FOOD BASICS

1. FOOD BASICS Nutrients and Vitamin Review

2. Vitamins • Not used for energy • Not used as building blocks for body • But crucial for metabolism of carbs, lipids, proteins • Act as coenzymes • Part of an enzyme

3. Vitamins B complex and C • Water soluble vitamins • Any ingested amounts not used within roughly an hour or two are excreted in urine • Few conditions from excessive levels of these vitamins

4. Vitamins D and K • Most vitamins must be in diet as body does not make them • There are only a couple vitamins the body makes: • One in the skin • This one is activated in two steps • First the liver • Then the final step in the kidney • One bacteria make in the large intestines

5. Vitamins A, D, E, K • Fat soluble vitamins • Bind to ingested lipids and are absorbed as lipids absorbed • Anything that interferes with fat absorption will result in lower levels of these vitamins (except the ones the body can make) • Hypervitaminosis of these are well documented clinically

6. Vitamins C, E, A (as beta-carotene) and mineral selenium • Some vitamins and minerals are very important as antioxidants • Metabolism uses oxygen (remember oxidative phosphorylation in aerobic cellular respiration???) • During any oxidation, free radicals can be generated. These are basically atoms with unstable number of valence electrons so they are very reactive. They steal electrons from other atoms, causing them to become free radicals…and soon you have a chain reaction of electron stealing…very dangerous to cells. • Antioxidants stop this by donating electrons to the radicals.

7. Thiamine • Vitamin B1 • Coenzyme in krebs cycle • Found in lean meats, liver, legumes, peanuts, whole grains • Deficiency is BeriBeri (muscle weakness and nervous disorder) and Wernicke-Korsakoff’s syndrome (malnourished chronic alcoholism)

8. Riboflavin • Vitamin B2 • Found in milk, liver, yeast, meats, enriched grains and vegetables • important component of the electron acceptor FAD (flavin adenine dinucleotide) • Dermatitis and skin lesions associated with deficiencies

9. Niacin • Vitamin B3 • Found in nuts, poultry, fish, meat, grains • Component of coenzyme NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) • Deficiency: Pellagra • Common disease found in people groups that mainly ate corn treated with lime with little meat or protein. Rather famous because of research with prisoners in early 1900s

10. Pantothenic Acid • Vitamin B5 • Forms Coenzyme A an important requirement to move molecules into the Krebs cycle • Found in most foods, particularly meats and whole grains • Deficiency: fatigue, numbness, alcoholic neuropathy

11. Pyridoxine • Vitamin B6 • Deficiency can lead to anemia • Found in meats, fish, poultry, vegetables, bananas • Coenzyme used in amino acid metabolism, glycogenolysis, and antibody formation • In addition, part of hundreds of reactions in body

12. Folic acid/ folacin • Vitamin B9 • This is a common vitamin we discuss during pregnancy • Found in liver, oranges, nuts, legumes, whole grains • Coenzyme in nucleic acid and amino acid metabolism • Deficiency leads to forms of spina bifida or neural tube defects • Necessary for normal neural tube development in embryos

13. Cyanobalamin • Vitamin B12 • Coenzyme in nucleic acid metabolism and maturation of red blood cells • Found in meats, eggs, diary products • Made in large intestines by enteric bacteria • Deficiency commonly causes pernicious anemia • Requires intrinsic factor secreted by parietal cells of stomach for absorption • Lack of intrinsic factor is usually the cause of pernicious anemia

14. Biotin • Part of the B complex vitamins, B7, although it is sometimes referred to as vitamin H • Coenzyme in the synthesis of fatty acids and amino acids • Has a role in gluconeogenesis • Deficiency associated with scaly skin, neuromuscular disorders and elevated cholesterol

15. Ascorbic Acid • Vitamin C • RDA: 75-90 mg/day • Found in fruits and veggies • Used in collagen synthesis, antioxidant, aids in detoxification • Improves iron absorption • Deficiency well documented as Scurvy • Also deficiencies can cause delayed wound healing and impaired immunity • Excess can contribute to GI upset, kidney stone formation and gout

16. Vitamin A • Provitamin is Beta carotene • Found in deep green and orange veggies and fruits • Important component of visual pigments, maintaining epithelium, antioxidant • Deficiency contributes to night blindness, scaling skin • Excess can lead to headaches, vomiting , blurred vision and liver and bone damage • Form of this vitamin is retinol often used for acne and other skin disorders

17. Vitamin D • African Americans need more of this vitamin because their skin does not produce as much • Dietary sources: egg yolk, dairy products • Functions as a hormone, aids in absorption of Calcium and phosphorus, promotes bone growth • Deficiency is rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults • Excesses can lead to brain, cardiovascular and kidney damage

18. Vitamin E and Vitamin K • Anitoxidant • Excess can result in slow wound healing • Wheat germ, nuts, seeds, dark leafies • Helps prevent athersclerosis, damage to cell membranes • A separate vitamin: important in formation of blood clotting proteins • Intermediate in electron transport chain • Excess can cause liver damage and anemia • Made by enteric bacteria