Vitamins:Vital Keys to Health

BIOL 103, Chapter 9-2

Today’s Topics

• The Water-Soluble Vitamins: Eight Bs and a C• Bogus Vitamins

Summary of Fat-Soluble Vitamins

The Water-Soluble Vitamins: Eight Bs and a C

• Primarily coenzymes• Antioxidants

• What to keep in mind about each vitamins:– Function– Food sources– Toxicity vs. Deficiency

What is a Coenzyme?

• Coenzyme: a small compound that helps enzymes in biochemical reactions. Most coenzymes are derived from vitamins or are made from vitamins.

Thiamin/B1

• Functions:– Coenzyme in _______________________________– Part of the coenzyme: thiamin pyrophosphate (TPP)

• Helps break down glucose, make RNA and DNA, helps power protein synthesis

• Helps synthesize and regulate neurotransmitters

• Food sources:– Pork, legumes, nuts and seeds, fish and seafood,

enriched grain product– Cooking ____________________ content

Thiamin/B1• Deficiency:

– ________________: overall profound muscle weakness and nerve destruction• _____________________________• Occurs with __________________________ because it

interferes with B vitamin absorption– Q: Why would Beriberi be more common in Southeast

Asia?

• Toxicity:– None reported

Riboflavin/B2

• Functions: 1. Coenzyme in __________________________ (extracts

energy from glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids)2. Supports __________________

• Food sources:– Milk and dairy products – Enriched grains, eggs

• Deficiency: – _________________________________

• Usually occurs with chronic alcoholism

• Toxicity: UL is not set

Niacin/B3

• Functions:1. Coenzyme in _______________________2. Supports __________________________

• Food sources:– Can be made from ____________________• Need B1, B6, and iron to convert to B3

– Whole and enriched grains– Meat, poultry, fish, nuts, peanuts

Niacin/B3

• Deficiency:– ________________: “rough skin”

• Four D’s: ___________________________________________________________________________________

– Can worsen if also deficient in ________________________________________.

• Toxicity and medicinal uses– High doses used to treat high blood cholesterol– Side effects: ________________________________________________________________________

Pyridoxine/B6

• Functions:1. Coenzyme in _________________________ metabolism2. Supports _______________________3. Helps to lower blood levels of homocysteine reduce

risk for heart disease• Diagram:

• Food sources:– Meat, fish, poultry, potatoes, bananas, sunflower seeds

Pyridoxine/B6

• Deficiency– _______________________________________ :

anemia characterized by small, pale red blood cells that lack adequate hemoglobin to carry oxygen. • Can also be caused by deficiency in __________

• Toxicity and medicinal uses– Can cause ________________________________– Other symptoms: upset stomach, headaches,

sleepiness, tingling/prickling or burning sensation

Folate/B9

• Functions:1. Coenzyme in _______________________________2. Needed for normal ___________________ synthesis3. Works with ___________________ to help control

homocysteine levels

• Food sources:– Fortified cereals, enriched grains– Green, leafy vegetables

• Think of folate like foliage

Folate/B9

• Deficiency:– _______________________________:

• Not enough folate red blood cells cannot form DNA and cannot divide become large, immature cells cannot carry oxygen properly anemia

– Birth defects in the Neural Tube: ______________________– Heart disease from elevated homocysteine levels

• Toxicity:– Can mask ___________________ deficiency when you take

folate supplements

Cobalamin/B12

• “Cobalt-containing compounds” (cobalamin)• Functions:

1. Needed for normal __________________ functions• DNA and red blood cell synthesis• Metabolize homocysteine

2. Maintains myelin sheath around nerves _______ _______________________________

• Food sources:– Only animal foods: meats, liver, milk, eggs– Some fortified foods

Cobalamin/B12

• Absorption:– Requires ____________________ and

___________________________ • Deficiency:– Can be caused by Pernicious anemia: autoimmune

disorder that damages stomach linings reduced B12 absorption

– Nerve damage• Toxicity:– No UL set

Figure 9.32: Absorption of B12

Pantothenic Acid/B5

• Function:1. Component of __________,

which is a part of acetyl CoA helps extract energy from nutrients and help build fatty acids

• Food sources:– Widespread in foods– Reduced by _______________

_________________________• Deficiency/Toxicity: Rare

Biotin/B7

• Functions:– Acts as a coenzyme in:

1. ________________________________2. ________________________________3. ________________________________4. Release of energy from ____________________

• Food sources:– Cauliflower, liver, peanuts, cheese– Protein avidin (raw egg whites) binds biotin and

prevents absorption• Deficiency and Toxicity are rare

Vitamin C

• Functions:– _________________________________– Needed for ________________________– Other roles:

• Make other essential compounds (steroid hormones, thyroid hormones, bile salts, parts of DNA)

• Enhances the absorption of iron from plant foods

• Food sources:– Fruits: citrus, strawberries, kiwi– Vegetables: broccoli, tomatoes, leafy green, potatoes

Vitamin C

• Deficiency:– _____________

• Toxicity:– May cause ____________________– For some people: kidney stones, iron toxicity

Choline: A Vitamin-Like Substance

• Function:– Act as a ___________________ to help

metabolize homocysteine• Food sources:– Milk, liver, egg yolk, peanuts; overall is abundant

in food• Deficiency: Unlikely in healthy people• Toxicity: – Diarrhea, falling blood pressure, fishy body odor

Bogus Vitamins

• Bogus vitamins: Unnecessary substances found in some supplements– Examples: hesperidin, para-aminobenzoic acid

(PABA), pangamic acid, rutin– Think twice before you buy them!