Quick Facts:• Vitamins are found in nearly all foods in the food

pyramid.

• Vitamins are chemical substances found in food that are required for normal growth and health.

• Adequate intakes protect people from deficiency disease and may help prevent chronic diseases.

• Eating AT LEAST 5 fruits and vegetables daily is a good way to ensure adequate vitamin intake.

What are Vitamins?They are complex organic substances vital to

life.

They are essential nutrients because usually the body cannot produce them or produce enough of them without adequate dietary intake. They are needed in small quantities.See the chart on page 161 to see the RDA

What are Vitamins?The first vitamin to be discovered was vitamin A in 1915.

Most vitamins are not produced by body and must be consumed on a regular basis to remain healthy.

Role of Vitamins:• Do NOT provide energy but regulate

body chemistry and body functions.

• Many act as co-enzymes in the conversion of proteins, carbohydrates and fat into energy.

• May act as co-enzymes in reactions that build or maintain body tissues.

Role of Vitamins:• May act as antioxidants, helping to

prevent disease.

• Thiamin is needed for reactions that convert glucose to energy.

• Folate is needed to help build body proteins.

Water soluble vs. Fat soluble• Those that dissolve in water are the B

complex vitamins and vitamin C.

• Those that are soluble in fat are A, D, E and K.

• The water soluble vitamins can be stored in the body in only small amounts.

Water soluble vs. Fat soluble• Deficiency can develop within a few weeks to

several months in cases of water soluble vitamin deficiency in the diet.

• Niacin, B6, and Vitamin C are known to cause bad effects if consumed in excessive amounts.

• Fat soluble vitamins are stored in body fat, the liver and other parts of the body. Deficiencies take longer to develop if there is dietary deficiency.

The Known VitaminsFat-SolubleVitamin D Vitamin EVitamin KVitamin A

Water-SolubleThiamin (B1)Riboflavin (B2)Niacin (B3)Vitamin CTo remember your water soluble remember:

Three B’s C Water

To remember your water soluble remember:

My friend DEKA is fat!

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)Vitamin B1 is needed for the metabolism of

carbohydrates.

Vitamin B1 is also involved in the transmission of high-speed impulses in the nervous system.

Found in:Yeast, peas, pork, wheat germ and peanuts.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)Vitamin B1 prevents Beriberi

Disease of the nervous system.

Causes partial paralysis of the arms and legs, weakness, mental confusion.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)• Riboflavin is important to

growth and helps form red blood cells.

• Converts carbs, protein, fat into energy.

• Found in both animal and vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, liver, milk).

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)Conversion of

carbohydrate, protein and fat to energy

Found in meats, grains, beans, nuts, dairy products, coffee, potatoes, fish

Niacin prevents pellagra

PellagraMajor health issue where

the diet consisted of corn because the niacin in corn cannot be used by the body because it is bound in the protein of the corn

This disease causes skin eruptions, digestive and nervous disturbances, and mental deterioration.

Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)• Vitamin C is present in all citrus fruits,

potatoes, and cabbage.

• Must be consumed on a daily basis

• The main function of vitamin C is to assist in forming collagen and forms the hard layer of dentin in the teeth.

• Probably does not prevent the common cold; possibly may decrease the duration & symptoms.

Fat-Soluble VitaminsStored in body fat, the liver, and other

areas

Stored for longer times than water-soluble vitamins, so deficiencies take longer to develop than with water-soluble vitamin deficiencies

“DEKA”

Vitamin A (Beta-carotene is its precursor)

The active form of vitamin A in food is called retinol.Found in animal products such as dairy products, eggs; fortified cereals, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, carrots spinach, parsley

Vitamin A (Beta-carotene is its precursor)

Vitamin A is essential for good vision and to maintain mucous membranes.

Vitamin A also affect the length which bones grow and manufacture red blood cells.

The body can store a year’s supply of vitamin A in the liver. Which allows the body to go long periods without

adverse effects.

Too Much Vitamin A

Too much vitamin A can be toxic

Joints can become painful, and clotting of blood is affected.

Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol)Discovered in 1919

Foods high in vitamin D include fortified milk & margarine, butter, fish, eggs, mushrooms; sun exposure (10-15 min face and hands)

Essential to the growth and repair of strong bones.

RicketsRickets, a softening and bending of bones in children,

first described in 1651, is another nutritionally-specific disease.

It reached epidemic proportions following the industrial revolution, which began in the 1750s.

In the 19th century, before the importance of exposing children to sunlight was recognized, the majority of children that lived in cities with sunless, narrow alleyways and pollution developed rickets. An autopsy study done in Boston in the late 1800s showed

that more than 80% of children had rickets.

Vitamin E (Tocopherol)Vitamin E is actually

eight different chemicals

Found is primarily in vegetable oils, but small amounts are present in fruits, vegetables, grains.

Vitamin E helps stabilize cell walls

Vitamin KImportant to blood clotting, aids in calcium

absorption into bones, prevents bruising

The human body cannot produce vitamin K but a bacteria in the intestine can produce this chemical.Vitamin K is produced IN the body but not BY

the body.

Vitamin K can be found in milk, liver, dark green vegetables, grains .

How to Get All the Vitamins:Eat a balanced diet. Pay particular attention to eating sufficient fruits and vegetables with a balance in colors.