Water
Soluble
Vitamins!
Objectives
After reading Chapter 6, completing a concept
map and class discussion, you will be able to
 Identify water soluble vitamins
 Distinguish water soluble vs fat soluble
 Describe the concert role of B vitamins
 Describe concert deficiencies
 Identify vitamin imposters and
non-B vitamins
Water Soluble Vitamins:
Characteristics
Essential
 Organic Structure
 Non-energy Producing
 Micronutrients
 Stability
 Bioavailability
 Toxicity

Water Soluble Vitamins vs.
Fat Soluble Vitamins
The B Vitamins

Coenzymes
Vitamin Concept Map
FUNCTIONS
Food Sources
Vitamin
Other Facts
Thiamin
Functions
 SOURCES
Sources
Thiamin
Other Facts
Thiamin



Other names: Vitamin B1
1998 RDA
 men: 1.2 mg/day
 women: 1.1 mg/day
Chief functions in the body
 Part of coenzyme TPP (thiamin
pyrophosphate) used in energy
metabolism
Easily destroyed by heat
Thiamin
Sources


Pork
Whole
Grain or
Enriched
Grains
Ribovlavin
Functions
 SOURCES
Sources
Riboflavin
Other Facts
Riboflavin



Other names: Vitamin B2
1998 RDA
 Men: 1.3 mg/day
 Women: 1.1 mg/day
Chief functions in the body
 Part of coenzymes FMN (flavin
mononucleotide) and FAD (flavin
adenine dinucleotide) used in
energy metabolism.
Easily destroyed by ultraviolet light
and irradiation
Riboflavin
Copyright 2005 Wadsworth Group, a division of Thomson Learning
Riboflavin
Sources

Milk products




Yogurt
Cheese
Enriched or
whole grains
Liver
Niacin
Functions
 SOURCES
Sources
Niacin
Other Facts
Niacin

Other names






Precursor: dietary tryptophan
1998 RDA



Nicotinic acid
Nicotinamide
Niacinamide
Vitamin B3
Men: 16 mg NE/day
Women: 14 mg NE/day
Upper level for adults: 35 mg/day
Niacin

Chief functions in the body


Part of coenzymes NAD
(nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide)
and NADP (its phosphate form) used
in energy metabolism
Toxicity symptoms




Painful flush, hives, and rash
(“niacin flush”)
Excessive sweating
Blurred vision
Liver damage, impaired glucose
tolerance
Niacin
Sources





All protein
foods
Milk, eggs,
meat, fish,
poultry
Whole grain
Enriched
grains
Nuts
Vitamin B6
Functions
 SOURCES
Sources
Vitamin B6
Functions
Other Facts
Vitamin B6



Other names
 Pyridoxine
 Pyridoxal
 Pyridoxamine
1998 RDA
 Adults (19-50 years): 1.3 mg/day
Upper level for adults: 100 mg/day
Vitamin B6

Chief functions in the body
 Part of coenzymes PLP
(pyridoxal phosphate) and PMP
(pyridoxamine phosphate) used
in amino acid and fatty acid
metabolism
 Helps to convert tryptophan to
niacin and to serotonin
 Helps to make red blood cells
Vitamin B6

Deficiency symptoms
 Scaly dermatitis
 Anemia (small-cell type)
 Depression, confusion, abnormal
brain wave pattern, convulsions
Vitamin B6
Sources






Meat, fish,
poultry, liver
Potatoes
Legumes
Non-citrus
fruits
Fortified cereal
Soy products
Vitamin B12
Functions
 SOURCES
Sources
Vitamin B12
Functions
Other Facts
Vitamin B12


Other names: cobalamin (and
related forms)
1998 RDA


Adults: 2.4 g/day
Chief functions in the body




Part of coenzymes methylcobalamin
and deoxyadenosylcobalamin used in
new cell synthesis
Helps to maintain nerve cells
Reforms folate coenzyme
Helps to break down some fatty acids
and amino acids
Vitamin B12


Activates Folate
Absorption requires
 HCl
 Pepsin
 Intrinsic factor
Vitamin B12


Easily destroyed by microwave
cooking
Deficiency disease: pernicious
anemia


Difficult for vegetarians to obtain
Toxicity: none reported
Vitamin B12
Sources

Animal products




Meat, poultry
fish, shellfish
Milk, cheese
Eggs
Fortified cereals
Folate
Functions
 SOURCES
Sources
Folate
Functions
Other Facts
Folate



Other names
 Folic acid
 Folacin
 Pteroylglutamic acid (PGA)
1998 RDA
 Adults: 400 g/day
Upper level for adults: 1000
g/day
Folate
Folate
Folate

Chief functions in the body

Part of coenzymes THF
(tetrahydrofolate) and DHF
(dihydrofolate) used in DNA
synthesis and therefore important in
new cell formation
Neural tube defects
Spina Bifida
Anencephaly
Folate Supplementation

Decrease in neural tube defects
with supplementation of cereals
Critical Periods
Folate
Sources




Fortified
Grains
Leafy Green
Vegetables
Legumes,
Seeds
Liver
Biotin
Functions
 SOURCES
Sources
Biotin
Functions
Other Facts
Biotin



1998 adequate intake (AI)
 Adults: 30 g/day
Chief functions in the body
 Part of a coenzyme used in energy
metabolism, fat synthesis, amino acid
metabolism, and glycogen synthesis
Significant sources
 Widespread in foods
 Also produced by GI bacteria
Biotin
Sources





Widespread in
foods
Organ meats,
fish
Egg yolks
Soybeans
Whole grains
Pantothenic Acid
Functions
 SOURCES
Sources
Pantothenic Acid
Functions
Other Facts
Pantothenic Acid



1998 adequate intake (AI)
 Adults: 5 mg/day
Chief functions in the body
 Part of coenzyme A, used in
energy metabolism
Easily destroyed by food processing
Pantothenic Acid Sources






Widespread in
foods
Organ meats
Mushrooms
Avacado
Broccoli
Whole grains
Non-B Vitamin
Controversial other dietary compounds
 Still under scientific investigation
 May be “conditionally” essential
 Supplements NOT necessary
 Widespread in foods

Non-B Vitamin

Choline
Contains N2; made from methionine
 Used to make lecithin & acetylcholine
 Adequate Intake (AI) established 1998

 Men=550

Inositol


mg/day; Women=425 mg/day
Part of cell membrane structure
Carnitine

Transports long-chain fatty acids
Vitamin Imposters
Not essential for humans; essential only
for bacteria or other forms of life
 PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid)
 Vitamin P (hesperidin)-a bioflavonoid
 Ubiquinone (Coenzyme Q10)
 Pyrroloquinoline quinone (methoxatin)
 Orotic acid
 Lipoic acid

Vitamin Imposters
Vitamin O (oxygenated salt water)
 Vitamin B15 (Pangamic acid)
 Vitamin B17 (Laetrile)

Alleged “cancer cure”
 Potentially dangerous


Vitamin B5

Simply another name for Pantothenic Acid
Conclusions
1.
2.
3.
4.
Vitamins are derived from a variety of
foods. That is why variety is so important.
Vitamin deficiencies rarely occur in this
country.
If they do, it is usually in conjunction with
severe illness, stress, or trauma that is
superimposed on prolonged inadequate
intake.
If there is deficiency, usually several
vitamins (especially in the case of B
vitamins) are involved.
Conclusions
1.
2.
Toxicity is also rare but a possibility
 Toxicity is rarely associated with
food
 Toxicity results from supplements
Vitamin imposters are used
Variety is the Key