VITAMINS

Formerly known as accessory food factors

CHARACTERISTICS
* Do not provide energy
*Sensitive to heat, oxygen and light
*Occur in minute quantities
*Found in outer surface of food
*Dietary essentials
TERMS ASSOCIATED WITH VITAMINS
*Precursors / Provitamins
*Preformed Vitamins
*Avitaminosis
*Hypervitaminosis
*Vitamin-like compounds
*Antivitamins
*Synthetic vitamins

Classifications:
Fat soluble vitamins:
Vitamin A,D,E.K
General properties:
Generally have precursors
or provitamins
Deficiencies are slow to
develop
Not absolutely needed daily
from food sources
Generally stable

Water soluble viatmins:

Vitamins C & B complex
General properties:
Do not have precursors
Not stored in the body
significantly
Deficiency symptoms
develops relatively fast
Must be supplied in the diet
Easily destroyed in ordinary
cooking

VITAMIN A
Current Names:
Retinol
Dehydroretinol

Retinoic acid
Retinaldehyde

Functions
*Maintains integrity of epithelial tissues
*Needed for normal night vision
*Needed for normal bone and skeletal growth
*Needed for stability of cell membrane of the nervous system

SIGNS OF DEFICIENCY
*Eye lesions
*Retarded growth
*Low resistance to infection
*Faulty skeletal and dental development
*Keratinization of epithelial linings
*Respiratory , GU and GI disturbances
*Toad`s skin or phrynoderma
FOOD SOURCES

Preformed
liver

eggyolk
milk cream butter cheese
fortified margarine
skim milk
dilis
clams
tahong
fish liver oils

Precursor
s
malunggay
kamote
kangkong
sili saluyot
ampalaya carrot
squash
tiesa
papaya

The Skin in Vitamin A Deficiency

SIGNS OF EXCESS
*Headache
*Nausea and vomiting
*Thickening of the skin
*Coarse, sparse hair
RDA:
Males
Females
Pregnant (lst Tri.)
(2nd and 3rd
+25
Lactation (1-6 mos)
(7-12 mos)
Infants (6-11 mos)
Children 1-3
4- 6

525
450
475

7- 9

400

775
725
325
350
375

Males

10 - 12
13 - 15
16 - 19
Females 10 -12
13 - 15
16 - 19

425
475
525
400
425
450

VITAMIN D
- anti-rachitic or ricket-preventive vitamin
Forms:
Ergocalciferol or irradiated ergosterol (Vit. D2
Cholecalciferol (Vit. D3)
FUNCTIONS:
- Promotes normal bone and tooth development
SIGNS OF DEFICIENCY:
*TETANY
*RICKETS
*OSTEOMALACIA

RDA
100 - 400 IU

SIGNS OF EXCESS
*Nausea

diarrhea polyuria
*Weight loss
*Demineralization

FOOD SOURCES
Fortified margarine butter
milk
cheese
liver and other glandular organs
fish liver oils

Rickets:
Vitamin D
deficiency
in Children

VITAMIN E
-Tocopherol

FUNCTIONS:
* Cellular respiration
*Antioxidant
*Prevent hemolysis
DEFICIENCY
*Hemolysis of RBC
*Low blood tocopherol levels
* Increase urinary excretion of creatinine
*Nervousness, muscular, circulatory and glandular changes
RDA 4mg alpha-tocopherol equi. Or 6 IU/day

FOOD SOURCES:
Germ oils of wheat, corn, cottonseed or soybean pod
nuts, legumes, eggyolk, liver, butter, milk

VITAMIN K

- Anti-hemorrhagic factor
FUNCTIONS:
* Maintains prothrombin level in the blood
*Phosphorylation
*Synthesis of osteocalcin
SIGNS OF DEFICIENCY
*Delayed blood clotting
*Hemorrhagic disease in the newborn
SIGNS OF EXCESS
Vomiting
hemolysis
RDA
Children
Adults

albuminuria

kernicterus

30 - 60 ug/day
50- 141 ug/day

FOOD SOURCES
Liver dark green leaves wheat bran
tomatoes
vegetable oils seeds/legumes eggyolk

ASCORBIC ACID (Vitamin C)

- anti scorbutic vitamin
FUNCTIONS
*Formation and maintenance of intercellular cementing substance
*Conversion of folic acid to folinic acid
*Healing of wound and bone fractures
*Prevents megaloblastic anemia and petechial hemorrhage
*Builds body resistance
*Steroid hormone and insulin synthesis
*Tyrosine and phenylalanine metabolism
*Iron utilization
*Brain metabolism
*Anti-oxidant

CHARACTERISTICS:
most unstable of all the vitamins
almost completely absorbed in the small intestines
hardly stored in the
tissues
SIGNS OF DEFICIENCY:
Early Signs:
general weakness
pallor
irritability
lack

of appetite lowered resistance to infection

Severe Signs:
Scurvy with the following characteristics:
bleeding, swollen gums
loose teeth
internal hemorrhages / pinpoint hemorrhages
capillary fragility
megaloblastic anemia
Frog`s position

Scurvy

REQUIREMENT
Ref. Man
75mg/day Infants 6-11mos
Ref. Woman
70
Children 1-3
Pregnancy 2nd tri. +10
4-6
3rd tri
120
7-9
Lactation
120

30mg/day
35
45
55

FOOD SOURCES: fresh fruits eaten raw

Excellent sources
Anonas
bayabas
kasuy
strawberry

datiles
melon

kamatsile
papaya

Very good sources

Citrus fruits
green pepper

mangoes
tomatoes

green leafy vegetables

atis

VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN)
-anti- beriberi
-aneurin

