Know your vitamins

General

100

What is the purpose of vitamins?

Help the body use energy, build tissue, and maintain overall health

200

What are organic and essential vitamins?

Organic- come from living substances

Essential- body can’t make them

Needed in small amounts

300

How are they measured?

In Mg, Mcg, or International Units

International Units-measures the potency of a drug

400

What are Antioxidants?

Reduce damage by free radicals 

Prevent deficiency diseases

Carrots, garlic,lemon, walnuts, green tea, turmeric

500

What are free radicals?

UV light

Air pollution

Ionizing radiation

Smoking

Metabolism

Inflammation

Solubility

100

What are fat soluble vitamins

A, D, E, K

200

Water Soluble Vitamins

C, H

B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12

300

Where are fat soluble vit stored?

Do not dissolve in H2)

Stored in the liver and adipose tissue

Storage increases risk to reach toxic level

400

How long does it take for a deficiency to present?

Can be months to years for a fat soluble vit deficiency to present itself

500

Digestion and Fat Soluble Vits

Require bile to be emulsified prior to digestion

People with fat digestion disorders may develop fat soluble vitamin deficiencies

Vitamins

100

Vit A Purpose

Retinol

Purpose: Vision

Bone Growth

Epithelial Tissue-lines organs/passageways

ANTIOXIDANT

200

Vit A Sources

Liver

Fish Liver Oils

Organ Meats

Yellow, Orange, Red fruits and veggies

300

Vit A Deficiency

Night Blindness

400

Vit A Excess

Liver Failure

Fetal Malformations

Carotenemia

500

Vulnerable Population of Vit A Deficiency 

Chronic Kidney disease

Acute Protein deficiency

Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes

Vitamin D

100

Purpose

Bone Metabolism

200

Sources

Sunglight

Oily Fish

Mushrooms

Milk

Sunlight is key! Needs to be absorbed through the skin

300

Deficiency

Children-Rickets

Adults- Osteoporosis 

400

Excess

Unlikely

Anorexia, N/V

Calcium deposits in Heart, kidney, brain

500

Vulnerable populations to have a deficiency

Insufficient sunlight exposure

Obese individuals

Breastfeed only babies w/o supplements

Vit E/K

100

Vitamin E (Tocopherol) 

Purpose and Sources

Protect integrity of cell membranes, antioxidant

Sources: sunflower and safflower oils, nuts

200

Vit E Deficiency/Excess 

Deficiency: Neuropathy, Ataxia, Retionpathy

Excess: Gi Symptoms, Bleeding ( Vit K)

300

Vulnerable populations of Vit E Deficiency

Premature Infants

Cystic Fibrosis (fat malabsorption)

400

Vit K Purpose and Sources

P: blood clotting, antidote for Coumadin, Bone Metabolism 

S: intestinal synthesis, green leafy vegetables

Intestinal bacteria produces Vit K that out bodies can absorb and utilize

500

Vit K Deficiency/ Excess

Vulnerable populations

To Little: Bleeding

To much: interferes with anticoagulant effect of coumadin

Vulnerable: Newborns (no bacteria in GI System)

Adults who avoid green leafy vegetables

Long-term antibiotic therapy