VITAMINS AND COENZYMES INTRODUCTION Vitamins are organic compounds that are essential for the proper functioning of your body. You get vitamins from the foods you eat, but you can also. get them from vitamin supplements. Vitamins were initially named in the alphabetical order. that they were discovered which has gone through some revisions hence the classification. When you hear about vitamins, what comes. into your mind? Some say it gives you glowing skin, makes one energetic, and acts as protection from sickness- we actually associate vitamins with good health. No wonder. a lot of food manufacturers highlight the vitamin content of their foods- from juice drinks ‘to sports drinks. If you are interested to know if you need these vitamins, this unit is for you. Here, you will learn the functions, sources, benefits and risks in taking supplements. ' OBJECTIVES: After this Unit, you should be able to: 1. explain the importance of vitamins to the body; 2. identify natural sources in the diet to obtain vitamins;: 3. classify fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins and the function of each; 4. discuss the usefulness of vitamin Supplements and fihlight _their benefits and risks, and 5. distinguish among the different classes of vitamins and their coenzymes in terms of'structure, properties and function,9.1. VITAMINS: THEIR IMPORTANCE AND SOURCES Vitamins are organic compounds’ necessary for ‘the growth and maintenance of your body's normal functions. What comes into your mind when someone says organic? Yes, going back to your organic chemistry memory lane, it contains carbon in its molecular structure. These substances are found normally in food and of course in pharmacies and health shops via a vitamin pill. These are nutrients that Come in micro quantities but pack a macro effect on your health. The most prominent function of the vitamins is to serve as cofactors (co-enzymes) for enzymatic reactions. The distinguishing feature of the vitamins is that they generally cannot, be synthesized by mammalian cells and, therefore, must be supplied in the diet. Hence, it is paramount that we explore these vitamins your body needs, why, and where you can find them. We take a look-at the role vitamins play in the body. Let us start with the most ‘appealing nowadays- the antioxidants. Antioxidants are compounds that help to neutralize dangerous substances called free radicals attacking you from inside and outside your body. | always like to imagine. that antioxidants are like a shield or bulletproof vest and the free radicals are like arrows, swords, or bullets trying to hurt you. Vitamins that. have antioxidant properties include vitamins E, C, and a precursor to vitamin A called beta- carotene. I'm sure you are well familiar with beta-carotene - it's the stuff that gives carrots its orange color. ANTIOXIDANTS @y 09 Carrots Garlic Lemon Tomatoes Betacarotene — Alllicin Hesperidin Licopene a?e- Walnuts Black grapes Broccoli — Apple Tocopherols Resveratrol Glutathione auteetin @2A& OF ‘Turmeric | Onions Greentea Peppers '. Curcumin | Quercetin Cathechin copsanthin Figure 9.1 - (Centelles, 2019)Note that be they are antioxidants or not, our body need thirteen vitamins- A, B (eight different kinds of), C, D, E, and K. | am sure you are familiar with all of these. How many of these do yoy take as a supplement? If you want to get the feel of it, try visiting your nearest pharmacy or health shop. If you still can’t relate, you just need to look at the nutrition facts of your drinks or snacks. At this point, let's review why you need. all of them. | attempted to incorporate ways to easily remember these vitamins, Vitamin A or ‘Aye is important to healthy vision in your eyes. Vitamin B or ‘B'lood is necessary for energy and helps make red blood cells, Or this could also be remembered as Vitamin ‘B’ee, which has all the energy to buzz all day. Vitamin C or 'C’onnectivity is useful for the health of connective tissue, including that found in bone, teeth, and skin. .. Vitamin D is, required for the 'D'evelopment of bone and teeth as well as the absorption of calcium. Vitamin E is forimmunit-'E.’ It is found in the membranes that envelop your body's cells and protect them there from free radicals. Finally, vitamin 'K'lot is important in helping your blood clot. It is nice to know that we have these vitamins available in - health, shops: but :not all people are used to popping up pills. So, where do you find’ these :vilerias in your ‘diet? take: a oak at the: table below: « ° “ Vitamin ose x “Source . A Ajm)o;oa;ov9.2 CLASSIFICATION OF VITAMINS Vitamins are classified by their solubility we have fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins. A. Fat-soluble Fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E and K. This is easy to remember but a great memory jogger is ‘The fat cat is in the ADEK (attic).’ These are easily stored in your body within your fat. This means ‘they can accumulate (hence can lead to toxicity) and in a good sense be saved for later use. Vitamin A: The Night Sight Vitamin Upon entering a movie theater, do you feel like you were blinded by the darkness? Assuming this is the case, you likely felt that your eyes acclimated to the dim a few’ moments. This adjustment is because of rhodopsin of which Vitamin A is an essential component. Frsim Pct From An Proaucts Tao te Figure 9.2.1 - Forms of Vitamin A 3 (Blake, 2007) Different. foods contain different forms of vitamin A. Retinol, or preformed vitamin A is the most useful form because it's easily absorbed by your body. This is likely because retinol is found in animal-based foods like liver, ‘fish, eggs and dairy products. Animals have this ‘form of vitamin A inside of them when you eat the animal product, it's already in the ideal form. The other form. is beta-carotene or provitamin A which must be converted to vitamin A inside your body. Beta-carotene is found in plant- based foods like fruits and vegetables, especially those that have yellow-orange pigments, like carrots.i age cheats Cope CM) iy Figure 9.2.2 - Chemical Structures of Vitamin A forms (themedicalbiochemistrypage, 1996) ' Aside from ‘A’ye, for vision function of this vitamin and antioxidant activity, there are a lot more listed by Blake including infections, mucous membranes, soft skin, immune response, and cell formation. Do not skip reading this. What happens if you have a vitamin A deficiency? Night blindness! / hope you got that right! If you answered xerophthalmia, that is also correct. If there's not enough vitamin A to make new rhodopsin, your eyes will have a hard time adjusting. Another function of this vitamin is that vitamin A helps with cell differentiation, which means that vitamin A helps immature cells become specialized cells. This role of vitamin A is particularly important for the cells of your eyes. The lining of your eye contains cells that secrete mucus that is needed to keep your eyes moist. When these cells die, immature cells. must be differentiated to become new mucus-secreting cells. If vitamin A is deficient, this does not happen, leading to xerophthalmia, which is an abnormal dryness of the eyes. Because of this, it's possible to get too much of the vitamin and.reach vitamin A toxicity. Toxicity is going to have a lot to do with which form of vitamin A you ingest. For example, Preformed vitamin. A can be toxic in’ high amounts because it's easily absorbed by’ your body. Toxicity will leave you feeling anything but 'A-OK' as it leads ‘to symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, headaches, “ dizziness and blurred vision. Pregnant women need to take special care to avoid taking in too much vitamin A because toxic levels in pregnant. women can cause birth defects. Provitamin A is not toxic. If you recall, this form needed to be converted to vitamin A, so if your body doesn't.need’vitamin A, it does not convert it. However, if you eat too many foods that contain this form, it could be enough to give you hypercarotenemia, which is a condition that causes your skin to appear yellowish-orange. Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin eye Were Bed i Sangre Sik Figure 9.2.3 - Chemical Structures of Vitamin D forms (themedicalbiochemistrypage, 1996) Ergosterol is the plant-derived precursor to vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), whereas, 7-dehydrocholesterol is the naturally produced precursor to vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). When your skin is. exposed. to ultraviolet light. from: the sun it makes vitamin D, which is.a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for strong bones. In fact, this clever interaction with the sun has earned vitamin D the nickname 'The Sunshine Vitamin.’ Vitamin D keeps your bones strong because it helps your body absorb calcium. Other than this, our text also highlights the role of Vitamin D-in immunity and calcitriol regulates genes and inhibits the proliferation of cells. We learned that your body could make vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight. This is good because there are only a few . natural food sources that provide vitamin D, such as egg yolks and fatty fish, like salmon or tuna. The following list shows the deficiency risk factors: Deficiency Risk Factors Break-fed infants not exposed to sunlight. The Elderly has less ability to synthesize vitamin D in the skin. Institutionalized people of all ages. People with dark skin, People wh\o live in cold climates.