Water soluble vitamins

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Water soluble vitamins

• B Vitamins, non-B Vitamins and Vitamin C

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Vitamins

• Vital to life
• Do not yield energy
• Support health
• Do not necessarily cure all ills
• Components of food
• Better supplied through nutritious food than
  through supplements

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Uniqueness of vitamins

• Structure
• Are individual organic molecules that do not link
  together as glucose or amino acids molecules do
• Function
• Assist enzymes that release energy from
  carbohydrates, fats and proteins
• Food content
• Small amounts required compared to carbohydrates,
  fats and proteins
• Amounts measured in micrograms or milligrams, not
  grams

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Bioavailability

• Determined by amount in food
• And the amount absorbed and used by the body
• Efficiency and amount of time in GI tract
• Previous intake and nutrition status
• Other foods that may enhance or inhibit
  absorption
• Method of food preparation
• Source of nutrient
• Synthetic
• Fortified
• Natually occuring

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Precursors

• Inactive form of some vitamins, as they occur in
  food
• The body transforms the precursors into the
  active vitamins
• For example beta carotene vitamin A
• Must be considered along with active vitamins in
  assessing a persons nutritional status

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Organic nature

• Fragile compounds
• Must be handled and cooked carefully
• Prolonged heating
• Destroys thiamin
• Ultraviolet light and fluorescent light
• Destroys riboflavin (do not store in transparent
  container)
• Oxygen
• Destroys vitamin C
• Cutting and processing food exposes more of it to
  oxygen

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Solubility

• Affects absorption, transport, storage and
  excretion in body
• Water soluble (hydrophilic)
• 8 B vitamins
• Vitamin C
• Lipid soluble (hydrophobic)
• A
• E
• D
• K

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Water soluble vitamins

• Found in watery components of food
• Move directly into blood when absorbed
• Move freely in blood and water filled component
  of body
• Kidneys capable of removing small excesses
• Large excesses overwhelm system and may cause
  toxicity
• Need to be replenished by diet every 1-3 days

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Fat soluble vitamins

• Occur with fats and oils in food
• Enter lymph along with products of fat digestion,
  then blood
• Require carriers in blood for transport
• Stored by fatty tissue and liver until needed
• Can be periodically (weeks or months) eaten in
  large amounts and stored, as opposed to eaten in
  small amounts daily
• More likely to reach toxic levels if too much is
  consumed

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Toxicity

• Upper levels highest daily amount that is not
  likely to cause harm in a healthy person
• Have been established for these water soluble
  vitamins
• Vitamin C
• Niacin
• B6
• Folate
• Choline (a non B vitamin)
• Insufficient data for other water soluble B
  vitamins

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Roles of B vitamins

• Coenzymes that assist enzymes that release energy
  from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
• Thiamin
• Riboflavin
• Niacin
• Pantothenic acid
• Biotin

• Coenzymes that assist other types of enzymes
• B6
• Amino acid metabolism
• B12
• Red blood cell production
• Folate
• DNA synthesis

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Thiamin

• Other names
• Vitamin B1
• RDA
• Men 1.2mg/day
• Women 1.1mg/day
• Function
• Coenzyme used in energy metabolism
• Significant sources
• Whole, fortified or enriched grains, pork, to
  some degree in all foods

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• Sensitivity
• Easily destroyed by heat
• Deficiency disease
• Beriberi
• Wernike-korsakoff
• In alcoholics disorientation, short-term memory
  loss, jerky eye movements, staggering gait
• Deficiency symptoms
• Enlarged heart, cardiac failure, muscle weakness,
  apathy, poor short-term memory, confusion,
  irritability, anorexia, weight loss
• Toxicity
• None reported

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Riboflavin

• Other names
• Vitamin B2
• RDA
• Men 1.3mg/day
• Women 1.1mg/day
• Function
• Coenzyme used in energy metabolism
• Significant sources
• Milk products, liver, whole, fortified or
  enriched grains

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• Sensitivity
• Easily destroyed by ultraviolet light and
  irradiation
• Deficiency disease
• Ariboflavinosis
• Deficiency symptoms
• Sore throat, cracks and redness at corners of
  mouth, painful, smooth, purplish-red tongue,
  inflammation characterized by skin lesions
  covered with greasy lesions
• Toxicity
• None reported

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Niacin

• Other names
• Vitamin B3, nicotinic acid, nicotinamide,
  niacinamide
• precursor is tryptophan, an amino acid
• RDA
• Men 16mg NE/day (niacinprecursor)
• Women 14mg NE/day
• Function
• Coenzyme used in energy metabolism
• Significant sources
• Milk, eggs, meat, poultry, fish whole, fortified
  and enriched grains nuts and all other protein
  containing foods

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• Sensitivity
• Relatively stable
• Deficiency disease
• Pellagra
• Deficiency symptoms
• Diarrhea, abdominal pain,vomiting inflamed,
  swollen, bright red tongue depression, apathy,
  fatigue, loss of memory, headache, bilateral
  symmetrical rash on areas exposed to sunlight
• Toxicity
• Painful flush, hives, rash, nausea, vomiting,
  liver damage, impaired glucose tolerance

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Biotin

• Other names
• none
• RDA
• Men and women 30micrograms/day
• Function
• Coenzyme used in energy metabolism
• Gluconeogenesis
• Fat synthesis
• Amino acid metabolism
• Glycogen synthesis
• Significant sources
• Widespread in foods
• Produced by GI bacteria

