The Importance of Vitamins and Minerals

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The Importance of Vitamins and Minerals
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Discovering Vitamins

• As it turns out, the term "limey" originally
  applied to British sailors. In the 17th and 18th
  centuries, sailors suffered terribly from scurvy,
  a condition caused by a lack of vitamin C.

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Discovering Vitamins

• Vitamin C comes mainly from fresh fruits and
  vegetables, but these foods aren't exactly easy
  to come by when you're at sea for months at a
  time.
• So the Royal Navy prescribed lime juice for all
  sailors to help ward off scurvy -- hence the nick
  
• name "limeys."

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• Vitamin C is required for correct collagen
  synthesis in humans.
• The scientific name of vitamin C, ascorbic acid,
  is derived from the Latin name of scurvy,
  scorbutus.
• Scurvy leads to the formation of liver spots on
  the skin, spongy gums, and bleeding from all
  mucous membranes.
• The spots are most abundant on the thighs and
  legs, and a person with the ailment looks pale,
  feels depressed, and is partially immobilized.

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In advanced scurvy there are open wounds and loss
of teeth.
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Beriberi

• Beriberi is caused by a lack of thiamine (vitamin
  B1).
• It is common in people whose diet consists mainly
  of polished white rice, which is very low in
  thiamine because the thiamine-bearing husk has
  been removed.

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Beriberi

• It is also seen in chronic alcoholics with an
  inadequate diet, as well as being a rare side
  effect of gastric bypass surgery.
• This vitamin (thiamine, B1) is often added to
  staple foods to ensure the prevention of the
  disease.

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Rickets

• Rickets is a softening of the bones in children
  potentially leading to fractures and deformity.
• Osteomalacia is the term used to describe a
  similar condition occurring in adults, generally
  due to a deficiency of vitamin D.

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• Rickets is among the most frequent childhood
  diseases in many developing countries. The
  predominant cause is a vitamin D deficiency, but
  lack of adequate calcium in the diet may also
  lead to rickets.

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The majority of rickets cases occur in children
suffering from severe malnutrition, usually
resulting from famine or starvation during the
early stages of childhood.
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• Vitamin A deficiency is one of the leading causes
  of preventable blindness in developing countries.
  Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and is found
  mainly in fish liver oils, liver, egg yolks,
  butter and cream, green leafy and yellow
  vegetables.

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So Which Vitamins do I Need?
Vitamin Why I Need It? Which Foods Have It?
A Essential for growth of skin and bones. Involved in immunity and night vision. Egg yolk Milk Liver Butter Dark green veg such as spinach. Orange fruit and veg such as cantaloupe and yam
E Prevents oxidation (it is an antioxidant). Prevents heart disease. Whole grains Lettuce Vegetable oil Meat Beans
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Vitamin Why I Need It? Which Foods Have It?
C Forms collagen and speeds healing. For the structural integrity of your body. Citrus fruits Cantaloupe Strawberries Peppers Tomatoes Raw cabbage
D Promotes bodys absorption of calcium. Essential to development of healthy bones and teeth. Cheese Butter Margarine Fortified Milk Fish Fortified cereals Green vegetables Liver Eggs
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Vitamin Why I Need It? Which Foods Have It?
B Complex Includes thiamin, niacin and folic acid. Influences metabolism Protects the liver Vital in the production of some amino acids and other chemical reactions Folic acid is essential for the development of the fetus. Green veg Meats Nuts Whole grains Soybeans

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Essential Minerals

• Potassium
• is the major mineral in, and primary regulator
  of fluids inside cells along with sodium.
• Critical to the transmission of nerve impulses,
  muscle contractions and maintenance of normal
  blood pressure.
• Potassium deficiency
• is rare in healthy people, but is a very common
  side effect of two widely abused modern drugs,
  chemical laxatives and diuretics.
• also be caused by excessive vomiting, chronic
  diarrhea or kidney failure.
• Signs of deficiency may include muscle weakness,
  intestinal problems, heart abnormalities and
  respiratory weakness.

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Essential Minerals

• Foods high in potassium
• All meats, poultry and fish
• Apricots, Avocado, Banana, Cantaloupe, Honeydew,
  Kiwi, Lima beans, Milk, Oranges and orange juice,
  Prunes
• Potatoes, Spinach, Tomatoes, Vegetable juice,
  Winter squash

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Essential Minerals

• Iron
• carries oxygen to the cells and is necessary for
  the production of energy, the synthesis of
  collagen, and the functioning of the immune
  system.
• Iron deficiency is common only among children and
  pre-menopausal women.

Great care must be taken not to take too much
iron, as excess amounts are stored in the bodys
tissues and adversely affect the bodys immune
function, cell growth and heart health
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Essential Minerals

• Iron
• Iron is found in meat, fish, beans, spinach,
  molasses, kelp, brewers yeast, broccoli and
  seeds.

Iron from plant sources is not as well absorbed
as that from animal sources, some experts
recommend that vegetarians supplement with, or
eat foods high in, vitamin C as it enhances iron
absorption.
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Essential Minerals

• Zinc
• supports the health of the immune system, normal
  synthesis of protein, and the health of
  reproductive organs (especially in men).
• Zinc deficiency is common, and can adversely
  affect normal physical growth, skin and nerve
  health, natural healing ability, and immune
  function, especially in infants.
• Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption
  adversely affect zinc levels.

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Essential Minerals

• Zinc
• Can be found in
• Meats, fish, beans, whole grains, pumpkin seeds,
  shellfish, oysters, wheat bran, mushrooms and
  brewers yeast

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Assignment

• Create a three course meal.
• Include recipes for each menu item, these may be
  researched on the web.
• Include a non-alcoholic beverage.
• Identify the vitamins, minerals and other
  nutrients that contribute to health that appear
  in each of your courses.
• 10 marks each course 5 for recipe, 5 for
  nutrients identified.
• 30 marks total