All you need to know about Micronutrients:-Vitamins & Minerals

VITAMINS

 

 Vitamins are organic substances that the body needs in minute amounts and that we ingest with our foods.

 Vitamins do not supply energy, nor do they contribute substantially to the mass of the body; rather, they act as catalysts,

 substances that help to trigger other reactions in the body.

 The two basic categories of vitamins are water-soluble and fat-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body, 

and any excess amounts are flushed out in the urine. 

Fat-soluble vitamins are dissolved and stored in the fatty tissues of the body. 

It is necessary to take in water-soluble vitamins on a daily basis, but fat-soluble vitamins can be ingested less often.

 

Water-Soluble Vitamins

 B1 (thiamine)

 B2 (riboflavin)

 B3 (niacin, nicotinic acid, nicotinamide)

 B5 (pantothenic acid)

 B6 (pyridoxine)

 B12 (cyanocobalamin)

 Biotin

 Folate (folic acid, folacin)

 Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

 Vitamin A (retinol)

   

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

 Vitamin A

 Vitamin D

 Vitamin E

 Vitamin K

 

VITAMIN B1 (THIAMINE)

 USE IN THE BODY: Helps release energy from carbohydrates during metabolism.

 Important for health of nerves and muscles, including heart. Helps prevent fatigue and irritability.

 SOURCES IN DIET: Whole grains, dried beans and peas, sunflower seeds, nuts.

 SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY: Beriberi (nerve changes, sometimes edema, heart failure).

 SYMPTOMS OF OVERDOSE: None known.

 RDA: 1.5 mg

 VITAMIN B2 (RIBOFLAVIN)

 USE IN THE BODY: Helps the body to metabolize carbohydrates, fat, and protein to release energy. 

As an antioxidant, riboflavin protects cells from oxidative damage. Supports good vision and is needed for healthy hair, skin, and nails.

 Necessary for normal cell growth.

 SOURCES IN DIET: Liver and other organ meats, poultry, brewer’s yeast, fish, dried peas, beans, nuts, sunflower seeds,

 cheese, eggs, yogurt, milk, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, nori seaweed.

 SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY: Skin lesions.

 SYMPTOMS OF OVERDOSE: None known.

 RDA: 1.7 mg

 

VITAMIN B3 (NIACIN, NICOTINIC ACID, NICOTINAMIDE)

 USE IN THE BODY: Energy metabolism. Important for healthy skin and digestive tract tissue. 

 Stimulates circulation. (Caution: If nicotinic acid is taken by itself, it may cause flushing.)

 SOURCES IN DIET: Liver and other organ meats, veal, poultry, fish, nuts, brewer’s yeast,

 dried beans, dried fruit, green leafy vegetables, whole grains, milk, eggs.

 SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY: Pellagra (sensitivity to light; fatigue; loss of appetite; skin eruptions; and sore, red tongue).

 SYMPTOMS OF OVERDOSE: Flushing of face, neck, and hands; liver damage.

 RDA: 19 mg

 

VITAMIN B5 (PANTOTHENIC ACID)

 USE IN THE BODY: Pantothenic acid is an active part of coenzyme A (CoA), important in energy production and utilization. 

 It supports adrenal glands to increase production of hormones to counteract stress. Important for healthy skin and nerves.

 SOURCES IN DIET: Nuts, beans, seeds, dark green leafy vegetables, poultry, dried fruit, milk. Highest source: royal jelly (from honeybees).

 SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY: Fatigue, sleep disturbance, nausea.

 SYMPTOMS OF OVERDOSE: None known.

 RDA: 6 mg

 

VITAMIN B6 (PYRIDOXINE)

 USE IN THE BODY: Helps body protein to build body tissue and in metabolism of fat. Facilitates release of glycogen from liver and muscles.

 Helps in red blood cell production, fluid-balance regulation.