-anti-neuritic

factor
-morale
vitamin

CHARACTERISTICS
stable when
easily destroyed by alkalis
dry
absorption is facilitated by an acid
medium
concentrated in the kidneys, liver, brain and
limited storage in the
muscles
body
Fat and CHON spare thiamin
CHO increases need for thiamin
FUNCTIONS
:1. CHO metabolism

2. Maintains functioning of GIT, nervous

& cardio system
SIGNS OF DEFICIENCY
-weakness
Early signs: - loss of appetite
-severe constipation
- indigestion
-poor reflexes
-gastric atony
-numbness of extremities -retarded growth

Late Sign: Beri-beri or nutritional polyneuritis

Types of Beri-beri
A. Infantile
aphonia
whining cry
cyanosis
difficulty of breathing
B. Wet
edema
enlarged heart
difficulty of breathing
C.
calf muscle tenderness
Drypins and needles
gradual loss of touch sensation muscle atrophy
Wernicke-Korsokoff syndrome
reduced leg reflexes
> No signs of excess reported
RDA
Ref man
20 - 79 y/0
0.9 - 1.3 mg/day
Ref woman 20 - 79 y/o
0.7 - 1.0
Pregnancy 2nd & 3rd tri + 0.3
Lactation +0.4
Infants
0.4

Wet Beriberi

FOOD SOURCES:
Outstanding Sources:
lean pork

pork liver

shell fish

Excellent Sources
liver and organ meats

legumes

egg yolk

dried yeast

unpolished rice

rice bran

whole grains

wheat germ

RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN 2)
FUNCTIONS:
> needed in the conversion of tryptophan to niacin
> maintains healthy skin, tongue and mouth
> for normal vision
> for proper bone growth and development
CHARACTERISTICS:
> easily destroyed by light, irradiation and alkalis
> absorbed in the small intestines
> storage is limited
RIBOFLAVIN ANTAGONISTS
atabrin
e

isoriboflavin

galactoflavin

Signs of Deficiency:
>early signs are similar to thiamin deficiency
advanced stage: Ariboflavinosis
> tissue changes on the skin, eyes mouth , nose and tongue
> seborrheic dermatitis
> itchy eyes with burning sensation and corneal vascularization
> glossitis
> cheilosis
Requirement and Allowance:
0.4 mg/ 1000 cal + 20 % margin of
safety
FOOD
SOURCES
cheese
milk
eggs
liver
meat
glandular organs whole grain
legumes
leafy green vegetables
seaweeds

NIACIN
ACTIVE FORMS
Nicotinic acid and nicotinamide
Precursor: Tryptophan
CHARACTERISTICS
most stable among the water-soluble vitamins
stored in limited amounts
synthesized from tryptophan
60 mgTtryptohan = 1 mg Niacin
Antivitamins: INH & 3-Acetylpyridine
FUNCTIONS
1.CHO metabolism
2. Normal growth, healthy skin
3. Maintenance of GIT and nervous system

SIGNS OF DEFICIENCY
Anorexia
skin changes

lassitude
glossitis

indigestion
angular stomatitis

Pellagra: 4 D`s
Dermatitis
Diarrhea
Dementia
Requirement and Allowance:
13 - 18 mg/day

Death

FOOD SOURCES
Liver and glandular organs
lean meat
fish
and poultry
milk eggs
cheese
legumes
nuts whole grains
green vegetables
Corn

poor source

Pellagra

PYRIDOXINE (Vitamin B6)

3 Forms: Pyridoxol, Pyriodoxol, Pyridoxamine
CHARACTERISTICS
Readily absorbed in the intestines
Storage is limited
All 3 forms are converted to active coenzyme Pyridoxal Phosphate
Contraceptives increase the need for it
Antagonists: deoxypyridoxine, methoxypyridoxine
FUNCTIONS
CHON metabolism
Catalyzes urea production, fatty acid synthesis,
conversion of niacin to tryptophan
Synthesis of heme portion of hemoglobin
Normal function of CNS

Vitamin B 6 Deficiency

Signs of Deficiency:
Irritability
convulsions

poor growth

anemia

> No Phil RDA (USA: 2mg/day)

FOOD
SOURCES:
Vegetable oils
peanut

cottonseed

wheat germ

linseed

rice germ

legumes especially beans and nuts

olive
lard

COBALAMIN (Vitamin B12)

CHARACTERISTICS

Absorbed in the intestines with the aid of Intrinsic factor

Can be stored in the liver
CHON complex in food
Most active form: Adenylcobamine
FUNCTIONS
Helps in the synthesis of heme, nucleic acid and thymine
For normal functioning of nerves,bone marrow and GIT
Prevents pernicious anemia

SIGNS 0F DEFICIENCY
Pernicious Anemia
Anorexia
Achlorhydria
Weight Loss

Vomiting
Abdominal pain
retarded growth

Liver and spleen enlargement

Jaundice, nerve degeneration, parethesia,
loss of vibratory sense, difficulty in walking
RDA: No Phil RDA, US RDA = 3 ug / day
FOOD SOURCES: animal proteins

Diarrhea

FOLIC ACID B11 (PGA, FOLATE)

FUNCTIONS:
Erythropoeisis
Synthesis of Hemoglobin
Partner of DNA
DEFICIENCY:
Megaloblastic anemia of infancy
Macrocytic anemia of pregnancy

END OF TOPIC

Have a
good day!

PANTOTHENIC ACID
FUNCTIONS
Synthesis of lipids, acethylcholine and porphyrin ring
Needed for CHO, CHON, and fat
metabolism
For normal growth, healthy skin
Maintains integrity of the CNS
Heme formation
RDA: 4-7 mg / day
FOOD SOURCES
Liver and glandular organs
meat

eggs

milk

cheese

legumes