects of vitamin A?
organ development, spontaneous abortions
36
What is Vitamin C?
L-ascorbic acid, a water-soluble vitamin
37
What is the primary function of Vitamin C?
antioxidant
38
Which molecules require vitamin C for their synthesis?
vitamin E, collagen, noradrenaline, carnitine, peptide hormones, hormone releasing factors, bile acid
39
What are common food sources of Vitamin C?
Leafy vegetables, fruits, and legumes.
40
What are the consequences of vitamin C being very labile?
it is easily oxidised to dehydroascorbic acid (50% of vitamin C can be lost within 24h of harvest, chopping/juicing disrupts cell membranes, oxidising vitamin C)
41
What is the extreme deficiency of Vitamin C called?
Scurvy, characterized by connective tissue defects
42
What are the effects of a vitamin C deficiency (scurvy)?
failure of wounds to heal, bleeding gums, pain and weakness in legs, cartilage and bone malformation, bleeding capillaries (collagen synthesis requires vitamin C)
43
What are the two forms of Vitamin D?
D2 (Ergocalciferol) and D3 (Cholecalciferol)
44
How is cholecalciferol (D3) produced?
7-dehydrocholesterol is converted to cholecalciferol in the skin under UV irradiation
45
What is the active hormone of vitamin D?
1,25 dihydroxycholecalciferol (calcitriol)
46
How is 1,25 dihydroxycholecalciferol produced?
7-dehydrocholesterol is converted to cholecalciferol by UV. Cholecalciferol is hydroxylated at 25 position in liver and at 1 position in kidney to form 1,25 dihydroxycholecalciferol
47
What are the functions of Vitamin D?
Promotion of intestinal Ca absorption, bone formation, cell differentiation, immunity, cell maturation in small intestine, insulin secretion, BP regulation
48
What are the food sources of Vitamin D?
Fatty fish, eggs, liver, and fortified foods e.g. margarine.
49
What are the effects of Vitamin D deficiency?
Rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Hypoplasia of teeth
50
Which is the most toxic of all the vitamins?
vitamin D
51
What is the consequence of excessive oral intake?
(>50 mg per day) hypercalcaemia - raised plasma calcium
52
Effects of hypercalcaemia
diarrhoea, thirst, anorexia, soft tissue calcification, urinary stone
53
When is peak bone mass reached?
30-35 years
54
What is the recommended daily intake of calcium?
700 mg/d for adults, higher during pregnancy and lactation.
55
What are the main food sources of calcium?
Milk, milk products, cereals, roots and tubers and certain vegetables.
56
What factors influence peak bone mass?
genetics, calcium and vitamin D intake.
57
What percentage of dietary calcium is absorbed?
10 to 30%
58
What factors decrease calcium absorption?
* Vitamin D deficiency * Phytates (in fiber) * Large calcium load
59
What factors increase calcium absorption?
* Lactose * Casein peptides (from milk) * Increased needs (e.g., pregnancy, lactation, growth) * Small calcium load
60
What health issues are associated with calcium deficiency?
* Severe malnutrition * Lack of vitamin D (rickets, osteomalacia) * Osteoporosis
61
What is peak bone mass?
stage at which bone is strongest
62
What is magnesium's role in the body?
* constituent of bone & soft tissues *cation in cells *cellular respiration/energy production * Helps enzymes catalyse phosphate transport *carbohydrate & protein metabolism * Utilization of fat * Mobilization of calcium from bone *Binds mRNA *synthesis/degradation of DNA
63
What percentage of Mg is found as phosphates and carbonates in bone?
60%
64
List some food sources of magnesium.
* Whole grains * Nuts * Soybeans * Green leafy vegetables
65
What factors interfere with magnesium absorption?
High intakes of calcium, phosphorus and lactose
66
What portion of ingested Mg is absorbed?
1/3
67
Where is Mg stored?
bone
68
How is Mg removed?
urine and faeces
69
What tooth structures contain Mg?
enamel and dentine
70
Effect of Mg deficiency
increases dental caries
71
What is phosphorus primarily combined with in the body?
Calcium to form teeth and bones (80-90% of phosphorous)
72
What percentage of ingested phosphorous is absorbed?
50-70%
73
List some food sources of phosphorus.
* Animal foods * Nuts * Legumes * Whole grain cereals
74
What is the effect of phosphorous deficiency?
increased bone loss and porosity, decreased bone mineral
75
What are the potential effects of excessive phosphorus intake?
Calcification of kidneys, tendons, heart, thoracic aorta
76
What is the ionic form of fluorine?
Fluoride
77
Properties of fluoride
soluble, rapidly absorbed (50% after 30 min)
78
How is fluoride distributed?
ECF and small amounts in blood/tissues bound to albumin
79
How is fluoride excreted?
through kidneys
80
Which mineral reduces the absorption of fluoride?
Calcium
81
What beneficial role of fluoride in the body?
Forms calcium fluorapatite in teeth and bones, cariostatic action
82
What is the consequence of fluoride deficiency?
increased risk of dental caries

BDS1 (108 decks)

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