Unit 20 Flashcards
Vitamins and Your Health
What is the history of Vitamin D deficiency?
1880-1920, 90% of children in parts of Europe and in bostone had rickets (vitamin D deficiency)
industrilization era – smoke from coal-burning fires abosrbed much of the UV portion of sunlight which was needed to produce vitamin D in the skin
1921 - discovered that if you exposed children to UV light, symptoms of rickets disappeared
What is the history of Beri Beri or thiamin deficiency?
1st link made by Japanese doctor who observed symptoms in a Japanese navy crew who only ate polished white rice
Polished white rice – husk, bran and germ removed – strips nutrients
Symptoms: fatigue, together with symptoms affecting cardiovascular, nervous, muscular and GI systems
What is teh history of Pellagra or Niacin deficiency?
- 3 Ds: dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia
- early 1900s – cotton economy failed in southeastern US so people ate corn as a staple
- niacin in corn is tightly bound and not very available for absorption
- 1907-1940 – 3 million cases, 100,000 deaths
What is the leading causes of preventable childhood blindness?
Vitamin A deficiency
What increases the risk of death from common childhood illnesses such as diarrhea?
Vitamin A deficiency
Is night blindness one of the first signs of vitamin A deficiency or too much vitamin A?
deficiency
What is beta-carotene?
precursor to vitamin A found in plant foods
Where can we find beta carotene?
deep orange fruits and veggies, dark green veggies
Does beta carotene have an upper limit?
No, but may turn skin orange
What is retinol? Where is it found?
Pre-formed vitamin A found in animal foods with fat
What type of vitamin A derivative is used in some acne medication? What are some danger os this?
Retinoids
Gangerous for developping fetus
What type of deficiency causes a goiter?
Iodine
What is iodine needed for?
Production of thyroid hormone
What does iodine deficiency cause? Symptoms?
Leads to hypothyroidism
- wight gain
- inability to tolerate cold
- fatigue
What happens if a mother has iodine deficiency during pregnancy?
Child can have intellectual disabilities
What % of the worlds population remains at risk for iodine deficiency?
30%
What are the water soluble vitamins?
B an C
What occurs with water soluble vitamins?
They ‘wash out’ of body in one to several days
What is the exception to the ‘washing out’ of water soluble vitamins?
B12 - can be stored for up to one year in the liver
Are water soluble vitamins safe in high doses?
No, B6, niacin and C are toxic in high does and megadoses stress the kidney
What vitamins are easily destroyed during food storage and preperation?
Water soluble vitamins
What are 4 ways we can minimize nutrient losses?
- refrigerate fruits and veggies
- reduce contact with air to minimize oxidation
- wash fruits and veggies before cutting
- steam or stir fry to minimize ccoking losses. avoid high temperatures for long time
What is the synthetic form of folate?
Folic acid
Where can we find folate or folic acid?
- leafy greens
- legumes
- lentils
- fortified grain products
What is our most common food source of folate?
Enriched or fortified food products
Is natural or synthetic folic acid more bioavailable?
Synthetic folic acid – we absorb it better
What does lack of folate reduce?
DNA stability
How does folate difeiciency induce and accelerates carcinogenesis?
structure of cells genetic material becomes disrupted -> accumulate abnormalities -> cancer
How does folate deficiency affect heart health?
Lack of folate causes homocystein to accumulate in blood –> leads to heart attacks and strokes
How does folate deficiency affect fetal health?
Causes neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly (portion of brian and scull missing)
What is the recommended folate intake for females? Pregnant females? Previous neural tube defect?
Females - 400 ug
Pregnant - 600 ug
Previous neural tube defect - 4 mg
How does vitamin C work as an antioxidant?
proctects tissues from oxidative stress caused by free radical by neutralizing the free radicals
What are free radicals?
free radicals are produced in response to normal metabolism using oxygen, UV radiation, air pollution, tobacco smoke. They are misisng an electron and so try to take electrons from cells damaging cell membranes
What does oxidative stress increase the risk of?
risk of cancer, heart disease, arthritis
Vitamin C is a cofactor in what?
collagen formation (helps form)
What is a major symptom of vitamin C deficiency?
hemmorhage or bleeding – bruising
What vitamin does the adrenal gland contain more than any other vitamin?
vitamin C
What does vitamin C have to do with stress?
Vitamin C is released with stress hormones during stress reactions
Vitamin C
What are some example of stresses?
- infections
- burns
- toxic heavy metals
- chronic aspirin
- sedatives (barbiturates
- oral contraceptives
- smoking
How much vitamin C do females, males and smokers need?
Males - 90 mg/d
Females - 75 mg/d
Smokers - +35 mg/d
What is vitamin C’s role in the common cold?
- 1 g/day of vitamin C led to 1 day shorter cold and reduced severity of symptoms by 23%
- vitamin C reduces blood histamin but only at a does of 2g daily for 2 weeks
What dose of vitamin C reduces blood histamine?
2 g daily for 2 weeks
What much vitamin C does the body need to prevent scurvy?
10 mg
What does excess vitamin C cause?
- nausea
- diarrhea
- abdominal cramps
- ## excessive gas
What 3 things is vitamin D important for?
- bone growth
- cancer
- multiple sclerosis; rheumatoid arthritis
Does vitamin D increase or decrease blood concentrations of Ca and phosphorus?
increase
How does vitamin D increase blood concentrations of Ca and phosphorus?
- increases absorption from intestine
- increases absorption from kidneys
- mobilization from bones into blood
What type of cancer has increased vitamin D intakem shown to reduce?
- breast
- prostate
- colon
Living higher than what latitude increase MS risk >100%?
37 degrees
What intake of vitamin D decreases MS and RA risk by 40%?
400 IU
What is the suggested daily sunlight time in the summer with forearms and lower legs exposed to produce sufficient vitamin D?
9 minutes, 25 for darker pigments
What food sources can we get vitamin D from? What is our most reliable source?
- fortified dairy foods (milk is most reliable source)
- fortified margarine
- fish oils
- egg yolk
How long does majority of Canada have no vitamin D production?
6 months
What latitude has 4 months with no vitamin D production?
40 degrees
Where/when do we see reduced vitamin D production?
- 70 years and older - production falls to 30% of younger adults
- institutionalized indivuals at higher risk
- sunscreen - reduces or blockes vitamin D synthesis but not completely
What is the DRI for adults? >70?
Adults - 600 IU
>70 - 800 IU
What food have the highes amount of vitamin D?
fish/fish oils
