Vitamins and Minerals Flashcards
What are vitamins?
- Substances that the body requires to be able to carry out metabolic reactions.
- Body cannot synthesize enough to meet requirements.
- Must be obtained from animals and vegetable tissues through food.
What are Minerals?
- Naturally occurring inorganic substances, exists within the body.
- Important for normal bodily functioning
- Gained through diet to maintain levels to sustain bodily functions.
- Some are electrolytes that carry electrical charge when dissolved in fluid/ water
What can deficiency in vitamins and minerals cause?
Increased risk of health problems such as anemia, osteoporosis, arrythmias.
What are the therapeutic actions of Vitamins & Minerals?
- Facilitate the functioning of the human body.
- Build bones, make hormones, regulate fluid volume, generate nerve action potentials & produce RBC’s
What is the easiest way to ensure that we are getting enough vitamins and minerals?
Through a balanced diet.
What mineral is involved in bone density?
Calcium
What is folic acid involved in?
RBC production.
What does iodine help produce?
Thyroid Hormone
What does Sodium help maintain?
Fluid volume.
Name 3 minerals that we need to be able to use our muscles.
Sodium, Potassium and Calcium.
What is the main reason we give Vitamin and Minerals to patients?
Deficiency that has not been able to be met though diet alone.
Why are pregnant women prescribed prenatal vitamins?
A deficiency of Folic Acid in the firs trimester is linked to neural tube defects.
Why would we give vitamins and minerals to a person through medication?
Deficiency and nor able to reach adequate lvls through diet alone .
What would contraindicate giving vitamins & minerals to a patient?
- Allergy to the drug or colorants, additives or preservatives.
- Deficiency has not been found.
- Levels are already high in the blood.
What are some known adverse reactions that may happen when a person is taken vitamin/ mineral supplements?
GI upset
Are there any DDI’s to vitamin/mineral supplements, and if so, what are they?
- Fat soluble vitamins may not be absorbed when given with mineral oil, cholestyramine or colestipol.
- Potassium and Potassium sparing diuretics may lead to hyperkalemia.
- Antibiotics and Iron may become less effective if given with magnesium and calcium supplements.
What could happen is you give Tums and Iron supplements at the same time?
I could hinder the absorption of the iron because the calcium in tums will bind to the iron which will not allow for it to be absorbed.
What happens when we take Magnesium and Antibiotics at the same time?
Magnesium will bind to the antibiotics and prevent absorption of the medication.
For our daily intake, would we require more daily intake of vitamins or minerals?
Minerals.
What are the vitamins that we need to know?
●Ascorbic acid
●Calcifediol
●Cholecalciferol
●Cyanocobalamin
●Ergocalciferol
●Niacin
●Phytonadione
●Thiamine
●Vitamin A
●Vitamin E
Explain water soluble vitamins.
- Dissolve in water
- Easily excreted in urine
- Daily intake needed - Vitamin B complex & Vitamin C
Explain fat soluble vitamins.
- Dissolve in fat
- Stored in liver & daily intake not necessary
- A, D, E, K
What would be the indication for giving a patient Vitamin A supplements?
- Deficiency and malnutrition
- For support of wound healing
What does vitamin A help support?
Promotes cell growth
Collagen production
Immune function
Inflammation control
Blood vessel formation.
What are some S&S of vitamin A deficiency?
- Night blindness & vision problems
- Increases susceptibility to infections.
- Dry skin
- Dry eyes
- Impaired wound healing
What are the S&S of Hypervitaminosis A (Vitamin A toxicity) ?
- Mouth ulcers
- Cracked fingernails
- Bone pain
- Loss of appetite
- Cracked corners of the mouth
- Blurry vision / vision changes
- Dizziness
- Severe permanent liver damage
- CNS effects
- GI effects
Name some foods that are high in Vitamin A?
Dairy, Egg yolks, leafy green vegetables and fruits.
What would indicate the need to give a patient Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C) ?
- Deficiency (scurvy is severe deficiency)
- Enhances PO iron absorption
- Wound healing
What are some food that contain Vitamin C?
Vegetables, Fruit & Liver.
What are some S&S for Ascorbic acid/ vitamin C deficiency?
- Bleeding , nose bleed & bleeding gums & Gingivitis- tooth loss.
- Fatigue
- Joint pain
- Poor wound healing
- Hair loss
- delayed healing
With Vitamin C deficiency, what is the reason we experience hair loss, nosebleeds and easy bruising?
The loss of collagen.
Define Mega dose.
Significantly larger than recommended amount of a nutrient which may increase the excretion of oxalate the the urine, which may combine with calcium to form kidney stones.
What happens when vitamin C is given with Iron?
Increases Iron absorption.
What is Scurvy?
Scurvy is a disease caused by a severe deficiency of vitamin C in the diet. Early symptoms of scurvy include: weakness and sore arms and legs
What is Vitamin C essential for?
Collagen Synthesis
immune function
Wound healing
Antioxidant to protect cells from damage
Are there any adverse drug reactions with administering Vitamin C to a patient?
Kidney stones w/ mega doses.
What would indicate the need to give a patient Calcifediol, Cholecalciferol, Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D)
Deficiency & malnutrition
How come vitamin D has such a large factor in bone health?
It increases the absorption of calcium and phosphorous from the intestines, which is what gives bones their strength.
Whare are some signs of Vitamin D deficiency?
- Rickets - Bones are soft an weak (mostly pediatric)
- Osteomalacia - In adults. Soft bones due to mineral deficiencies
- Osteoporosis - Thinning of bones that lose density and become brittle.
- Tetany - Decreased calcium in the blood which is involved in muscle contraction.
What are the S&S associated with Rickets?
Bowed legs, delayed growth & skeletal deformities due to impaired bone mineralization.
What can happen if a patient is experiencing Hypervitaminosis D ( Too much vitamin D)
- Fatigue
- loss of appetite
- weight loss
- excessive thirst
- excessive urination
- dehydration - high calcium levels causes kidneys to excrete more water to balance excess calcium.
- constipation
- irritability
- nervousness
What are some food sources of Vitamin D?
Dairy, cereal, butter, eggs and fish.
What is another name for Cyanocobalamin?
Vitamin B12
What is B12 essential for?
RBC formation, Nerve health and DNA synthesis.
What are the indications for giving a patient Cyanocobalamin/ Vitamin B12?
- Pernicious anemia
- Deficiency and malnutrition
- ETOH (alcohol damages liver and ability to store and release B12)
- Malabsorption syndrome
- Vegan diet
- Prolonged use of PPIs or H2 blockers