Vitamins & Minerals Cree Vickers & Jennifer Way Georgia Southern Dietetic Interns
Dec 31, 2015
What is a Vitamin?○ Organic substances made by
plants and animals
○ Helps the body perform specific functions such as growth and development and maintaining overall health
Types of Vitamins○ Fat-Soluble
○ vitamins that are dissolvable in dietary fat
○ Water-Soluble○ vitamins that are dissolvable in
water prior to absorption
Vitamin
Function Sources Deficiencies
SkinVision
Yellow, orange fruits
Dark leafy greensCantaloupes, liver, carrots, fortified
skim milk, apricots, sweet
potatoes
Night blindness, corneal damage, and/or dry, scaly
skin
Function Sources Deficiencies
Important for calcium and phosphorus metabolism
sunlight, egg yolk, fortified milk, mushrooms, salmon, tuna
Rickets in childrenOsteomalacia in
adults
Vitamin
Function Sources Deficiencies
Antioxidant Whole GrainsGreen Vegetables
AlmondsVegetable oils
Hemolytic Anemia
Vitamin
Function Sources Deficiencies
Helps in blood clotting and
calcium metabolism
Green leafy vegetables
SpinachKale
CabbageBroccoli
Hemorrhages
Vitamin
Water Soluble○ B12○ Folic Acid○ Vitamin C
○ B6○ Pantothenic Acid○ Biotin○ Thiamin○ Riboflavin○ Niacin
Vitamin
Function Sources Deficiencies
Helps in the formation of red
blood cells Helps DNA regulation
Liver and Kidney MeatMilk
Cheese Eggs Fish
Macrocytic Megaloblastic
Anemia Pernicious Anemia
Function Sources Deficiencies
DNA synthesisForms RBC in bone marrow
Prevents neural tube defects
Fortified dried cereal
Liver and Kidney Green leafy vegetables
Citrus fruits Lentils and beans
Macrocytic Megaloblastic
Anemia Diarrhea Fatigue
Neural tube defects in infants
Function Sources Deficiencies
Collagen formation
Wound healing Aids in non-heme iron absorption
Promotes healthy immune system
Citrus fruits Potatoes Papaya
Dark green/yellow vegetables
Scurvy Poor wound
healing Bleeding in gums
Petechiae
Vitamin
What is a Mineral?
○ Inorganic elements that come from the earth such as soil and water that come from the plants.
○ Animals and humans absorb minerals from the plants they eat
○ Helps the body perform specific functions such as growth and development and maintaining overall health
Types of Minerals○ Macrominerals
○ minerals that our bodies needs in higher amounts
○ Trace Minerals○ minerals that our bodies needs in
smaller amounts
Calcium
Function Sources Deficiencies
Blood clotting, cardiac function,
nerve transmission,
smooth muscle contractility
Dairy productsLeafy vegetables
Legumes
Hypocalcemia leads to tenany
Magnesium Function Sources Deficiencies
Helps in protein and fatty acid
synthesis
Most food items, especially bread
and milk
Tremors (rare)
Potassium Function Sources Deficiencies
Muscle contraction
Regulates fluid and mineral
balance Maintain normal blood pressure
Fruits and vegetablesBananasOrangesPapaya
PotatoesTomatoes
BeansCarrots
Hypokalaemia
Phosphorus
Function Sources Deficiencies
Transport of fat through blood
stream, bones, and teeth
MeatsMilk
PoultryEggsFish
CheeseBeans, lentils, nuts
Rare
○ Iodine○ Fluoride○ Selenium○ Manganes
e○ Chromium○ Cobalt○ Choline
Trace Minerals○ Zinc○ Iron○ Copper
Zinc Function Sources Deficiencies
Increases taste acuity
Enhance insulin action
MeatsLiverEggsFish
Reduced immune function
Poor wound healing Alopecia
Hypogeusia
Iron Function Sources Deficiencies
Carries oxygen to various parts of
the body
Heme iron: animals foods,
meats, fish, poultry
Non-heme: cereals, vegetables
Fatigue, anemia, spoon-shaped nails
Copper
Function Sources Deficiencies
Hemoglobin synthesis and aids in iron absorption
LiverKidney
Shellfish
Microcytic Anemia (rare)
Neutropenia Wilson’s Disease
Supplements● If an individual maintains a healthy balanced diet,
supplements are not necessary● Supplements can be used if:
○ an individual has a certain illness that inhibits absorption of certain vitamins and minerals or
○ an individual is not consuming enough of a certain food group
● The use of supplements should always be followed by a doctor’s recommendations
Multivitamins ● Multivitamins
○ though a multivitamin is not necessarily necessary, it will not harm you but a doctor’s recommendation should always be followed
○ extremely beneficial for pregnant women
● Even if you use supplements or multivitamins, you should still follow a healthy balanced diet to receive proper nutrition
Summary ● Vitamin: organic substances made by plants and
animals that helps the body perform specific functions ○ Water Soluble: B vitamins, folic acid, vitamin C ○ Fat Soluble: Vitamins A,D,E,K
● Mineral: inorganic elements that come from the earth that helps the body perform specific functions○ Macrominerals: calcium, magnesium,
potassium, phosphorus ○ Trace minerals: zinc, copper iron
● Even if you use supplements or multivitamins, you should still follow a healthy balanced diet to receive proper nutrition
Referenceshttp://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/vitamins/http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/vitamins-and-supplements/types-of-vitamins-and-nutrients/potassiumInman’s Review of Dietetics (2013)