Vitamins and Minerals
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The Nature of Vitamins
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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.
Vitamin Requirements
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Daily Values (DV): standard nutrient intake values
developed by FDA
– Disease prevention
– Best met through a consumption of a wide
variety of foods
Dietary Supplements
$6 Billion Market
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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”
“drug” is used to
“prevent, treat or cure” disease.
By definition a
These terms cannot be used with supplements.
Use of some supplements is backed by
scientific data.
Fat Soluble Vitamins
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A – orange, helps vision, antioxidant- used as color
and antioxidant
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D – we make it with sunlight, deficiency causes
rickets, in milk, regulates Calcium:Potassium ratios
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E – antioxidants, role in preventing stroke, cancer,
heart disease- used as antioxidant
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K – contributes to blood clotting factor
Vitamin A
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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
Vitamin D
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Also known as calciferol due to its role in calcium
absorption
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Main role is to maintain calcium and potassium
levels
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It is the only fat soluble vitamin that we can makein the presence of sunlight
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Can be made from cholesterol
Vitamin D
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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
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.)
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Vitamin E
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A family of eight naturally occurring compounds
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Deficiencies are not well understood
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Role is stroke, cancer, heart, and immune
response
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Americans spend $300 million per year on vitamin
E supplements
Vitamin K
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Contributes to synthesis of seven blood
clotting factors
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Can be reactivated to continue biological action
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Works as a cofactor for an enzyme that makes two
bone proteins
Water Soluble Vitamins
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Relatively cheap to
add to food
Only Vitamin C is
used for its
functionality
Water Soluble Vitamins
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B1, thiamine
B2, riboflavin
B6, pyridoxamine
B12
Biotin
Panothenic acid
Niacin
Folacin
Vitamin C
Water Soluble Vitamins
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Vitamin B1
– Thiamine
– Involved in carbohydrate metabolism
– Helps body metabolize glucose, affects central
nervous system
– Deficiency causes Beri beri
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B2- riboflavin
– Energy metabolism
Water Soluble Vitamins
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B6 - Pyridoxamine
–
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B12 –
–
–
–
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Neurotransmitter, co-enzyme in over 100
reactions
Development of red blood cells
Lack of it makes one anemic
Hard for vegans to get (found in meat)
Water Soluble Vitamins
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Biotin –
–
–
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Panthothenic acid
–
–
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Involved in fatty acid synthesis
Deficiency causes skin disease and hair loss
Found in many foods
Essential for metabolism of carbohydrates,
protein, alcohol and fat
Water Soluble Vitamins
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Choline
–
–
–
–
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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?
Vitamin C
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Ascorbic acid
Very inexpensive to add to food, marketing
tool. Antioxidant
Deficiency leads to bleeding gums,
hemorrhages
High in citrus fruits, limes, (Limeys)
Vitamin C - Scurvy
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Niacin (B3)
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Energy metabolism
Disease – pellagra – The Four D’s
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–
–
–
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Dermatitis
Diarrhea
Dementia
Death
Minerals
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Issues
– Absorption
– Bioavailability
Minerals
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Percent of Body weight
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
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Calcium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sulfur
Sodium
Chloride
Magnesium
Iron
2%
1%
0.3%
0.2%
0.1%
0.1%
0.05%
0.04%
Minerals
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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
Calcium
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Osteoporosis – a pediatric
disease with geriatric
consequences
National Osteoporosis
Foundation www.nof.org
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Calcium
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Minerals
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Phosphorus
– Easily absorbed by the body
– Enhanced by Vitamin D
– Deficiency are rare
– Soda, phosphoric acid
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Potassium
– A primary electrolyte in blood
– Associated with lower blood pressure
– Athletes
Minerals
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Sodium and Chloride
– Added during processing
– Enhances flavor
– Excess Sodium can lead to hypertension
 High blood pressure
 Salt sensitivity – genetics and race
Minerals
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Sulfur
– Necessary for collagen formation
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Magnesium
– Abundant in plants
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.)
Fortification vs Enrichment
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Fortification - restores lost
nutrients due to processing
Enrichment – adds nutritional value to
meet a specific standard
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Old London
Restaurant Style Croutons. Seasoned
Sourdough.
Enriched Bread,
[Enriched Flour
(Flour,
Niacin,
Ferrous Sulfate,
Thiamin Mononitrate,
Riboflavin,
Folic Acid),
Water,
Yeast,
Sugar,
Salt,
Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil ,
Vinegar,
Ascorbic Acid]
Bean Oil with BHT added as a Dextrin
Enriched Uranium
“Enriched Uranium