Vitamins and Minerals

1. Vitamins and Minerals

2. The Nature of Vitamins • Vitamins are organic (carbon) compounds needed for normal function, growth and maintenance. • Vitamins are cofactors, they don’t do anything by themselves. • They are not a source of calories.

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

4. Dietary Supplements $6 Billion Market • 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 definitiona “drug” is used to “prevent, treat or cure” disease. These terms cannot be used with supplements. Use of some supplements is backed by scientific data.

5. Fat Soluble Vitamins • A – orange, helps vision, antioxidant- used as color and antioxidant • D – we make it with sunlight, deficiency causes rickets, in milk, regulates Calcium:Potassium ratios • E – antioxidants, role in preventing stroke, cancer, heart disease- used as antioxidant • K – contributes to blood clotting factor

6. Vitamin A • 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: more vitamin A than needed, orange cast to skin

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

8. Vitamin D • Elderly and shut ins are at risk- not enough sunlight • We get vitamin D 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

9. Vitamin D Rickets can be caused by lack of sunlight, but also from insufficient calcium. Vitamin D linked to calcium absorption. (Rickets reported in NYC.)

10. Vitamin E • A family of eight naturally occurring compounds • Deficiencies are not well understood • Role is stroke, cancer, heart, and immune response • Americans spend $300 million per year on vitamin E supplements

11. 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

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

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

14. Water Soluble Vitamins • Vitamin B1 • Thiamine • Involved in carbohydrate metabolism • Helps body metabolize glucose, affects central nervous system • Deficiency causes Beri beri • B2- riboflavin • Energy metabolism

15. Water Soluble Vitamins • B6 - Pyridoxamine • Neurotransmitter, co-enzyme in over 100 reactions • B12 – • Development of red blood cells • Lack of it makes one anemic • Hard for vegans to get (found in meat)

16. 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

17. Water Soluble Vitamins • Choline • A major component of cell membranes • Folacin = Folate = Folic acid • Deficiency causes neural tube defects – in mother’s uterus • Took Rutgers Professor 20 years to for FDA approval as enrichment Why?

18. 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)

19. Vitamin C - Scurvy

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

21. Minerals • Issues • Absorption • Bioavailability

22. 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%

23. Minerals • Calcium • 99% is structural • ~25% absorption • Vitamin D aids absorption • 75% is obtained from dairy products • Many products are fortified with it • Built in youth, lost in maturity Very hard for vegans to get enough calcium

24. Calcium • Osteoporosis – a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences National Osteoporosis Foundation www.nof.org

25. Calcium

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

27. Minerals • Sodium and Chloride • Added during processing • Enhances flavor • Excess Sodium can lead to hypertension • High blood pressure • Salt sensitivity – genetics and race

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

29. Minerals Iron • Most common and easily preventable deficiency • oxygen absorption • Poor absorption from plant sources • anemia, especially in menstruating women Toxicity • 6 – 12 vitamins with 100% iron content will kill a small child (The dose makes the poison.)

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

31. Enriched Uranium “Enriched Uranium