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• Sensitivity
• Relatively stable
• Deficiency disease
• None named
• Deficiency symptoms
• Depression, lethargy, hallucination, numb or
  tingling sensations in limbs red scaly rash
  around eyes, nose, mouth hair loss
• Toxicity
• None reported

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Pantothenic acid

• Other names
• none
• RDA
• Men and women 5mg/day
• Function
• Coenzyme used in energy metabolism
• Significant sources
• Widespread in food chicken, beef potatoes, oats,
  tomatoes, lover, egg yolk, broccoli, whole grains

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• Sensitivity
• Easily destroyed by food processing
• Deficiency disease
• None named
• Deficiency symptoms
• Vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps, insomnia,
  fatigue, depression, irritability, restlessness,
  apathy, hypoglycemia, increased sensitivity to
  insulin, numbness, muscle cramps, inability to
  walk
• Toxicity
• None reported

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Vitqmin B6

• Other names
• Pyridoxine, pyridoxal,pyridoxamine
• RDA
• Men and women 1.3mg/day
• Upper level
• 100mg/day
• Function
• Amino acid and fatty acid metabolism helps
  convert tryptophan to niacin and seratonin red
  blood cell production
• Significant sources
• Milk, fish, poultry, potatoes and other starchy
  vegetables, legumes, noncitrus fruits, fortified
  cereals, liver, soy products

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• Sensitivity
• Easily destroyed by heat
• Deficiency disease
• None named
• Deficiency symptoms
• Scaly dermatitis, anemia (small cell type),
  depression, confusion, convulsions
• Toxicity
• Depression, fatigue, irritability, headaches
  nerve damage with resulting numbness and muscle
  weakness, leading to inability to walk and
  convulsions skin lesions

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Folate

• Other names
• Folic acid, folacin, pterolyglutaminc acid (PGA)
• RDA
• Men and women 400 micrograms a day
• Upper level
• 1000micrograms/day
• Function
• DNA synthesis and new cell production
• Significant sources
• Fortified grains, leafy green vegetables,
  legumes, seed, liver

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• Sensitivity
• Relatively stable
• Deficiency disease
• None named
• Deficiency symptoms
• Anemia (large cell), smooth red tongue, mental
  confusion, weakness, fatigue, irritability
  headache, shortness of breath, elevated
  homocysteine
• Toxicity
• Masks vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms

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Roles of folate

• Necessary for development of nervous system in
  embryo
• Spina bifida and other neural tube defects can
  develop if folate is insufficient
• Breaks down the amino acid homocysteine
• High levels of homocysteine enhance blood clot
  formation and arterial wall deterioration.

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Vitamin B12

• Other names
• cobalamin
• RDA
• Men and women 2.4 micrograms/day
• Function
• New cell synthesis, nerve cell maintenance,
  reforms folate coenzyme (necessary for new cell
  production), helps break down some amino acids
  and fatty acids
• Significant sources
• Food of animal origin, fortified cereals

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• Sensitivity
• Relatively stable
• Deficiency disease
• Pernicious anemia
• Deficiency symptoms
• Anemia (large cell0, fatigue, degeneration of
  peripheral nerves progressing to paralysis, sore
  tongue, loss of appetite, constipation
• Toxicity
• None reported

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B12 deficiency pernicious anemia

• Vegans
• Add supplements
• Lack of intrinsic factor
• Must take through injection

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Non B vitamins

• Choline
• Necessary for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine
  and phospholipids
• Inositol
• Part of cell membrane structure
• Carnitine
• Transports long chain fatty acids to mitochondria
  for oxidation
• Vitamin imposters nonessential nutrients in
  humans, but needed for bacterial growth
• PABA
• Ubiquinone

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B Vitamin interdependency

• Presence or absence of one affects anothers
  absorption, metabolism and excretion
• B12 deficiencies may be masked by excess folate
• One of riboflavins coenzymes assists the enzyme
  that converts B6 to its coenzyme form of PLP (its
  primary coenzyme form

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B vitamin deficiencies

• Skin and mouth are sensitive to deficiencies
• Single b vitamin deficiencies are rare
• Epidemic deficiencies no longer in developed
  countries

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B vitamin toxicities

• Unknown from food sources
• Can occur with supplements

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Vitamin C

• Other names
• Ascorbic acid
• RDA
• Men 90 mg/day
• Women 75 mg/day
• Smokers 35 mg/day
• Upper level
• Adults 2000mg/day

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• Function
• Collagen synthesis ( strengthens blood vessels,
  forms scar tissue, matrix for bone, major
  component of tendons and ligaments, antioxidant,
  thyroxin synthesis, amino acid metabolism,
  strengthens resistance to infection, helps
  increase absorption of iron

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• Significant sources
• Citrus fruit, cabbage family, dark green
  vegetables, cantaloupe, strawberries, lettuce,
  tomatoes, potatoes, papaya, mangoes
• Sensitivity
• Easily destroyed by heat and oxygen

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• Deficiency disease
• scurvy
• Deficiency symptoms
• Anemia (small cell), atherosclerotic plaques,
  pinpoint hemorrhages, bone fragility, joint pain,
  poor wound healing, frequent infections, bleeding
  gums, loosened teeth, muscle degeneration and
  pain, hysteria, depression, rough skin, blotchy
  bruises
• Toxicity
• Nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, headache,
  fatigue, insomnia, hot flashes, rashes,
  interference with medical tests, aggravation of
  gout symptoms, urinary tract problems, kidney
  stones

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Page 356

• Study this page for a summary of deficiencies,
  toxicities and food sources

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The End