 SOURCES IN DIET: Sunflower seeds, beans, poultry, liver, eggs, nuts, green leafy vegetables, bananas, dried fruit.

 SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY: Nervous and muscular disorders.

 SYMPTOMS OF OVERDOSE: Unstable gait, numb feet, poor hand coordination, abnormal brain function.

 RDA: 2 mg

 

VITAMIN B12 (CYANOCOBALAMIN)

 USE IN THE BODY: Important in formation of red blood cells and building genetic material. Stimulates growth in children. Helps functioning of nervous system, 

 and in metabolizing protein and fat in body.

 SOURCES IN DIET: Animal protein foods, including meat, fish, shellfish, poultry, milk, yogurt, eggs.

 SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY: Pernicious anemia (weight loss, weakness, pale skin), confusion, moodiness, memory loss, depression.

 SYMPTOMS OF OVERDOSE: None known.

 RDA: 2 mcg

 

BIOTIN

 USE IN THE BODY: Energy metabolism.

 SOURCES IN DIET: Egg yolks, liver, sardines, whole soy flour.

 SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY: Dermatitis, depression, muscular pain.

 SYMPTOMS OF OVERDOSE: None known.

 RDA: 30 to 100 mcg

 

FOLATE (FOLIC ACID, FOLACIN)

 USE IN THE BODY: Helps form red blood cells. Assists in breakdown and utilization of protein. Essential during pregnancy for its importance in cell division.

 In its active form (the so-called methyl-containing form) folate stabilizes proteins, nucleic acids, and membranes of cells as well as supporting brain function.

 SOURCES IN DIET: Dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, whole-grain products, fruit, fruit juices, liver, egg yolks.

 SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY: Anemia, gastrointestinal disturbances.

 SYMPTOMS OF OVERDOSE: Masks vitamin B12 deficiency.

 RDA: 200 mcg

VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID)

 USE IN THE BODY: Essential for connective tissue found in skin, cartilage, bones, and teeth. Helps heal wounds. Antioxidant.

 Stimulates immune system. Aids in absorption of iron.

 SOURCES IN DIET: Citrus fruits, berries, melons, dark green vegetables, cauliflower, tomatoes, green and red peppers, cabbage, potatoes.

 SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY: Scurvy (bleeding gums, weakness), delayed wound healing, impaired immune response.

 SYMPTOMS OF OVERDOSE: Gastrointestinal upsets, confounded results from certain lab tests.

 RDA: 60 mg  

VITAMIN A (RETINOL)

 USE IN THE BODY: Tissue maintenance. Healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes. Helps us see in dim light. Essential for normal growth and reproduction.

 SOURCES IN DIET: Liver; deep yellow, orange, and dark green vegetables and fruits (including carrots, broccoli, spinach, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes); cheese; milk; fortified margarine.

 SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY: Night blindness; dry, scaling skin; poor immune response. Serum (blood) values of vitamin A should be between 0.15 and 0.6 μg/ml.

 SYMPTOMS OF OVERDOSE: Damage to the liver, kidney, and bone; headache; irritability; vomiting; hair loss; blurred vision; yellow skin.

 RDA: 1,000 mcg (3,333 IU)

VITAMIN D3 (CHOLECALCIFEROL)

 USE IN THE BODY: Helps regulate calcium metabolism and bone calcification. Called the sunshine vitamin because it is manufactured in human skin when in contact with ultraviolet light.

 Wintertime, clouds, and smog reduce its production in the body.

SOURCES IN DIET: Fortified and full-fat dairy products, tuna, salmon, cod liver oil.

 SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY: Rickets in children, bone softening in adults.

 SYMPTOMS OF OVERDOSE: Gastrointestinal upset; cerebral, cardiovascular, and kidney damage; lethargy.

 RDA: 10 mcg

VITAMIN E (D-ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL)

 USE IN THE BODY: Antioxidant to prevent cell membrane damage.

