B5: Vitamins
Mission 1: Take Your Vitamins
Mission Objectives. You should be able to...
1. Describe the difference between vitamins and minerals.
2. Compare the structures of vitamins A, C & D.
3. Determine what makes a vitamin or mineral "essential."
4. Describe the effects of a diet that does not include essential vitamins and minerals.
Essential nutrients are absorbed to give you energy, strengthen your bones and can prevent you from getting certain kinds of diseases. Your body can produce some of what it needs, but not all essential nutrients can be synthesized by the body. Examples include some amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals (Pearson, 2014).
Minerals. Minerals are inorganic substances that are needed for a healthy diet. Each mineral plays a specific role. Calcium is used for bones and iron for blood. Other minerals are known as electrolytes because they can dissolve in cytoplasm and intercellular fluid. Examples of these electrolytes are calcium, iron II, sodium, magnesium, chloride and potassium. These ions are important in the mechanism behind how action potentials are sent along neurons, synapses and muscle contractions.
Vitamins. Vitamins are organic molecules that are synthesized by living organisms. Many organisms rely on intake from plants. Intake for vitamins and minerals is in small quantities. Vitamins are used to create long-lived substances within the body, such as Vitamin C. In humans, Vit C is necessary and has to be part of our diet. Not enough Vit C can lead to deficiencies and diseases such as scurvy. Vitamin D is another essential nutrient for the proper formation of bones. Without Vit D, children can get rickets. The epidermis contains precursors that can synthesize Vit D when stimulated by sunlight. But too much sunlight can lead to sunburn and skin cancer.
Mission Objectives. You should be able to...
1. Describe the difference between vitamins and minerals.
2. Compare the structures of vitamins A, C & D.
3. Determine what makes a vitamin or mineral "essential."
4. Describe the effects of a diet that does not include essential vitamins and minerals.
Essential nutrients are absorbed to give you energy, strengthen your bones and can prevent you from getting certain kinds of diseases. Your body can produce some of what it needs, but not all essential nutrients can be synthesized by the body. Examples include some amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals (Pearson, 2014).
Minerals. Minerals are inorganic substances that are needed for a healthy diet. Each mineral plays a specific role. Calcium is used for bones and iron for blood. Other minerals are known as electrolytes because they can dissolve in cytoplasm and intercellular fluid. Examples of these electrolytes are calcium, iron II, sodium, magnesium, chloride and potassium. These ions are important in the mechanism behind how action potentials are sent along neurons, synapses and muscle contractions.
Vitamins. Vitamins are organic molecules that are synthesized by living organisms. Many organisms rely on intake from plants. Intake for vitamins and minerals is in small quantities. Vitamins are used to create long-lived substances within the body, such as Vitamin C. In humans, Vit C is necessary and has to be part of our diet. Not enough Vit C can lead to deficiencies and diseases such as scurvy. Vitamin D is another essential nutrient for the proper formation of bones. Without Vit D, children can get rickets. The epidermis contains precursors that can synthesize Vit D when stimulated by sunlight. But too much sunlight can lead to sunburn and skin cancer.
Vitamins can be water-soluble or fat-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins have polar bonds and the ability to form hydrogen bonds with water. They are transported directly in the blood and excesses are filtered out by the kidneys and excreted. Vitamins B & C are water-soluble. Vitamin C (seen below) contains -OH and triple-bonded carbons that are easily oxidized. This is why vitamin C is easily destroyed by most methods of food processing and storage. Therefore, it is best to get vitamin C from fresh fruits and vegetables. In general, water-soluble vitamins are the most sensitive to heat. Fat soluble (lipid soluble) are mostly non-polar molecules with long hydrocarbon chains or rings. They are slower to be absorbed and excesses tend to be stored in fat tissue that can have negative side-effects. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble (Pearson, 2014).
Images: (1) Vitamin A (2) Vitamin C (3) Vitamin D
Images: (1) Vitamin A (2) Vitamin C (3) Vitamin D
Below is an image and explanation from the Pearson (2014) text. You need to know the properties of these vitamins.
The absence of a regular, balanced diet is known as malnutrition. This describes a broad spectrum of conditions, including vitamin deficiency diseases. The causes of malnutrition arising from vitamin deficiency include (1) lack of distribution of global resources, (2) depletion of nutrients in the soil and water, and (3) lack of education about or understanding of the importance of a balanced diet, (4) over-processing of food for transport and storage, and (5) the use of chemical treatments such as herbicides in food production (Pearson, 2014).
Vitamin A is an antioxidant and is needed for healthy eyesight. It is related to carotene and is found in orange and yellow fruits and vegetables. Vitamin B is a term for a group of eight water-soluble vitamins that are commonly found in whole grains. A lack of vitamin B in the diet can cause a range of diseases including beriberi, anemia, and some mental disorders. Vitamin C is found in fresh fruits and vegetables and a lack of it in the diet leads to lower resistance to infections and can cause scurvy. Vitamin D comes from sunlight and is essential for healthy bones (Pearson, 2014).
Vitamin A is an antioxidant and is needed for healthy eyesight. It is related to carotene and is found in orange and yellow fruits and vegetables. Vitamin B is a term for a group of eight water-soluble vitamins that are commonly found in whole grains. A lack of vitamin B in the diet can cause a range of diseases including beriberi, anemia, and some mental disorders. Vitamin C is found in fresh fruits and vegetables and a lack of it in the diet leads to lower resistance to infections and can cause scurvy. Vitamin D comes from sunlight and is essential for healthy bones (Pearson, 2014).
There are solutions to the challenges of malnutrition (Pearson, 2014). They include (but are not limited to):
(1) Fortification of different staple foods with micronutrients
(2) Availability of vitamin supplements in many forms
(3) Possible improvements to nutrient content of food through genetic modification
(4) Increased labelling of foods with content information
(5) Education regarding the nature of a balanced diet and promotion of the importance of personal responsibility in diet choices
(1) Fortification of different staple foods with micronutrients
(2) Availability of vitamin supplements in many forms
(3) Possible improvements to nutrient content of food through genetic modification
(4) Increased labelling of foods with content information
(5) Education regarding the nature of a balanced diet and promotion of the importance of personal responsibility in diet choices