Vitamins

Question 1

Vitamin A (Retinol):
What sort of vitamin is it? (SOLUBLE)
Sources (4)

Deficiency symptoms (3)

What does retinol allow you to produce?

Excess symptoms (3)
What should pregnant women not eat?

Answer 1

Fat soluble

Cheese, oily fish, fortified margarine. eggs.

Poor dim light vision - night blindness - total blindness

Visual purple

Toxic. Birth defects, miscarriage, still birth

Liver

Question 2

Vitamin A (Carotene):

What sort of vitamin is it? (SOLUBLE)
What does it do?
Deficiency symptoms? (2)

What can it be converted into?
Excess?

Sources? (3)

Answer 2

Fat soluble

Antioxodant. Prevents free radical damage.

Increased risk of CHD & Cancer

Retinol equivalent

None

Carrots, broccoli, nectarines

Question 3

Vitamin D:
What sort of vitamin is it? (SOLUBLE)

What does it do?

Sources? (4)

Deficiency? Symptoms?

Excess?

Answer 3

Fat soluble

Help absorb and deposit calcium

Sunlight, oily fish, eggs, fortified margarine.

Rickets/osteomalacia. Bone pain & weak bones

Weak bones, kidney & gall stones

Question 4

Vitamin B1:

What sort of vitamin is it? (SOLUBLE)
What does it do? (3)

Sources? (4)
Deficiency Symptoms (3)
Excess?

Answer 4

Water soluble

Release carbohydrate energy. Growth. Maintain nerves.

Fortified cereals, meat, potatoes, pulses.

Tiredness & lethargy. Stunted growth.

Removed in urine

Question 5

Vitamin B12:

What sort of vitamin is it? (SOLUBLE)
What does it do?
Sources (4)
Deficiency & symptoms (4)

Excess?

Answer 5

Water soluble

Forms healthy red blood cells

Fortified cereals, milks, eggs & liver (animal foods)

Pernicious anaemia.

Tiredness, breathlessness, pale skin, listlessness.

Removed in urine

Question 6

What is folate found in?

What is folic acid found in?

Answer 6

Food

Supplement

Question 7

Folate/Folic Acid:
What does it do? (3)
Sources (4)

Deficiency symptoms (3)
Excess?

In pregnancy, when do you take it?

Answer 7

Normal growth. Form red blood cells. No spina bifida.

Fortified cereals, pulses, oranges, dairy.

Stunted growth. Megaloblastic anaemia. Spina bifida.

None

400 ug folic acid 3 months before conception and 3 into pregnancy

Question 8

Vitamin C:
What sort of vitamin is it? (SOLUBLE)

What does it do? (4)
Sources (4)
Deficiency (2) & symptoms (2 each)

Excess (2)

Answer 8

Water soluble

Absorb non-haem iron. Healthy connective tissue. Antioxidant. Anti-infective.

Red peppers, citrus, kiwi, broccoli.

Iron deficiency anaemia (Tired, susceptible to colds)

Scurvy (bleeding gums, wounds not healing)
Diarrhoea & intestinal cramps