CHAPTER 4

MICRONUTRIENTS
 VITAMINS
• “Vitamin” comes from the Latin word “vita” meaning
life, “amine” means nitrogen compound.
• are organic compounds needed only in minute
quantities in the diet
• Complex organic compound to regulate body
processes and maintain body tissue
 • Do not give energy to the body but merely help
convert food into energy through biochemical
reactions.
• Taking extra: can’t increase one’s physical capacity
• Shortage: lead to fatigue
• Do not have caloric value
 Vitamins Terminologies
1. Precursors or provitamins
– is a substance that may be converted within the body to a
vitamin.
2. Preformed vitamins

• compound that can be changed to active vitamins. Ex.

Carotene are precursors to Vit. A
• - are naturally occurring vitamins that are in inactive form and
ready for its biological use
3. Avitaminosis -severe lack of vitamins
– Ex. Avitaminosis A leads to night blindness
4. Hypervitaminosis -excessive accumulation of
vitamins in the body
– “vitamin toxicity”
5. Vitamin Malnutrition-too much or too little” not
good for the health
6. Vitamin-like Compounds -Have physiological roles
like vitamins but they are present in larger amounts and
partially synthesized in the body.
Ex: Inositol, Choline, lipoic acid, ubiquinone
7. Antivitamins or Vitamin Antagonist
They interfere with the normal functioning of a
vitamin
 Classification of Vitamins on the Basis of
Solubility
1. Fat-soluble Vitamins
▪ Vitamins A,D,E,K
2. Water-soluble Vitamins
▪ Vitamin B Complex and Vitamin C
 General Properties and Stability
Fat-soluble Water-soluble
1. Have precursors or provitamins 1. Do not have precursors.
2. Deficiencies are slow to develop 2. Any excess is excreted in the urine.
3. Not needed daily in the diet. 3. Must be supplied daily in the diet.
4. Stable, especially in ordinary cooking 4. Deficiency symptoms develop fast
5. Destroyed in ordinary cooking.
 FUNCTIONS
1. Essential in the growth, repair and healthy
functioning of body tissues.
2. Through many biochemical reactions, vitamins
transform food into energy.
Major Roles of Vitamins:
• Antioxidants – Vit. E & C
• Bone Health – Vit. D & K
• Blood clotting – Vit. K
• Vision – Vit. A
• Coenzymes – The 8 B - Vitamins
 NOMENCLATURE OF VITAMINS
VITAMIN NOMENCLATURE
Vitamin A Retinol
D Calciferol
E Tocopherol
K Phylloquinone
Vitamin B1 Thiamine
B2 Riboflavin
B3 Niacin
B4 Adenine
B5 Panthotenic Acid
B6 Pyridoxine
B7 Biotin
B8 Inositol (Vit.like factor)
B10 Para-Aminobenzoic Acid (pseudo vit)
B12 Cyanocobalamin (Cobalamin)
Folic Acid
 FAT SOLUBLE VITAMINS
• A, D, E, K can be absorbed in the presence of fat &
stored in the body.
• generally have pre cursors or pro vitamins
• They can be stored in the body, deficiencies are slow
to develop.
• Not absolutely needed daily from food sources
• Stable especially in daily cooking
 Vit. A (Retinol)
• Vitamin A is a group of compounds that play an
important role in vision, bone growth, reproduction,
cell division, and cell differentiation
 Functions
• Helps regulate the immune system, which helps fight
infections – has been labeled as “antioxidant”
• Maintenance of vision in dim light – correct night
blindness
• Necessary material for proper synthesis and maintenance
of epithelial tissue, integrity of skin and internal mucosa,
growth and formation of tooth buds
▪ Growth and Bone Development - provides normal
bone development and affects tooth formation in
nearly life.
▪ Reproduction –Vit. A intake must be increased to
assure normal reproduction and lactation.
 a. Chemical and physical nature
a.1 Preformed vitamin A-is found in meat, poultry, fish,
and dairy products.
a.2 Provitamin A-is found in fruits, vegetables, and
other plant-based products. The most common type of
provitamin A in foods and dietary supplements is
beta-carotene.
 b. Absorption and storage
▪ Absorption aided by:
Bile salts, pancreatic lipase and dietary fat
▪ Carotene
Converted into vit A in intestinal wall.
▪ Absorbed through
Lymphatic system and portal blood to liver
▪ Toxicity levels with large intake
 Deficiency
1. Poor adaptation or night blindness
2. Eye lesions
✔ Bitot’s spot (mild form)
✔ Xeropthalmia (severe form)
3. Retarded growth
4. Lower resistance to infection
• Lack of vitamin A is the leading cause of blindness in
the world (discounting accidents).
• 2. s/s: malfunction of lacrimal gland; keratinization;
rupture of corneal tissues; infections thus pus
develops; eye hemorrhages
 5. Faulty skeletal and dental development
6. Keratinization of epithelial linings
7. Disturbances in the respiratory, GI, and genitourinary
tracts
8. Phrynoderma
Skin lesion
s/s – dry, rough skin; dermal changes occurs: thighs,
abdomen, upper arm and back
 Toxicity
Thickening of
Coarse sparse Violent
the skin with
hair headaches
peeling off

