Vitamins, Minerals, Antioxidants, Phytonutrients, Functional Foods

1. Vitamins, Minerals, Antioxidants, Phytonutrients,Functional Foods

2. Overview • What are vitamins? • Categories of vitamins • Functions • Food sources • Deficiencies • What are minerals? • Categories of minerals • Antioxidants

3. Overview (continued) • Phytonutrients • Functional Foods • Food Labels • Activity

4. What are vitamins? • Complex substances that regulate body processes • Coenzymes (partners) with enzymes in reactions • No calories, thus no energy

5. Categories

6. Fat-soluble vitamins

7. Functions: Normal vision Protects from infections Regulates immune system Antioxidant (carotenoids) Food sources: Liver Fish oil Eggs Fortified milk or other foods Red, yellow, orange, and dark green veggies Vitamin A

8. Vitamin A Lots of double bonds, good anti-oxidant

9. Vitamin A deficiency • Deficiency causes ~500,000 cases of “night blindness” worldwide • Genetically engineered rice with high Vitamin A can prevent night blindness

10. Functions: Promotes absorption of calcium and phosphorus Helps deposit those in bones/teeth Regulates cell growth Plays role in immunity Sources: Sunlight (10 – 15 mins 2x a week) Salmon with bones Milk Orange juice (fortified) Fortified cereals Vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin)

11. Vitamin D • It is the only fat soluble vitamin that we can make- in the presence of sunlight using cholesterol • 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

12. Vitamin D deficiency Rickets can be caused by lack of sunlight, but also from insufficient calcium. Vitamin D linked to calcium absorption. Osteoporosis/osteomalacia

13. Functions: Antioxidant, may lower risk for heart disease and stroke, some types of cancers Protects fatty acids and vitamin A Sources: Vegetable oils Foods made from oil (salad dressing, margarine) Nuts Seeds Wheat germ Green, leafy veggies Vitamin E

14. Functions: Helps blood clot Helps body make some other proteins Sources: Body can produce on its own (from bacteria in intestines) Green, leafy veggies Some fruits, other veggies, and nuts Vitamin K

15. Water-soluble vitamins

16. Functions: Helps produce energy from carbs Deficiency – beri-beri Sources: Whole-grain and enriched grain products Pork Liver Thiamin (B1)

17. Functions: Helps produce energy Changes tryptophan (amino acid) into niacin Sources: Liver Yogurt and milk Enriched grains Eggs Green, leafy veggies Riboflavin (B2)

18. Functions: Helps body use sugars/fatty acids Helps enzymes function normally Produces energy Sources: Foods high in protein typically (poultry, fish, beef, peanut butter, legumes) Enriched and fortified grains Niacin (B3)

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

20. Functions: Helps body make non-essential amino acids Helps turn tryptophan into niacin and serotonin Help produce body chemicals (insulin, hemoglobin, etc) Sources: Chicken Fish Pork Liver Whole grains Nuts Legumes Pyridoxine (B6)

21. Functions: Produces DNA and RNA, making new body cells Works with vitamin B12 to form hemoglobin May protect against heart disease Lowers risk of neural tube defects in babies Controls plasma homocystine levels (related to heart disease) Sources: Fortified and enriched grains and breakfast cereals Orange juice Legumes Green, leafy veggies Peanuts Avacados Folate (folic acid)

22. Functions: Works with folate to make RBC’s In many body chemicals and cells Helps body use fatty acids/amino acids Sources: Animal products Meat Fish Poultry Eggs Milk, other dairy Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) Deficiency - anemia

23. Functions: Produces energy Helps body use proteins, carbs, and fats from foods Sources: Wide variety of foods Eggs Liver Wheat germ Peanuts Cottage cheese Whole grain bread Biotin • Deficiency causes skin disease and hair loss

24. Helps produce energy Helps the body use proteins, fat, and carbs from food Sources: Found in almost all foods Meat, poultry, fish Whole grain cereals Legumes Milk Fruits, veggies Pantothenic Acid

25. Functions: Helps produce collagen (connective tissue in bones, muscles, etc) Keeps capillary walls, blood vessels firm Helps body absorb iron and folate Healthy gums Heals cuts and wounds Protects from infection, boosts immunity Antioxidant Sources Citrus fruits Other fruits, veggies Vitamin C Deficiency leads to bleeding gums, hemorrhages

26. Vitamin C - Scurvy

27. Minerals • chemical elements required by living organisms, other than C, H, N and O • Examples of mineral elements include Ca, Mg, K, Na, Zn and I • Most minerals are simple chemical elements

28. More on minerals • Regulate body processes • Give structure to things in the body • No calories (energy) • Cannot be destroyed by heat

29. 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%

30. Major minerals Calcium Phosphorus Magnesium Electrolytes (sodium, chloride, potassium) Trace minerals Chromium Copper Flouride Iodine Iron Manganese Selenium Zinc Categories of minerals

31. Calcium • Bone building • Muscle contraction • Heart rate • Nerve function • Helps blood clot

32. Calcium • Osteoporosis – a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences (bone thining and loss of bone density) • 1.5 million fractures each year- major cause of subsequent mortality (25% within one year) • 14 billion in direct health cost • 25 million women at risk • DRI women 600 – 800 mg/day

33. Calcium

34. Phosphorus • Generates energy • Regulate energy metabolism • Component of bones, teeth • Part of DNA, RNA (cell growth, repair) • Almost all foods, especially protein-rich foods, contain phosphorus

35. Magnesium • Part of 300 enzymes (regulates body functions) • Maintains cells in nerves, muscles • Component of bones • Best sources are legumes, nuts, and whole grains

36. Electrolytes • Chloride: • Fluid balance • Digestion of food, transmits nerve impulses • Potassium • Maintains blood pressure • Nerve impulses and muscle contraction • Sodium • Fluid balance • Muscles relax, transmit nerve impulses • Regulates blood pressure

37. Electrolytes • Sources: • Salt (sodium chloride) • Fruits, veggies, milk, beans, fish, chicken, nuts (potassium)

38. Minerals • Sodium • Added during processing • Enhances flavor • We consume 2X of what we need (DV = 2.4 grams, 1/10 ounce) • Excess Sodium can lead to hypertension • High blood pressure

39. Iron • Part of hemoglobin, carries oxygen • Brain development • Healthy immune system • Sources: • Animals (heme) vs. plants (non-heme) • Better absorbed from heme • Consume vitamin C with non-heme • Fortified cereals, beans, eggs, etc.

40. Minerals • Iron • Poor absorption from plant sources • Low iron causes anemia, especially in menstruating women • Toxicity • 6 – 12 vitamins with 100% iron content will kill a small child (The dose makes the poison.)

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

42. Food enrichment….. Enriched Uranium Bread – Yum!

43. Antioxidants • Slow or prevent damage to body cells • May improve immune function and lower risk for infection and cancer • Carotenoids – beta carotene (familiar) • Vitamin C • Vitamin E • Found in colorful fruits/veggies and grains

44. Phytonutrients • Phyto – plant • “Spark” body processes that may fight, or reduce risk for some diseases • Fruits/veggies • Examples: • Carotenoids • Lutein • Lycopene • Flavanols • Prebiotics/probiotics • Soybeans

45. Functional Foods • Foods that provide benefits beyond basic nutrition • Phytonutrients • Prebiotics/probiotics • Fatty fish/omega 3’s • Soy protein • Oats (heart-healthy) • Flaxseed

46. Food Labels • Must list vitamins A, C, calcium, iron • May list others (potassium, folate, riboflavin, etc.)