Download Vitamin and Mineral Notes

Vitamin and Mineral Notes
Nutrients
That
Regulate
VITAMINS
Vitamins
are organic compounds
essential for life, needed in small
amounts to regulate body
processes.
VITAMIN FUNCTIONS

They assist in releasing energy from food

They assist in tissue maintenance

They assist normal digestion

They assist in infection resistance
VITAMIN FACTS
They
have no calories (cannot be
used for energy)
 Vitamins were named as they
were discovered (alphabetically)
A compound must be essential to
life to humans in order to be
classed as a vitamin
VITAMIN FACTS
There
are 13 known vitamins
 It’s possible that all vitamins
have not been discovered
*There are two classifications
of vitamins; fat soluble and
water soluble
CHARACTERISTICS OF FAT
SOLUBLE VITAMINS
Non-Soluble
(broken down and
stored) in fat (more difficult to
dissolve)
Easily stored in body, can use
emergency reserves if low.
Greater potential for toxicity if
consumed in large quantities.
VITAMINS A, D, E, K
B- Vitamins (riboflavin,
thiamin, niacin, panothenic
acid, folic acid, B-12,and B-6)
Vitamin
C
CHARACTERISTICS OF WATER
SOLUBLE VITAMINS
Soluble..
Easily dissolved by
water.
Not readily stored
Excesses of vitamin are
excreted in urine.
VITAMINS C & B(riboflavin,
thiamin, niacin, panothenic
acid, folic acid, B-12,and B-6)
CHARACTERISTICS OF WATER
SOLUBLE VITAMINS CONT.
Less
potential for toxicity
(too much) since the levels
don’t build up in the body.
More likely to see
deficiencies in these
vitamins (too little)
Must be consumed daily.
Compounds
that are not
vitamins but are converted
into vitamins once
consumed.
Example=
Beta carotene
becomes Vitamin A
Vitamin A
 Blindness in
children,
 Night
Blindness,
 Dry, scaly skin
Vitamin D Deficiency
Without Vitamin
D the bones
cannot absorb
Calcium
Rickets
Osteomalacia
Rickets
Thiamin Deficiency – Beri Beri(B1 Deficiency)
 Weakness/Nerve
damage
 Shaking and
trembling
 Can be caused by
severe alcoholism
(malabsorption)
Niacin Deficiency- B3
The four D’s
• Dry, flaky skin
• Dermatitis
• Dementia
• Death
Symptoms=
Poor appetite, weight
loss and weakness
Vitamin C Deficiency- Scurvy
Vitamin C deficiency is
seen in diets low in
fruits and vegetables.
Symptoms include:
• Tiredness and
weakness
• Bleeding gums
• Burst blood vessels
Scurvy
Folic Acid- Deficiency (Spina Bifida)
 Folic acid is found
in green, leafy
vegetables . Folate
helps to synthesize
DNA . A lack o
folate is associated
with neural tube
birth defects like
spina bifida
Spina Bifida
A
B GROUP
B12
C
Sight,
bone &
teeth
health,
growth &
tissue
repair
Energy,
Metabolism
, cell
growth, &
nervous
system
Nerve
formation
& cell
productio
n
Antioxidan
t, immune
system
health
D
Need to
use
calcium,
healthy
bones &
teeth
E
Tissue
building,
skin
health,
fight
against
disease
K
Energy,
fight
infection,
blood
clotting,
healthy
bones
MINERALS
Mineral
are inorganic elements
needed in tiny amounts to
regulate body processes.
MINERAL FUNCTIONS

Components of the body structure

Regulate acid-base balance in cells

Regulate fluid balance

Assist in many chemical reactions

Promote nerve function and muscle contractions
MINERAL FACTS
They have no calories (cannot be used for energy)
 They are inorganic
 Found on the periodic table of elements
 There are two classifications of minerals: Macro
and Micro minerals
 Macro-minerals or Major minerals are needed in
larger amounts (100 or more milligrams)
 Micro-minerals or trace minerals are needed in
minute amounts (less than 100 milligrams)

Calcium
Phosphorous
Magnesium
Sulfur
Potassium
Chlorine
Iron
Zinc
Iodine
Selenium
Copper
Chromium
Manganese
MINERAL DEFICIENCIES

Inadequate diet can lead to mineral
deficiency, or at least to insufficient
minerals. Some of the more common
deficiencies are: iron deficiency,
iodine deficiency, and calcium
deficiency.
Iron Deficiency (Anemia)
 Iron deficiency anemia occurs
when your body doesn't have
enough iron. Your body needs
iron to make hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin is a substance in
red blood cells that carries
oxygen from the lungs to the
cells throughout the body.
Without enough iron, the body
produces fewer and smaller
red blood cells. As a result, less
hemoglobin is available, and
your body’s cells do not get
enough oxygen..
Iodine Deficiency
 Iodine is needed by the
thyroid gland for
healthy functioning.
Lack of iodine can lead
to goitre, a swollen
neck due to a swollen
thyroid gland.
However, iodine
deficiency is much less
common in
industrialized nations
due to the addition of
iodine to table salt.
Goiters
Goiters
Calcium Deficiency
 A deficiency of the
mineral calcium in the
diet. Calcium is essential
for maintaining healthy
bones and teeth but the
body also uses calcium
in other parts of the
body such as in nerve
and muscle functioning
and blood clotting.
Insufficient calcium can
lead to osteoporosis in
the elderly as well as a
number of other
conditions.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
Caused by too
much sodium
coupled with
and a high fat
(saturated fat)
high cholesterol
diet
Mineral Value of Food
 Mineral content of plant
sources depends on soil,
water, etc. Most minerals
in grains are located in
the outer layers of the
grain kernel. Processing
foods tends to decrease
the mineral value of
food.
 The most concentrated
food sources of minerals
are meat, fish & poultry.
Factors Affecting Mineral Absorption
 You only absorb about ½ of the minerals you actually





consume.
Unabsorbed minerals are excreted with body waste.
An excess of some minerals can hinder absorption of
others. Ex. Excess Zinc can hinder Iron & Copper.
Some vitamins can promote absorption. Ex. Vitamin D
helps with Calcium absorption.
Drugs & caffeine also affect the availability of minerals.
You need more minerals during pregnancy & growth
spurts.