Nausea and Enlargement of Swollen, painful

vomiting spleen and liver long bones

Cessation of
menstruation
in young girls
 Food Sources
1. Preformed Vit. A - animal sources (liver, egg yolk,
milk, cream, butter & cheese)
2.FISHES – dilis,clams,tahong,shellfish
3.Fortified margarine or skim milk
4.Precursors or Provitamin A – plant sources (green &
leafy vegetables, Deep yellow or orange fruit, Fortified
margarine.
 VIT. D (Calciferol)
• called the sunshine vitamins
because the body produces it when the sun's
ultraviolet B (UVB) rays strike the skin.

• It is vital for the control of the levels of calcium in the

blood and excretion of calcium in the urine
 It has 2 forms:
• Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) – found in few plant foods
• Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) – found in few
animal-derived foods
 Functions
• The major function of vitamin D is the promotion of
calcium and phosphorus absorption in the body.
• Building and maintenance of normal bones and teeth
• Prevention of tetany
 Deficiency
1. Tetany
 TETANY
• a syndrome characterized by abnormal muscle
twitching, cramps and sharp bilateral spasms of joints
in the wrist and ankles
2. Rickets
• in children is the severe form manifested in defective
bones and retarded growth
• > Bones become fragile, soft deformed
 3. In adults, Osteomalacia
4. In infants, dentition and delayed closing of the
fontanel
 Toxicity
• Stone formation on kidney
• Hypercalcemia- excessive quantities of vitamin D and
hypersensitivity to vit.D.
• Polyuria
• Weight Loss
• Nausea
• FOOD SOURCES: fortified margarine, butter, milk,
cheese, fish, liver and other glandular organs, egg
yolk, sardines and salmon
 Vitamin E (Tocopherol)
• Also called alpha-tocopherol
• Health benefits:

Skin enhancement Wound healing

Protection against
Immune function various diseases
 Functions
1. Antioxidant
✔ help remove free radicals
2. Cholesterol reduction
✔ prevents cholesterol from being converted to plaque
✔ It also thins the blood and improves blood flow
 free radicals
(unstable compounds that damage cell structure)
It is aided in this process by vitamin C and the mineral
selenium.
 3. Skin care
- helps retain moisture in the skin and prevents
dryness, itchiness, and chapping.
- It also protects against UV radiation and speeds up
wound healing.
(It can be applied topically and a main ingredient in
most creams, lotions, and sunscreens.)
 Deficiency
• Hemolysis of RBC
• Low level of tocopherols in the blood
• Increase urinary excretion of creatine and decreased
excretion of creatinine
 Toxicity
• It is advisable to avoid long-term mega doses of
vitamin E.
▪ Although vitamin E appears to be relatively nontoxic,
it is a fat-soluble vitamin, and the excess is stored in
adipose tissue.
 Food sources
• Animal source - None
• Plant source
- Green and leafy vegetables, Margarine, Salad dressing,
Wheat germ, Vegetable oils and Nuts
 Vit. K ( Phylloquinone)
Vitamin K is made up of several compounds that are
essential to blood clotting.
A. Vitamin K1, commonly called phylloquinone, from plant
sources
B. Vitamin K2, called menaquinone, from animal sources
C. A synthetic vitamin K3, called menadione is a synthetic
form of vitamin K meaning that it does not occur in nature
but rather is a man-made chemical form of the vitamin.
 Function
• Aids in blood clotting
 DEFICIENCY
1. Hemorrhagic disease in newborn
2. Delayed blood clotting time in adults
 Toxicity
• Vomiting
• Hemolysis
• Albuminuria
• Kennicterus - resulting from the accumulation of bile
pigments in the gray matter of CNS
 Food sources
• The best dietary sources of vitamin K are green leafy
vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, spinach, and
kale.
• Dairy products, eggs, meats, fruits, and cereals also
contain some vitamin K.
WATER SOLUBLE VITAMINS
• Water soluble vitamins are B-complex group and Vit.
C
• Water-soluble vitamins are easily destroyed or
washed out during food storage or preparation.
 • Dissolve in water and are not stored, they are
eliminated in urine, so we need continuous supply of
this vitamins in the diet everyday.
• To reduce vitamin loss, refrigerate fresh produce,
keep milk and grains away from strong light, and use
the cooking water from vegetables to prepare soups.
 Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

