Vitamins Flashcards
Where do some vitamins get activate?
Small intestine
Who are some people that are at risk for vitamin deficiency?
Alcoholic , weight concious athlete, digestion or absorption problem, and elderly
What is preliminary vitamin deficiency?
Inadequate intake due to change in diet or need
What is biochemical vitamin deficiency?
There is a decrease in the blood supply it is evident in tissue tests
What is physiological vitamin deficiency?
Nonspecific symptoms like fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite
What is clinical vitamin deficiency?
Specific symptoms such as night blindness for vitamin A
How can we lost vitamins from cooking?
If we boil vegetables too long we lose the water soluble vitamins
What are the functions of vitamins ?
Energy production, tissue synthesis And maintenance, digestion and absorption, and antioxidant vitamins serve as free radical scavengers
What are free radicals and how do we fix it?
Free radicals can pick up or dump electrons, they can cause damage to membranes, DNA which causes cancer, and LDL cholesterol oxidation. We use antioxidant vitamins to react with them so they don’t cause as much damage
What are some antioxidants?
Vitamin C, vitamin E, Beta carotene , selenium these MINIMIZE BUT NOT PREVENT FREE RADICALS
What are the aspects of the body that vitamin A helps?
Eyes= retinol in dairy and animal products (rhodopsin is in orange vegetables). Also protein synthesis in bones, teeth, epithelial cells
What vitamin is beta carotene a part of and what is it?
Vitamin A- it is a pro vitamin A antioxidant. This is why it’s okay to not get a lot of vitamin A if we at least get all our beta carotene
What is the active form of vitamin D
Calciferol
Where do we get vitamin D from and how is it activated?
We get vitamin D mostly from animals but sometimes from plants. It is activated by sunlight . (If we don’t get enough activated vitamin D in winter we could get seasonal depression )
What is the function of vitamin D? What happens if it reaches a toxic level?
Calcium and phosphorus absorption which is good for bone density -if it gets to a toxic level there is calcification of organs such as kidneys, lungs, arteries
What is the activated form of vitamin E and where do we get it?
Alpha-tocopherol. We find it in oils and nuts. Sometimes in fatty foods