Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins

• Vitamins are organic compounds required for one’s health.

• They are needed in small amounts supplied by diet or supplements.

• We have two types of vitamins: water-soluble and fat soluble.

• Water soluble are easily excreted if excess and are affected by cooking.

• While fat soluble vitamin’s excess is stored in liver and fat tissue and used when needed, and they are not affected by cooking.

Absorption

• The food is digested by stomach acid and then travels to the small intestine, where it is digested further. Bile is needed for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. This substance, which is produced in the liver, flows into the small intestine, where it breaks down fats. Nutrients are then absorbed through the wall of the small intestine.

• Upon absorption, the fat-soluble vitamins enter the lymph vessels before making their way into the bloodstream. In most cases, fat-soluble vitamins must be coupled with a protein in order to travel through the body.

• These vitamins are used throughout the body, but excesses are stored in the liver and fat tissues.

Vit.A

• Also called retinol.

• Function: plays an important role in eye sight, bone growth, reproduction, cell division, gene expression, skin’s health, and immune system.

• Sources: Fish, liver, carrot, pumpkin and apricot.

• Signs of deficiency: night blindness, hyperkeratosis, slow bone growth, and decreased resistance to infections.

Hyperkeratosis is a thickening of the outer layer of the skin. This outer layer contains a tough, protective protein called keratin.

Vit.D

• Function: it increases the amount of calcium absorbed by intestine.

• Sources: milk, oily fish, skin also produces vit.d in response to sunlight.

• Signs of deficiency: in growing children include rickets (long, soft bowed legs) and flattening of the back of the skull.

in adults may result in osteomalacia (muscle and bone weakness), and osteoporosis (loss of bone mass).

Vit.E

• Function: acts as an antioxidant, preventing Vit.A, Vit.C, RBC, and essential fatty acids. May also decrease the risk of heart disease.

• Sources: vegetable oil (soybean, corn, cottonseed, and safflower),nuts (almonds and hazelnuts), seeds (sunflower).

• Signs of deficiency: Deficiency is very rare infertility in males and abortion in females, mild hemolytic anemia in newborn infants.

Several researches suggested that taking Vit.Esupplements may reduces the severity of these cases.

Vit.K

• Function: normal blood clotting.

• Sources: produced by the bacteria in the intestines, green-leafy vegetables, vegetables oils including soybean oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil and olive oil.

• Signs of deficiency: Without sufficient amounts of vitamin K, hemorrhaging can occur. Vitamin K deficiency may appear in infants or in people who take anticoagulants. Newborn babies lack the intestinal bacteria to produce vitamin K and need a supplement for the first week

Bleeding disorder due to Vit.K deficiency.

Thank You.