• It is the fresh food vitamin since it occurs in

growing parts of the plants.
• Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. It is needed
for normal growth and development.
• Leftover amounts of the vitamin leave the body
through the urine.
 Functions
• 1. Vitamin C is known to prevent scurvy. This is a
disease characterized
by gingivitis (soft, bleeding gums and loose teeth)
• s/s of scurvy : flesh that is easily bruised; tiny,
pinpoint hemorrhages of the skin; poor wound
healing; sore joints and muscles; and weight loss.
2. Vitamin C also has an important role in the formation
of collagen, a protein substance making it necessary for
wound
healing.
• Tiny, pinpoint hemorrhages are symptoms of the
breakdown of collagen.
 3. Vitamin C is an iron enhancer.
• aids in the absorption of non heme iron in the small
intestine when both nutrients are ingested at the same
time
4. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, along with vitamin E,
beta-carotene
5. It is believed to reduce the severity of colds because it is a
natural antihistamine
6. Prevents megaloblastic anemia and pinpoint
hemorrhage also called petechiae hemorrhage.
7. Resistance to infection
RECOMMENDED VIT. C INTAKE:
Men - 75mg/day
Women - 70mg/day
Pregnant women - 80mg/day
Lactating women - 105mg/day
 DEFICIENCY:
Irritability, general weakness, lack of appetite,
lowered resistance to infections, pallor and
scurvy(bleeding, swollen gums)
TOXICITY:
• No toxicity or hypervitaminos
• Megadoses greater than 2000mg
daily may cause abdominal cramps
and diarrhea
• No toxicity or hypervitaminos since
the vitamins cannot be stored in the
body
 Food sources
• Animal - None
• Plants
• All citrus fruits, brocolli, melons, strawberries,
tomatoes, brussels sprouts, potatoes, cabbage, green
peppers
 Vitamin B complex
• These include thiamine (vitamin B1), riboflavin
(vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), pantothenic acid
(vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), biotin, folic acid
and the cobalamins (vitamin B12).
Each member of the B-complex has a unique
structure and performs unique functions in the
human body.
They play important roles in the normal growth
and body processes.
A. GROUP I : CLASSIC DISEASE
FACTORS
1. Thiamine (B1)
• Thiamine is considered an
"anti-stress" vitamin
• because it strengthen the immune
system and improve the body's
ability to withstand stressful
conditions
 Functions
• essential for the metabolism of carbohydrates and
some amino acids.
• It is also essential to nerve and muscle action.
• Helps maintain good appetite, good muscle tone,
especially of the GI tract and normal functioning of
nerves.
 Deficiency
• experience fatigue, irritability, depression and
abdominal discomfort
• also have difficulty digesting carbohydrates
• Beri-beri - a disease in which the body does not have
enough thiamine (vitamin B1).
 Types of Beriberi
1. Infantile beriberi
▪ Occurs in infants 2 to 5 months whose main food is milk
coming from a mother with bribery
▪ s/s: loss of voice, whining cry, bluish discoloration, difficulty of
breathing, even death.
2. Wet beriberi
▪ affects the cardiovascular system.
▪ s/s: edema of both lower extremities, cardiomegaly, heart
beats irregular
3. Dry beriberi
▪ Involves peripheral nerves
▪ s/s: pins and needles feeling (paresthesia) in toes,
gradual loss of touch sensation, muscle weakness,
finally paralysis
TOXICITY
There are no toxic reactions of excessive thiamine
intake in the body.
 Food sources:
Outstanding foods: lean pork, pork
liver and other glandular organs of
pork and some shellfish
Next in line sources: liver and organ
meats of other animals, eggyolk and
unpolished rice, whole grains,
legumes(monggo, kadyis, soybean)
and nuts.
 Vit. B2 (Riboflavin)
• Riboflavin is sometimes called B2. It is destroyed by
light and radiation
 Functions
1. Aids release of energy from food (is essential for
carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism)
2. It is also necessary for tissue maintenance, especially
the skin around the mouth, and for healthy eyes.
3. It is needed for conversion of tryptophan into niacin.
 Deficiency
1. Cheilosis
 Cheilosis

