Unit 5 Vitamins Flashcards
What are the two classes of vitamins?
- Fat-soluble vitamins
- Water-soluble vitamins
What are the 4 Fat-soluble vitamins?
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
What are the 5 characteristics of Fat-soluble vitamins?
- Absorption - first into the lymph then into the blood. Require bile for absorption. Dissolve in lipid
- Transport and storage
- must travel with a protein carrier in watery fluids
- stored in liver or fatty tissue - Excretion - not readily excreted, builds up in tissues
- Toxicity - TOXIC likely from supplements but rarely from food - dietary flexibility because body takes what it needs
- Requirement - need weekly or monthly depending on body stores
What are the 5 characteristics of Water-soluble vitamins?
- Absorption- directly into blood
- Transport and storage
- travel freely in watery fluids
- most not stored in body - Excretion - readily excreted in urine
- Toxicity- unlikely. but CAN happen with high dose supplements
- Requirement- need frequently because body does not store most to any extent
What are the 9 Water-soluble vitamins?
Riboflavin
. Niacin
. Pantothenic acid
. Biotin
. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
. Thiamin
. Folate (folic acid)
. Vitamin C
. Vitamin B12
Are vitamins organic or inorganic?
Organic compounds vital to life
What are 3 characteristics of vitamins ?
- amounts
- caloric value
- essential/nonessential
minute amounts
non-caloric
essential nutrients
What is the function of vitamins ?
-They assist enzymes that help release energy from carbs, fat and proteins
-They do not yield energy when metabolized
What is a precursor?
a provitamin that is converted to active form when in the body
Vitamin A
-Functions
- Deficiency
- Toxicity
- Food
Functions
- gene expression
- vision - clear cornia, light, pigment
- cell differentiation - skin
- reproduction and growth
- immunity
Deficiency
- stores 1 year supply - takes a year to show up
- developing countries
- blindness in kids - “Xerophthalmia”
Toxicity
- supplements and fortified foods
- weakens bones- affects kids most
- contributes to hip fractures
- Teratogenic
- Beta carotene is not converted efficiently enough to retinal to cause toxicity
Food
Retinol: Dairy, eggs, liver - only animal
Beta Carotene- spinach, dark leafy greens, broccoli. Orange fruit and veggies
What 3 things is Vitamin A converted to?
Retinol - stored in liver and converts to:
- Retinal
- Retinoic acid (as needed)
b-carotene
converted to vitamin A
a precursor
12ug = 1ug retinol
*too much is bad for smokers
Vitamin D (cholecalciferol)
-Functions
- Deficiency
- Toxicity
- Food
Function
- hormone
- regulates blood calcium (helps absorb it) and phosphorus levels
- Bone integrity
Deficiency
- rickets
-osteomalacia (kids & adults) (softening of bones)
Toxicity
- increase blood calcium and cause kidney stones
- calcification of blood vessels
Foods
- Eggs, liver, some fatty fish
- fortified milk
- fortified margarine
Vitamin E (tocopherol)
- Functions
- Deficiency
- Toxicity
- Food
Function
- Alpha is the gold standard
- DRI is alpha-tocopherol
- main antioxidant for RBC and lungs b/c concentrated O2 there
Deficiency
- rare
- in lots of foods
- body stores it in fatty tissue
- cells recycle vit E
-erythrocyte hememolysis - RBC rupture
Toxicity
- rare
- could happen from suppliments/ fortified food
Food
- veggie oils
- veggies and fruit
- fortified cereals/grains
- meat & alt
- milk + products
- heat destroys vitamin E - fast food etc
What Vitamin is the most potentially toxic?
Vitamin D - from supplements
Which vitamin is the best antioxidant?
