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