 SOURCES IN DIET: Vegetable oils and their products, nuts, seeds, fish, wheat germ, whole-grain products, green leafy vegetables.

 SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY: In humans, diseases of the pancreas and liver as well as various forms of chronic diarrhea. Anemia.

 SYMPTOMS OF OVERDOSE: Perhaps fatal in premature infants given intravenous solution. There are no known symptoms of oral overdose.

 RDA: 10 mg (alpha-tocopherol equivalents)

VITAMIN K (PHYLLOQUINONE)

 USE IN THE BODY: Necessary for normal blood clotting.

 SOURCES IN DIET: Dark green leafy vegetables; cabbage; polar bear liver (actually, fatal amounts).

 SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY: Severe bleeding on injury; internal hemorrhaging.

 SYMPTOMS OF OVERDOSE: Liver damage, anemia (from synthetic forms).

 RDA: 80 mcg

MINERALS

 

 Minerals are inorganic substances that contain elements the body needs in relatively small amounts. 

 There are twenty-two metallic elements in the body, which make up about 4 percent of total body weight.

 Minerals are found abundantly in the soil and water of the planet, and eventually are taken in by the root systems of plants. 

 We obtain minerals by eating the plants or the animals that eat the plants. If you eat a variety of meats and vegetables in your diet, 

 you can usually depend on getting sufficient minerals.

 Then minerals in the body play a part in a variety of metabolic processes, and contribute to the synthesis of such chemical compounds as glycogen, protein, and fats.

 Following is a basic guide to the most important minerals the body needs in substantial amounts:

CALCIUM: Essential for strength of bones and teeth. Found in milk products; vegetables such as kale, turnip greens, 

 and mustard greens; tofu; and seafood such as sardines, clams, and oysters. Lack of calcium can cause muscular cramping and, in the long term, osteoporosis.

 RDA: 1200 mg for males eleven to twenty-four; 800 mg for males over twenty-five

 

PHOSPHORUS: A component of every cell, including DNA, RNA, and ATP. Found in whole-grain cereals, egg yolks, fish, milk, meat, poultry, legumes, nuts. 

Essential in the regulation of body pH (acidity/alkalinity). RDA: 1200 mg for males eleven to twenty-four; 800 mg for males over twenty-five

 

MAGNESIUM: Present throughout the body, an activator of enzymes involving most processes in the body. Found in green vegetables, legumes, whole-grain cereals, nuts, meat, milk, chocolate.

 RDA: 400 mg for males fifteen to eighteen; 350 mg for males nineteen and older

 

SODIUM: Regulates body fluid levels, involved in activating muscular contraction. Sodium is available in common table salt and in most foods except fruit, 

particularly animal foods, seafood, milk, and eggs. Excess sodium tends to increase water retention and is associated with elevated blood sugar levels. 

Lack of sodium can cause muscular weakness and cramping. RDA: 1,100 to 3,300 mg

 

CHLORINE: A component of digestive fluids and functions in combination with sodium. Found in table salt, meat, seafood, eggs, milk. RDA: 1,700 to 5,100 mg

 

POTASSIUM: Involved in protein and carbohydrate metabolism, functions inside cell (in combination with sodium outside) to control fluid osmosis. Found in meat, milk,

 cereals, vegetables, fruits, legumes. Excess potassium supplements can cause vomiting. Potassium deficiency can result in muscular weakness. RDA: 1,875 to 5,625 mg

SULFUR: Needed for synthesis of essential metabolites. Found in protein foods such as meat, seafood, milk, eggs, poultry, cheese, legumes. No RDA recommendation.

 Other minerals are important to the body, but at levels of only a trace amount per day.

 These are:

  

 Iron

 Fluoride

 Zinc

 Molybdenum

 Copper

 Cobalt

 Iodine

 Selenium

 Manganese

 Chromium

  

There are other minerals known to be essential, but for which no recommended

 daily amount has been established:

 

 Tin

 Nickel

 Vanadium

 Silicon