• an abnormal condition of the lips characterized by

scaling of the surface and by the formation of fissures
in the corners of the mouth
2. Seborrheic dermatitis
 Seborrheic dermatitis
• scaly, greasy skin with burning sensation, corneal
vascularization
3. Glossitis
 Glossitis
• inflammation of the tongue
• Magenta red
4. Eye sensitivity
5. Photophobia
 Toxicity
• Does not occur from oral doses but is
possible with massive doses are given by
injection.
 Food sources
Animal sources – cheese, milk, eggs, liver and glandular
organs.
Plant sources – whole grain, legumes, leafy green
vegetables and seaweeds.
 Vit. B3 Niacin (Nicotinic Acid)
• Niacin is the generic name for nicotinic acid and
nicotinamide.
• Niacin is fairly stable in foods.
• It can withstand heat and acid and is not destroyed
during food storage.
 Functions
1. effective in improving circulation and reducing
cholesterol levels in the blood.
2. serves as a coenzyme in energy metabolism and is
essential in prevention of pellagra.
- Pellagra is characterized by cracked, scaly skin,
dementia, and diarrhea.
 Deficiency
1. Pellagra – characterized by 4 d’sdermatitis, dementia, diarrhea and
death
 Pellagra
• Skin changes – blockish or dark, scaly patches that
exposed to sunlight called bilateral dermatitis.
• tongue is beefy red and swollen (glossitis) and the
corners of the mouth are cracked (angular stomatitis)
2. Anorexia
3. Indigestion
4. Skin changes
 Toxicity
▪ Hypermotility
▪ Acidity of the stomach
▪ Paralysis in the respiratory center
 Food sources
• Animal sources – liver, glandular organs, lean meat,
fish and poultry, milk and cheese, eggs
• Plant sources- legume, nuts, whole grains, enriched
cereals and green vegetables
 B. Group II: More Recently Discovered
Co-enzymes Factors
1. Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)
• Vitamin B6 is composed of three related forms:
pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine.
• It is stable to heat but sensitive to light and alkalies.
 Functions
1. is essential for protein metabolism and
absorption
2. Essential for the formation of tryptophan
and for the conversion of tryptophan to
niacin
3. Co-enzymes for many chemical reactions,
related to protein metabolism
4. important in maintaining a healthy
digestive tract
 Deficiency
• Vitamin B6 deficiency causes peripheral neuropathy
and a pellagra-like syndrome, with seborrheic
dermatitis, glossitis, and cheilosis, and, in adults, can
cause depression, confusion, EEG abnormalities, and
seizures.
• Infants – cause seizure, irritability, poor growth and
anemia
 Food sources
Animal
• Pork, fish, poultry, liver, kidney, milk, eggs
Plants
• Whole-grain cereals, legumes
 Pantothenic Acid
• Pantothenic acid is appropriately named because the
Greek word pantothen means “from many places.”
It is fairly stable, but it can be damaged by acids and
alkalies.
 Functions
1. Essential for carbohydrate, protein, and fat
metabolism
2. Maintenance of normal growth, healthy skin and
integrity of the CNS
3. It is also essential for the synthesis of the
neurotransmitter acetylcholine and of steroid
hormones.
• Deficiency - insomnia, muscle cramps, tingling
sensation of extremities
• Toxicity - NONE
 Food sources
• Liver, glandular organs, meats, eggs,
milk, cheese and legumes
 Lipoic Acid
• is an antioxidant that is made by the body and is
found in every cell, where it helps turn glucose into
energy
• Concentrated sources are yeast and liver.
 Vit. B7 Biotin
• also known as vitamin H
• is used for preventing and treating biotin deficiency
associated with pregnancy, long-term tube feeding,
malnutrition, and rapid weight loss.
• also used orally for hair loss, brittle nails, skin rash in
infants (seborrheic dermatitis), diabetes, and mild
depression.
 Functions
1. Coenzyme in carbohydrates and amino acid
metabolism
2. Niacin synthesis from tryptophan
 Requirements
• Suggested 150-300 micrograms a day
Food sources:
Animal
• Milk, liver and kidney, egg yolks
Plants
• Legumes, Brewer’s yeast, soy flour,
cereals and fruits
 C. Group III. Cell Growth and Blood Forming
Factors
1. Folic acid or Folate
• Folic acid is a type of B vitamin.
• It is the man-made (synthetic) form of folate that is
found in supplements and added to fortified foods.
 Functions
1. Folate helps tissues grow and cells work.
2. Essential for formation of both RBC and WBC in the
bone marrow and for their maturation
3. Folic acid also increases homocystein levels that help
prevent Stroke
Blood vessel
disease

