VITAMINS 

VITAMIN A 
❖ Essential micronutrients the body needs in small  TYPES OF VITAMIN A 
amounts for various roles throughout the human body  ❖ Retinoids 
❖ Must be a vital organic substance that is only necessary  ➢ Comes from animal products; preformed 
in extremely small amounts  vitamin A 
❖ Cannot be manufactured by the body in sufficient  ➢ Retinol​ - can be converted to retinal (essential 
quantities to sustain life, so it must be supplied by diet  for vision), and retinoic acid (essential for skin 
❖ Water Soluble  health, teeth remineralization, and bone 
➢ B-complex vitamins  growth) 
➢ Vitamin C  ❖ Beta-carotene  
❖ Fat Soluble  ➢ Comes from plants; pro-vitamin A 
➢ Vitamin A  ➢ Precursor for vitamin A, an antioxidant 
➢ Vitamin D  ➢ Strongly colored red-orange pigment 
➢ Vitamin E  abundant in plants and fruits 
➢ Vitamin K  ➢ Very safe source of vitamin A (conversion of 
  beta-carotene decreases if the body has 
enough vitamin A) 
❖ Dietary Supplements 
➢ Usually in the form of ​retinyl acetate ​or ​retinyl 
palmitate​ (preformed vitamin A) 
 
FUNCTIONS OF VITAMIN A 
❖ Vision​ - needed by the retina of the yes; helps the eyes 
adjust to light changes 
❖ Cell differentiation​ - nuclear retinoid receptors bind to 
DNA and cause gene expression; growth and 
differentiation of epithelial (retinoic acid), nervous, 
bones tissues, and in tooth development 
 
FOOD SOURCES 
 
❖ Retinol, retinal, and retinoic acid forms of vitamin A 
 
are supplied primarily by foods of animal origin such as 
SUPPLEMENTS 
dairy products, fish and liver 
❖ Synthetic or natural substances which can be purchased 
❖ Sources of beta-carotene​: carrots, pumpkin, winter 
as pills, tablets, capsules, wafers, powders, or liquid 
squash, broccoli, dark green leafy vegetables, 
❖ All supplements have no therapeutic claims 
cantaloupe and apricots 
 
❖ NOTE: The more intense the color of a fruit or 
ANTIOXIDANTS 
vegetable, the higher the beta-carotene content 
❖ Substances that fight off free radicals in our bodies 
❖ Free radicals​ - compounds within the body that may 
lead to chronic disease and/or are involved in cell 
tissue damage 
❖ Examples: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Beta Carotene 
 
*HYDROGEN PEROXIDE - constantly produced in the body 
and is the culprit of chronic diseases 
 
*PEROXISOME - balances hydrogen peroxide 
   
STRESS & NUTRITION OF THE BODY   
❖ Stress can cause the body to excrete nutrients rather  DAILY REQUIREMENT 
than using them to perform vital functions  ❖ Growing children and adults: 5,000 units daily 
❖ Stress can also cause the production of free radicals  ❖ Pregnancy and lactation: 6,000-8,000 units daily 
which plays a role in the development of cancer, heart  ❖ Male: 900 mcg/day retinol activity equivalents  
disease, and aging  ❖ Female: 700 mcg/day retinol activity equivalents 
   
CAUSES OF VITAMIN DEFICIENCY:  WHEN TO INCREASE VITAMIN A REQUIREMENTS: 
1. Reduced intake  ❖ Hyperthyroidism, fever, infection, cold, and exposure 
2. Impaired absorption  to excessive amounts of sunlight 
3. Impaired metabolism  ❖ Those that consume excess alcohol or have renal 
4. Additional requirements  disease 
5. Increased losses   
  VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY 
FAT SOLUBLE VITAMINS  ❖ Xerophthalmia​ - eye fails to produce tears 
➢ Xerosis​: dryness of the conjunctiva 
➢ Bitot’s spots​: build up of keratin debris in 
small opaque plaques 
➢ Keratomalacia​: softening and destruction of 
the cornea 
❖ Signs and symptoms​: night blindness, very dry and 
rough skin, decreased resistance to infections, faulty 
  tooth development, and slower bone growth 
   
