Download Vitamins

Vitamins
Vitamins are organic compounds that help
with our growth and maintenance.
Unlike fats, proteins, and carbs, vitamins do
not provide a source of calories or energy.
Vitamins
Vitamins fall into two categories
Fat Soluble
Water Soluble
Vitamin A
All “B” Vitamins
Vitamin D
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
Fat soluble vitamins are easier to overdose than water soluble vitamins. This is
because fat soluble vitamins can be easily stored in your liver and fat tissue, while
excess water soluble vitamins are excreted out of your body.
Vitamin A
Stored in the liver, vitamin A is needed to form the molecule
retinal in the body. Retinal is the molecule needed to
capture light photons, which allows animals to see.
Vitamin A
Retinal
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is commonly found in
yellow, orange, and dark
green vegetables.
Excessive vitamin A
consumption can lead to
carotenosis.
Some parts of animals, like
polar bear livers, are unsafe
to eat because of the high
concentration of vitamin A
stored there!
Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps bones absorb calcium and comes in
several forms, the most common being D3, also known as
cholecalciferol.
Vitamin D
Naturally, vitamin D is often found in fish oils and eggs.
The food industry also adds vitamin D to foods such as
milk. Furthermore, your skin can synthesize vitamin D3
from cholesterol.
UVB
Radiation
7-dehydroxycholesterol
Vitamin D3
Vitamin D
Overdoses of vitamin D can disrupt your body’s ability to
maintain calcium homeostasis, which can lead to kidney
damage and kidney stones.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E defends your body against free radicals and
protects your cell membranes. In other words, vitamin E
is an anti-oxidant.
Vitamin E
In terms of food sources,
vitamin E is found in
many oils (such as
sunflower and palm oils)
as well as many leafy
greens.
Chronic overdoses of
vitamin E can lead to
internal bleeding, or
hemorrhaging.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K (one form shown below) helps form blood clotting
factors. Deficiencies of this vitamin affect your body’s
ability to self-clot wounds.
Vitamin K
In foods, vitamin D can be found in leafy greens (notice a
trend with this?). In addition, bacteria in your gut, namely
E-coli, also produce vitamin K for your body to absorb as
they process the remaining chyme in your digestive tract.
Produces
The B Vitamins
Used to be thought that there was only a single vitamin B
molecule. Now “vitamin B” is considered to be the name of a
family of water-soluble molecules with important use in cell
metabolism.
Grains, nuts, and meats are common natural sources of B
vitamins
Vitamin B Type
Common Name
B1
Thiamin
B2
Riboflavin
B3
Niacin
B5
Panthothenic Acid
B6
Pyridoxine
B7
Biotin
B9
Folic Acid
B12
Cobalamin
The B Vitamins
In general, the B vitamins assist in carbohydrate and fatty
acid metabolism (remember these?)
Glycolysis
Pyruvate + NADH
Glucose
Creates ATP
B3
Undergo BetaOxidation
Converted to
Acetyl-CoA
Enters the Electron
Transport Chain
B5
Broken Down into
Free Fatty Acids
Triglycerides
Enters the
Krebs Cycle
Releases
Carbon Dioxide
B2
NADH and
FADH
Vitamin C
Known as ascorbic acid,
vitamin C is also an
antioxidant. Vitamin C also
promotes connective tissue
formation, steroid
synthesis, and iron
absorption.
The most common sources of
vitamin C are in citrus
fruits. Keep in mind that
one citrus fruit likely
contains more than 100%
of your daily requirement
for vitamin C.
Vitamin C
There is also a misconception
that excess amounts of
vitamin C can prevent/treat
colds. This is not
supported by scientific
data.
Remember, vitamin C is a
water soluble vitamin.
Meaning if you take in
excess of what you need,
your body simply gets rid of
the excess!