Macular Alzheimer’s
degeneration disease
 Deficiency
• Poor growth
• Megaloblastic anemia and other blood disorders
• Glossitis
• GIT disturbances arising from inadequate dietary intake
• Impaired absorption
• Excessive demands by tissues of the body
• Metabolic derangements
 Food sources
• Best sources are liver, kidney beans, lima beans, fresh
dark green leafy vegetables esp. spinach, asparagus
and broccoli
• Good sources are lean beef, potatoes, whole wheat
bread and dried beans
• Poor sources include most meats, milk, eggs, most
fruits and root vegetables.
 Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
• Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is a compound that contains
the mineral cobalt.
• It can be stored in the human body for 3 to 5 years.
 Functions
1. Vitamin B12 is involved in folate metabolism,
maintenance of the myelin sheath, and healthy red
blood cells.
2. Involved in carbohydrate, protein and fat
metabolism, and associated with folic acid
absorption and metabolism.
3. Treatment of pernicious anemia
 Deficiency
• Degeneration of the myelin sheath
• Pernicious anemia - is a blood disorder caused by
inadequate vitamin B12 in the blood.
▪ Patients who have this disorder do not produce the
protein substance in the stomach that allows the
body to absorb vitamin B12.
• Toxicity: NONE
 Stability
• 70% of the vitamin activity is retained during cooking
 Food sources
Animal
• Seafood, poultry, liver and kidney, muscle meats,
eggs, milk, cheese
Plants
• None
D. Group IV: Other Related Factors (pseudo-vitamins)
• a substance that has a chemical structure similar to
that of a vitamin but lacks the physiologic effects.
1. Inositol
• Inositol is a vitamin-like substance.
 D. Group IV: Other Related Factors
(pseudo-vitamins
• It is found in many plants and animals. It can also be
made in a laboratory
• Also called “muscle sugar”
• Inositol has also been known to improve insulin
sensitivity and provide other beneficial health
effects.
 2. Choline
• choline helps keep your cell membranes functioning
properly
• plays a role in nerve communications
• prevents the buildup of homocysteine in your blood
(elevated levels are linked to heart disease) and reduces
chronic inflammation.
 Choline

• In pregnant, choline prevent certain birth defects,

such as spina bifida, and playing a role in brain
development.
• Deficiency: results fatty livers
• Food sources: egg yolk, liver, brain, kidney, heart,
meats, legumes and nuts, yeast and wheat germ
EXERCISE NO. 7