*ENAMEL HYPOPLASIA - defect of the enamel that only  ❖ Abnormality of vitamin D activation. ​Liver and renal 
occurs while teeth are still developing. Still, it can affect both  diseases​ may retard the hydroxylation reactions 
baby and permanent teeth   
  VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY 
HYPERVITAMINOSIS A  ❖ Rickets 
❖ Acute Phase​: brought by a single administration of  ➢ Softening and weakening of the bones in 
1,000,000 units or more. In a matter of hours, there will  children 
appear: headache, nausea and vomiting and drowsiness  ➢ Weight bearing bones are bent 
due to increased intracranial pressure  ➢ Usually because of an extreme and prolonged 
❖ Chronic Phase​: results from a long-time ingestion of  vitamin D deficiency 
100,00 units daily – causing loss of appetite (anorexia),  ➢ Symptoms​: delayed growth, pain in spine, 
weight loss, dry itchy skin, bleeding lips, liver,  muscle weakness 
enlargement, and bone and joint pains.  ❖ Osteomalacia 
❖ Can also cause severe birth defects and may increase  ➢ Softening and weakening of the bones in 
the risk for hip fractures  adults 
  ➢ Symptoms​: dull, aching pain affect lower 
VITAMIN D  back, pelvis, hips, legs, ribs. Pain may be 
❖ Produced endogenously when ultraviolet rays from  worse at night 
sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis   
❖ Vitamin D2 ​(​Ergocalciferol​)   VITAMIN E 
➢ derived from ergosterol through a series of  ❖ Normally occurring ​tocopherols  
photochemical reactions by the UV rays of  ❖ Alpha tocopherol​: most active form  
the sun  ❖ Primary function: antioxidant in prevention of the 
❖ Vitamin D3​ (​Cholecalciferol​)   non-enzymatic oxidation of cell components  
➢ derived from the UV radiation of   
7-dehydrocholesterol  FUNCTIONS OF VITAMIN E 
❖ Antioxidant 
➢ Helps body prevent heart diseases and cancer 
➢ Helps to slow down processes that damage 
cells 
➢ Protects Vitamins A & C, RBC’s and essential 
fatty acids from destruction 
❖ Slows the aging process of the body 
❖ Acts as a natural diuretic and helps maintain the skin 
❖ Helps prevent cancer, cardiovascular disease, cataracts, 
and reduces scarring from wounds 
 
*To receive the full benefits of antioxidants one should consume 
these compounds in the form of fruits an vegetables and not by 
 
supplements 
 
 
 
FOOD SOURCES 
*Safest time is at 6-9 AM 
❖ Vegetable oil (soybeans, corn, cottonseed, safflower) 
*Harmful rays is at 10 AM - 3 PM 
❖ Margarine and salad dressing 
*UVA - aging 
❖ Fruits and vegetables 
*UVB - burning 
❖ Grains and nuts (almonds and hazelnuts) 
*SUNBURN - first degree burn 
❖ Sunflower seeds 
 
❖ Fortified cereals 
FUNCTIONS OF VITAMIN D 
 
❖ Promotes calcium absorption in the gut 
DAILY REQUIREMENT 
❖ Maintains adequate serum calcium and phosphate 
❖ Male: 10mg/day 
concentrations 
❖ Female: 8mg/day 
❖ For bone growth and remodeling 
❖ Pregnancy: 10mg/day 
❖ Enhances intestinal absorption of Ca, Fe, Mg, Zn 
❖ Lactating: 12mg/day 
 
 
FOOD SOURCES 
*Consuming vitamin E in excess of the RDA does not result in 
❖ Can be found in very few foods including mackerel, 
any added benefits 
tuna, sardines 
*Vitamin E is banned in tablet form in some countries because it 
❖ Sometimes added to juices and dairy products 
causes hemorrhaging 
 
*3-8 minutes for normal blood clotting 
DAILY REQUIREMENT 
 
❖ Children: 10 (400 IU) mcg/day 
DEFICIENCY OF VITAMIN E 
❖ Adults: 5 (200 IU) mcg/day 
❖ VLBW infants: prevent hemolysis and retinopathy  
❖ Pregnancy and lactation: 10 mcg/day 
❖ Adults: defective lipid absorption or transport 
❖ < 60: 600 IU per day 
❖ Abetalipoproteinemia  
 
➢ Caused by defect in the formation of 
CAUSES FOR VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY 
chylomicrons and results in poor absorption 
❖ Improper exposure to sunlight​ - inhabitants of 
of dietary fat and vitamin E 
northern latitudes, in winter months, people who are 
➢ Signs and symptoms​: poor transmission of 
bedridden for long periods​, or those ​who cover the 
nerve impulses, muscle weakness, and 
whole body 
degeneration of the retina that can cause 
❖ Nutrient deficiency of ​calcium or phosphate ​may also 
blindness 
produce similar clinical picture 
 
TOXICITY  
❖ Least toxic  
❖ Supplemental vitamin E is not recommended due to 
the lack of evidence supporting any added health 
benefits 
❖ Megadoses of supplemental vitamin E may pose a 
hazard to people taking blood-thinning medications 
such as Coumadin (a.k.a. warfarin) and those on statin 
drugs 
 
VITAMIN K 
❖ Called as a “​clotting vitamin​” 
❖ Naturally produced by the bacteria in the large intestine 
❖ The “K” comes from its German name, ​Koagulations 
vitamin 
❖ Sometimes referred to as the “​forgotten vitamin​” 
because its major benefits are often overlooked 
❖ No definite amount is considered to be excessive 
 
FUNCTIONS OF VITAMIN K 
❖ Normal blood clotting 
❖ Promoting bone health 
❖ helping to produce proteins for blood, bones, and 
kidneys 
 
FOOD SOURCES 
❖ Green, leafy-vegetables: turnip greens, spinach, 
cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli 
❖ Vegetable oil (soybeans,, cottonseed, canola, olive) 
❖ Animal food, in general, contain limited amounts of 
vitamin K 
 
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS OF VITAMIN K 
❖ Helps remove spider veins, bruises, scars, stretchmarks, 
and burns 
❖ Used topically to treat rosacea (skin condition that 
causes redness and pimples on the face) 
❖ Used after surgery, to speed up skin healing and reduce 
bruising and swelling