Chapter 11
Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs
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Introduction
• U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowances
– List of vitamins and minerals necessary for
maintenance of good nutrition
• The National Academy of Sciences and the
National Research Council of the Food and
Nutrition Board
• Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)
– Revised recommendations
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Introduction (cont’d.)
• Indications for vitamin and mineral
supplements
– Inadequate diet
– Malabsorption syndromes
– Increased need for certain nutrients
– Deficiency due to medication interactions
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Introduction (cont’d.)
• Nutrients function in groups or teams
– If diet supplementation is warranted, it is likely
that both vitamins and additional minerals are
needed
• Overdoses of some vitamins and minerals
can be injurious to health
– Vitamins A, D, and iron
• Deficiency should be established by a physician’s
diagnosis or blood test before exceeding
Recommended Dietary Allowances
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Introduction (cont’d.)
• The following slides discuss many
vitamins, minerals, and herbs
– Refer to chapter for specific needs,
deficiencies, deficiency signs, supplements,
overdose symptoms, and cautions for each
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Fat-Soluble Vitamins
• Vitamin A (retinol, retinal, beta carotene)
– Processed in the body from the carotene of
plants, fruits, oily saltwater fish, dairy
products, and eggs
– Antioxidant properties
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Fat-Soluble Vitamins (cont’d.)
• Vitamin D (calciferol, cholecalciferol,
ergocalciferol)
– Synthesized in the body through the action of
sunlight on the skin
– Other sources include fish oils, and food
products fortified with vitamin D
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Fat-Soluble Vitamins (cont’d.)
• Vitamin E (tocopherol)
– Found in cereals, wheat germ, seeds, nuts,
vegetable oils, eggs, meat, and poultry
– Antioxidant properties
• Vitamin K (phytonadione)
– Found in green or leafy vegetables, cabbage,
vegetable oils, cheese, eggs, and liver
– Absorbed in the small intestine in the
presence of bile salts
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Water-Soluble Vitamins
• Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
– Coenzyme utilized for carbohydrate
metabolism
– Found in whole grains, wheat germ, peas,
beans, nuts, yeast, meat, especially pork and
organ meats, oysters, collard greens,
oranges, and enriched cereals
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Water-Soluble Vitamins (cont’d.)
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
– Coenzyme utilized in the metabolism of
glucose, fats, and amino acids
– Found in milk, eggs, nuts, meats, yeast,
enriched bread, and green leafy vegetables
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Water-Soluble Vitamins (cont’d.)
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)
– Coenzyme utilized in metabolism of
carbohydrates, fats, protein, and amino acids
– Found in meats, fish, poultry, legumes,
peanuts, soybeans, wheat germ, whole-grain
cereals, and bananas
– Significant loss when foods are frozen
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Water-Soluble Vitamins (cont’d.)
• Vitamin B12 (cobalamin, cyanocobalamin)
– Found in meats, poultry, fish and shellfish,
milk, cheese, and eggs
– Absorption depends on intrinsic factor,
normally present in gastric juice of humans
• Absence of this factor leads to deficiency and
pernicious anemia
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Water-Soluble Vitamins (cont’d.)
• Folic acid (folate)
– Vitamin included in the B-complex group
– Found in leafy and green vegetables
(broccoli), avocado, beets, orange juice,
kidney beans, and organ meats
– Lost with overcooking and reheating
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Water-Soluble Vitamins (cont’d.)
• Niacin (nicotinic acid, niacinamide)
– Vitamin included in the B-complex group
– Found in meat, chicken, milk, eggs, fish,
green vegetables, cooked dried beans and
peas, soybeans, nuts, peanut butter, and
enriched cereal products
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Water-Soluble Vitamins (cont’d.)
• Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
– Found in fresh fruits and vegetables,
especially citrus fruits, cantaloupe, tomatoes,
cabbage, green peppers, and broccoli
– Unstable when exposed to heat or air or
combined with alkaline compounds
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Minerals
• What are the characteristics of minerals?
– Chemical elements occurring in nature and in
body fluids
– Correct balance of each is required for
maintenance of health
– Minerals dissolved in body fluids are called
electrolytes and carry positive or negative
electrical charges required for body activities
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Minerals (cont’d.)
• Sodium and chloride
– Principal minerals in extracellular body fluids
– Best source is table salt
• Potassium (K)
– Found in citrus, bananas, tomatoes, potato
skin, cantaloupe, avocadoes, dried fruits,
cooked dried beans, and peas
• Hyperkalemia: excessive potassium in the blood
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Minerals (cont’d.)
• Calcium (Ca)
– Mineral component of bones and teeth
– Absorbed in small intestine
– Sources include milk and dairy products
• Iron (Fe)
– Vital for oxygen-carrying and delivery
component of blood
– Found in meat, egg yolk, beans, spinach,
enriched cereals, dried fruits, prune juice, and
poultry
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Minerals (cont’d.)
• Zinc
– Component of numerous enzymes
– Essential element in metabolism
– Usually found in adequate amounts in a wellbalanced diet
– An antioxidant
– Sources include lean meat, organ meats,
oysters, poultry, fish, and whole grain breads
and cereals
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Antioxidants
• Inhibit cell destruction in damaged or
aging tissues caused by unstable
molecules called free radicals
– Free radicals attack the cells, causing
damage, which prevents the transport of
nutrients, oxygen, and water into the cell and
the removal of waste products
– Antioxidants are any compounds that fight
against destructive effects of free radical
oxidants
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Antioxidants (cont’d.)
• Antioxidant vitamins
– Vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene
• Antioxidant minerals
– Copper, manganese, selenium, and zinc
– These minerals work with antioxidant
enzymes and are essential to proper enzyme
function
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Alternative Medicines
• Herbs and other dietary supplements
– Refer patients to reliable sources of
information
– Be sure that the information is based on fact,
not opinion
– Caution patients regarding the dangers of
taking remedies not approved by the FDA
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Alternative Medicines (cont’d.)
• Dietary supplements
– Traditionally referred to products made of one
or more of the essential nutrients
• DSHEA broadens the definition: any product
intended for ingestion as a supplement to the diet
– FDA does not authorize or test dietary
supplements
– Many forms: tablets, capsules, powders,
softgels, gelcaps, and liquids
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Alternative Medicines (cont’d.)
• Fraudulent products
– Products that don’t do what they say they can
or don’t contain what they say they contain
– Often can be identified by the types of claims
made in their labeling, advertising, and
promotional literature
• Quality products
– Be aware of quality-control problems
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Alternative Medicines (cont’d.)
• Reading and reporting
– Consumers should always read product
labels, follow directions, and heed all
warnings
– Much remains unknown about many dietary
supplements regarding their health benefits
and potential risks
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