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
- Functions
- Deficiency
- Toxicity
- Food
Function
- important for blood clotting
- bone protein synthesis
Deficiency
-Newborns
- need vit K shot - prevent hemorrhage b/c they don’t have vitamin k producing bacteria yet
Toxicity
- rare
- Warfarin antidote
Food
- intestinal bacteria as a source
- Green veggies
- leafy veggies
- veggie oils
Thiamin (vitamin)
- Functions
- Deficiency
- Toxicity
- Food
Function
- critical role in energy metabolism of all cells
- muscles and nerves depend heavily on thiamin
Deficiency
- Beriberi (edema or muscle wasting )
- anorexia & weight loss
- neurological issues
- Wernicke-Korskaoff syndrome - those who abuse alcohol
Toxicity
none
Foods - fortified & enriched
-Whole grain
-pork
Riboflavin (Vitamin)
- Functions
- Deficiency
- Toxicity
- Food
Function
- part of coenzymes used in energy metabolism
- vision
- skin health
Deficiency
- inflammation of mouth, skin, eyelids
- ariboflavinosis
Toxic
none
Foods
- milk products
- enriched/fortified whole-grain
Niacin
- Functions
- Deficiency
- Toxicity
- Food
Function
- part of coenzyme used in energy metabolism
- Tryptophan amino acid can be converted to niacin in body
Deficiency
- Pellagra (diarrhea, dermatitis, dementia)
toxic
- niacin flush
-liver damage
-impaired glucose tolerance
Food
- Milk
-Eggs
-Meat/poultry/fish
- While grain & enriched breads
(not corn)
Biotin
- Functions
- Deficiency
- Toxicity
- Food
Function
- part of coenzyme used in energy metabolism
Deficiency
- Skin rash
- hair loss
- neuro issues
toxic
none
Foods
-in lots
-GI bacteria synthesis
Pantothenic acid
- Functions
- Deficiency
- Toxicity
- Food
function
- part of coenzyme used in energy metabolism
Deficiency
- Digestive issues
- neuro issues
toxic
none
Food
- in lots of food
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
- Functions
- Deficiency
- Toxicity
- Food
functions
-part of coenzymes used in amino acid & fatty acid metabolism
- over 100 reactions in body tissues
Deficiency
- Scaly dermatitis
- depression
- confusion
- convulsions
- anemia
Toxicity
-nerve degeneration
-skin lesions
foods
- meat/fish/poultry
- legumes
-non-citrus fruit
- fortified cereals
- liver
- soy
Folate (Folic acid)
- F
- D
- T
- F
function
- cell division
- Cells that divide rapidly are most vulnerable to deficiency
deficiency
- anemia
- neural tube defects
Toxicity
- folate can mask Vitamin B12 deficiency by resolving the macrocytic anemia seen in both folate and B12 deficiency
Foods
- fortified grains
- leafy green veggies
-legumes
-seeds
- liver
Which cells are most vulnerable to deficiency?
Cells that divide rapidly
Which 2 vitamin deficiencies cause anemia?
Folate
B12
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)
FDTF
Function
-required to activate folate to allow it to play its role in cell division
- helps to maintain the myelin sheath that surround and protect nerve fibres
- coenzyme in energy and amino acid metabolism
Deficiency
-neuromuscular dysfunction, such as creeping paralysis and general malfunctioning of nerves and muscles
- B12 deficiency looks like anemia from folate deficiency - pernicious anemia (lacks intrinsic factor)
Toxicity
none
Foods
-animals
- milk products
- fortified cereals
Which 2 water soluble vitamins are closely related due to dependency on each other?
Folate
Vitamin B12
what does B12 require for absorption?
-requires an intrinsic factor (IF) for absorption, a compound that is made by the stomach
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
FDTF
function
- maintaining the connective tissues and as an antioxidant
deficiency
- Scurvy caused by the breakdown of collagen
Toxicity
-diarrhea
- Gi distress
Food
-fruits & veggies
- can be damaged by heat
What is Scurvy?
breakdown of collagen due to vitamin C deficiency
- bleeding gums
- pinpoint hemorrhages
- abnormal bone growth
- joint pain
What group of people need more Vitamin C?
Smokers
how is vitamin D made?
-UV light converts cholesterol compound in human skin to vitamin D precursor
- it is absorbed into the blood
- Liver and kidneys finish converting percursor to active Vitamin D
Beriberi
Thiamin deficiency
- loss of feeling in hands, feet
- muscle weakness
- paralysis
- abnormal heart action
Wernicke- Korsakoff syndrome
- in those who abuse alcohol
- alcohol displaces food and impairs absorption of thiamin in digestive tract
- speeds up excretion in the urine
What do physcians administer large doses of as a way to lower blood lipids?
Niacin
What 4 groups are at risk of folate deficiency and why
- pregnant people - affects fetal development
- elderly - meds interact
- Alcoholics - less folate absorption and less eating
- Smokers - folate inactivation in lungs means need more folate
What 3 foods have been fortified with folic acid in Canada?
White flour
enriched pasta
corn meal
Folate can mask which vitamin deficiency?
Vitamin B12
Older people may not be able to absorb vitamin B12 because of their inability to produce what ?
- enough stomach acidity
- intrinsic factor
What vitamin are vegans and vegetarians most at risk of developing deficiency for?
vitamin B12
what foods are fortified with B12?
- Soy beverages and meat alternatives
- Red Star T6635 Yeast
What are phytochemicals
-compounds derived from plants
-have biological activity in the body and may support health beyond traditional nutrients
-help with tastes, aromas colours and other characteristics
What is the safest and most effective source of phytochemicals?
Food - not supplements
What are functional foods
- Whole or modified foods
- demonstrate physiogical benefits
- have the ability to reduce chronic disease risk b/c of phytochemicals they have
What are modified functional foods?
- They have these which have been added to them
- phytochemicals
- nutritens
- other compounds
What is an example of a modified functional food?
foods that have plant sterols added for cholesterol reduction
- margarines
- juices
- yogurt
What do flavinoids do?
- powerful antioxidants
- protect against LDL oxidation
- minimize inflammation
- slow atheroscelorosis
What do Carotenoids do?
- red and yellow pigment
- Vitamin A precursor (b-carotene)
- could help lower risk of heart disease
What do lycopene do?
- red pigment in guava, pink grapefruit, tomatoes , watermelon
- powerful antioxidant activity
These types of supplements are NOT recommended
phytochemical supplements
What meds can interact with plant sterol-enriched food?
Statins
Which precursor should smokers avoid getting too much of
beta- carotine
