Vitamins
 
 

• Molecules that the body cannot make itself
• required in very small amounts
• They are water soluble or fat soluble
• Need to enable chemical reactions in the body

• Vitamins need to assist enzymes to act
• Enzymes are needed for chemical reactions in the body
• Everything the body does uses chemical reactions
• muscle contraction
• nervous messages
• digestion
• metabolism

• To understand vitamins we must know about enzymes
• Every chemical reaction in the body needs an enzyme
• Enzymes select which chemical react and how
• Enzymes can be controlled so we can determine when they act
• Most enzymes need co-factors to activate them

• Enzymes need co-factors to make them work These may be organic molecules or inorganic (mineral)
• Mineral co-factors
• small amounts are need in the diet e.g. Mg , Se, Zn, Al
• Organic Co-factors

• Needed in the diet
• Vitamins or made from vitamins
• Some essential amino acids
• Not normally need in the diet
• Made in the body (Non-vitamins)
• eg. Ubiquinone, carnitine, lipoic acid, Choline, inositol
• May become essential in diet with age or disease
• Dietary supply may assist health

• Two types of metabolism
• Catabolism
• Transferring energy from big molecules into more useable forms
• eg From sugar to ATP and NADPH
• Anabolism
• Building new molecules
• Protein ,lipids and carbohydrates
• complex molecules

• Extracting energy out of Food
• Vitamins Required
• Thiamine [Vitamin B₁ ] used as TPP
• Riboflavin [Vitamin B₂] used as FAD
• Niacin ( nicotinic acid) [Vitamin B₃ ] used as NAD and NADP
• Pantothenic acid used as Coenzyme A
• Pyridoxine [Vitamin B6 ] used as Pyidoxyl Phosphate

• Symptoms are mostly related to lack of available energy
• Retarded growth
• muscle weakness
• brain damage
• dermatitis
• anaemia

• Thiamine
• Berri-berri
• Riboflavin
• Corneal ulceration Cataracts
• angular stomatitis (dermatitis in mouth angle)
• Niacin
• Pellagra
• 4Ds = Diarrhoea, Dermatitis, Dementia and Death
• Pantothenic Acid
• low blood cholesterol
• burning hands

• Used in synthesising larger molecules
• Pyridoxine
• Interconversion of amino acids
• Niacin
• as NADPH need for most synthesis reactions
• Niacin is also used in catabolic as well as anabolic pathways.
• Folic acid
• Vitamin B12
• Ascorbic acid
• Biotin [Vitamin H]

• May be similar to Catabolic inadequacy
• energy needed for all anabolism
• Symptoms are mostly related inability to synthetise material need for tissues that are tuned over ( replaced) quickly.
• Some parts of the body are slowly renewed
• Adult brain
• Other tissues are replaced very quickly

• Red Blood Cells => Anaemia
• Skin cells => Dermatitis
• Lining of GIT => diarrhoea and malnutrition
• hair =>
• bone =>
• Immune system => infections and cancer

• Folic Acid
• Hospital anaemia
• Cooked food kept warm to long
• Vitamin B12
• pernicious anaemia
• lack of ability to absorb vitamin in food
• intrinsic factor made in stomach
• loss of weight
• Vitamin C
• Scurvy

• Dietary inadequacy
• Inherited higher requirement
• Ingestion of anti-nutritive substances

• NO single food has all the vitamins
• But some food have NO vitamins
• Referred to as "empty kilojoules" e.g.:
• white sugar, processed vegetable oil
• lollies, alcohol
• Complimentary foods
• The lack in some foods is made up in others
• Hence "Eat a wide variety of Foods" and the "Five Food Groups"

• The lack in each group is made up in others
• Group 1 Bread and Cereals Vitamins B1 B2 B3
• Group 2 Milk and Cheese Vitamins B12, Ca
• Group 3 Vegetables and Fruit Vitamin B3, Folate
• Group 4 Meats , Fish & Poultry Vitamin B (Group),
• Folate , Fe, Zn.
• Group 5 Fats and Oil Fat soluble vitamins
• The End

Disclaimer: This page, its contents and style, are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the views, policies or opinions of William Angliss Institute of TAFE. All content remains the property of William Angliss Institute of TAFE.

 

Prepared by Barry Brazier

 

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William Angliss Institute	Nutrition Australia	Australian Nutrition Foundation	AIFST
Hospitality Association	Barry Brazier	Hospitality Network	About Melbourne