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Vitamin Deficiencies

This section provides details about each of the vitamins listed to the left. It also explains thedeficiency conditions.

Two types or three?

Vitamins are broadly classified into two main types:

water soluble

and

fat soluble

.The water soluble vitamins include C and the B group, which includes:

•

B1 thiamine

•

B2 riboflavin

•

B3 niacin

•

B5 pantothenic acid

•

B6 pyridoxine

•

B12 cobalamin

•

Folic acid or vitamin Bc

•

Biotin or coenzyme R or viatmin H

•

Choline

•

InositolWater soluble vitamins are not stored efficiently in the body and need to be consumed in thedaily diet to be available.This lack of storage is a two-edged sword. It does mean that vitamin B group vitamins need to beconstantly replaced but the upside of this is that overdose and toxicity are very rare.The fat soluble vitamins are A, D, E and K. The body does have a capacity to store, or manufacture in the case of vitamin K, these vitamins.Again, this comes with benefits and costs. The benefit is that supplies can be a little moreirregular than water soluble vitamins without causing a deficiency. The downside is thatconsuming too much of them can lead to overdosage and toxicity.So, why the possibility of three types implied in the heading? Well, although people are inclinedto think that science has unravelled the mysteries of nutrition and everything is known aboutvitamins, the truth is quite different.Much is still to be learned about vitamins and research continues. Some substances have beenidentified that don't yet appear to have all of the characteristics of vitamins but are extremely likethem. Perhaps it's time to simply add a third type. An example in this category is Coenzyme Q10and details are provided about it in this section.

Vitamin A

References

SreedharKadam

What's here? On this page you can discover:

•

theforms of vitamin A,

•

what it does for us,

•

theeffects of deficiency,

•

how toget the most from food sources,

•

how much you needto stay well,

•

whomay need more,

•

itslikely anti-cancer role, and

•

warnings of toxicity...and more.

The forms

The two main forms of vitamin A are:

•

Retinol and

•

Beta-carotene

Retinol is the naturally occurring form of vitamin A found in animal products.Beta-carotene is also called the 'plant' vitamin A. It is a carotenoid which is converted intovitamin A in the liver. Beta-carotene is found in brightly colored fruit and vegetables, such ascarrots from which carotene is named.

The functions of vitamin A

Vitamin A plays an important role in many of our body's functions, including:

•

Our vision, especially in dim light.

•

Bone growth.

•

Reproduction, through roles in proper sperm formation and maintaininghealthy fetuses in pregnant women.

•

Cell division and cell differentiation (which is the process by which a celldecides what type of cell it is going to become).

•

Helping to maintain the surface linings of the eyes and the respiratory,urinary, and intestinal tracts (when these linings break down, bacteria canenter the body and cause infection).

•

Helping to maintain the skin and mucous membranes so that they act as abarrier to bacteria and viruses.

•

Helping to regulate the immune system (which prevents or fights off infections by making white blood cells that destroy harmful bacteria andviruses.

References

SreedharKadam

•

Helping lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell that fights infections) tofunction more effectively.

•

Serving as antioxidants which protect cells from free radicals (which arepotentially damaging by-products of oxygen metabolism that may contributeto the development of some chronic diseases).

•

Helping to prevent cancer.

•

Helping to slow the aging process.

The symptoms and signs of vitamin A deficiency

The symptoms of a vitamin A deficiency include:

•

poor vision (night blindness),

•

mouth ulcers,

•

frequent infections,

•

the scalp may become dry and have dandruff, and

•

acne may occur.

Vitamin A deficiency can occur:

•

when vitamin A is lost through chronic diarrhea,

•

through an overall inadequate intake, as is often seen with protein-caloriemalnutrition,

•

when there is an inadequate intake of protein, calories and zinc (thesenutrients are needed to make Retinol which is essential for getting vitamin Afrom your liver and transporting vitamin A to your general circulation),

•

when there is also an iron deficiency which limits the metabolism of vitamin A(iron supplements provided to iron deficient individuals can improve vitaminA nutrition as well as iron status), and

•

when excessive alcohol intake depletes vitamin A stores (diets high in alcoholalso usually do not provide recommended amounts of vitamin A).

Food sources of vitamin A

Vitamin A is found in animal foods such as whole eggs, whole milk and liver.Carotenoids are found in darkly colored fruits and vegetables.

What Destroys Vitamin A?

Vitamin A can be destroyed by:

•

cooking, particularly when using copper or iron cooking utensils,

References

SreedharKadam