Vitamins and Minerals

1. Vitamins and Minerals PowerPoint originally prepared by Shanta Adeeb

2. The Nature of Vitamins • Vitamins are organic compounds needed for normal function, growth and maintenance • Cofactors, not energy

3. The Nature of Vitamins • Organic cofactors • Physiological role • Prevents disease (?optimal health?) • Natural = Synthetic (except Vitamin E)

4. For “nutrition” in general • Nutritional Value lost by: • Light • Heat • Oxidation • Bacteria • Enzymes • Insects

5. The Nature of Vitamins • FOOD PROCESSING PRESERVES NUTRIENTS • Example: Milk

6. Vitamin Requirements • Daily Values (DV): standard nutrient intake values developed by FDA • Includes DRIs and DRVs • Disease prevention • Best met through a consumption of a wide variety of foods

7. Vitamin Requirements • Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI): recommendation for individuals • Age • Gender • Pregnancy • Lactation

8. Vitamin Requirements • Daily Reference Values (DRV): standards established for protein and other dietary components lacking a RDA or nutrient standard • Constitute part of the Daily Values used on food labeling

9. Dietary Supplements • They are classified as “Nutritional Supplements” They are not foods, and not drugs* • Supplements are “Product intended to supplement the diet and contains vitamins, minerals, botanicals, amino acids, and their extracts” • NOT consumed as a food replacement • Loosely regulated, “not evaluated by FDA” *By definition a “drug” is used to “prevent, treat or cure” disease.

10. Fat Soluble Vitamins • A – orange, carotenoids, vision, antioxidant- used as color and antioxidant • D – we make it with sunlight, rickets, milk, Ca:P ratios • E – tocopherols, antioxidants, role in preventing stroke, cancer, heart disease- used as antioxidant • K – contributes to blood clotting factor

11. Vitamin A

12. Vitamin A • Used in food industry as a colorant (orange) • Antioxidant • Stored in liver • Important for sight • Deficiency causes ~500,000 cases of “night blindness” worldwide • Genetically engineered rice with high Vitamin A can prevent night blindness • Carrotenosis

13. Vitamin D • Also known as calciferol due to its role in calcium absorption • Main role is to maintain calcium and potassium levels • Only fat soluble vitamin we can make in the presence of sunlight • Can be made from cholesterol

14. Vitamin D • Can be stored in fat tissues • Elderly and shut ins are at risk • We get it form fortified milk and cereal • Toxicity is very dangerous • Occurs only from excess supplementation • Can lead to calcium deposits in kidneys, heart and blood vessels

15. Vitamin D

16. Vitamin E • A family of eight naturally occurring compounds • Used as an anti-oxidant in foods • Since aging is considered an “oxidation” reaction, many “anti-oxidants” are used as dietary supplements • Deficiencies are not well understood • Role is stroke, cancer, heart, and immune response • Americans spend $300 million per year on vitamin E supplements

17. Vitamin K • Contributes to synthesis of seven blood clotting factors • Can be reactivated to continue biological action • Works as a cofactor for an enzyme that makes two bone proteins

18. Water Soluble Vitamins • Relatively cheap to add to food • Only Vitamin C is used for its functionality

19. Water Soluble Vitamins • B1, thiamine • B2, riboflavin • B6, pyridoxamine • B12 • Biotin • Panothenic acid • Niacin • Folacin • Vitamin C

20. Water Soluble Vitamins • Vitamin B1 • Thiamine • Involved in carbohydrate metabolism • Helps body metabolize glucose, affects central nervous system • Deficiency causes Beri beri (Singlese, “I can’t, I can’t”) • B2- riboflavin • Energy metabolism

21. Water Soluble Vitamins • B6 - Pyridoxamine • Neurotransmitter, co-enzyme in over 100 reactions • B12 – • Development of red blood cells • Hard for vegans to get

22. Water Soluble Vitamins • Biotin – • Involved in fatty acid synthesis • Deficiency causes skin disease and hair loss • Panthothenic acid • Found in many foods • Essential for metabolism of carbohydrates, protein, alcohol and fat

23. Water Soluble Vitamins • Choline • A major component of cell membranes • Folacin = Folate = Folic acid • Deficiency causes neural tube defects • Took Rutgers Professor 20 years for FDA approval. Why?

24. Vitamin C • Ascorbic acid • Very inexpensive to add to food, marketing tool. Antioxidant • Deficiency leads to bleeding gums, hemorrhages • High in citrus fruits, limes, (Limeys)

25. Vitamin C - Scurvy

26. Niacin (B3) • Energy metabolism • Disease – pellagra – The Four D’s • Dermatitis • Diarrhea • Dementia • Death

27. Minerals • Issues • Absorption • Bioavailability

28. Minerals • Percent of Body weight • Calcium 2% • Phosphorus 1% • Potassium 0.3% • Sulfur 0.2% • Sodium 0.1% • Chloride 0.1% • Magnesium 0.05% • Iron 0.04%

29. Minerals • Calcium • 99% is structural • ~25% absorption • Vitamin D aids absorption • 75% is obtained form dairy products • Many products are fortified with it • Built in youth lost in maturity

30. Calcium • Osteoporosis – a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences • 1.5 million fractures each year • 14 billion in direct health cost • 25 million women at risk • DRI women 600 – 800 mg/day National Osteoporosis Foundation www.nof.org

31. Calcium

32. Minerals • Phosphorus • Easily absorbed by the body • Enhanced by Vitamin D • Deficiency are rare • Potassium • A primary electrolyte in blood • Associated with lower blood pressure • Athletes

33. Minerals • Sodium and Chloride • Added during processing • Enhances flavor • We consume 2X of what we need • Excess Sodium can lead to hypertension • High blood pressure

34. Minerals • Sulfur • Necessary for collagen formation • Magnesium • Abundant in plants

35. Minerals • Iron • Most common and easily preventable deficiency • Needed for oxygen absorption, immune function, developmental performance • Poor absorption from plant sources • Low iron causes anemia, especially in menstruating women • Toxicity • 6 – 12 vitamins with 100% will kill a small child (The dose makes the poison.)

36. Fortification vs Enrichment • Fortification - restores lost nutrients due to processing • Enrichment – adds nutritional value to meet a specific standard

37. Enriched Uranium “Enriched Uranium