Micronutrients: Vitamins & Minerals

Water Soluble Vitamin Absorption, Transport & storage

- 50-90% of water soluble vitamins are absorbed independent of dietary fat. - some intestinal issues as well as alcohol abuse can hinder absorption of some B-Vitamins. - B-vitamins need to be digested to free them from their bound "coenzyme form" to be absorbed. Once the B-vitamin is absorbed it will be reformed into its "coenzyme form." - Water Soluble vitamins are transported in the blood for use. - Most water soluble vitamins are excreted from the body quite rapidly, resulting in limited stores. Two exceptions are vitamin B-12 and vitamin B-6, which are stored to a greater extent than the other water-soluble vitamins. Because of the limited storage of many vitamins, they should be consumed daily. However, the signs and symptoms of a deficiency usually do not occur until the vitamin is lacking in the diet for at least several weeks and body stores are essentially depleted. Thus, an occasional lapse in dietary intake of most vitamins is not a serious health concern in otherwise healthy individuals.

Fat Soluble Vitamins

- A, D, E & K. These dissolve in ether or benzene and are fat soluble.

Vitamin sources: Protein

• Thiamin • Riboavin • Niacin • Biotin • Vitamin B-6 • Vitamin B-12 • Choline

Vitamin sources: Grains

• Thiamin • Riboflavin • Niacin • Folic acid

Vitamin sources: Fruits

• Vitamin A • Vitamin C

Vitamin sources: Veggies

• Vitamin A • Vitamin K • Folate • Vitamin C

Vitamin sources: Dairy

• Vitamin D • Riboflavin • Vitamin B-12 • Choline

Supplementation is defined as the addition of the following:

• a vitamin • a mineral • An amino acid • An herb, a botanical, or a plant extract • A combination of any of the above

Absorption of Minerals

- Absorption of minerals is largely based off the need for the mineral at that time. If a baby needs iron, it will absorb more iron, if not, it is excreted in urine. - Another component of mineral absorption is the competition of absorption. If one mineral is in excess, it may hinder the absorption of another mineral. This is mineral bioavailability. - Mineral bioavailability also is strongly affected by non mineral substances in the diet. The components of fiber, especially phytic acid (phytate) in wheat grain fiber, can limit the absorption of some minerals by chemically binding to them and preventing their release during digestion. - Oxalates (Oxalic acid) also binds to minerals and inhibits the their absorption. - Polyphenols are a group of compounds containing at least 2 ring structures that each have at least 1 hydroxyl group (OH) attached. Polyphenols also can lower the bioavailability of minerals, especially iron and calcium. Many polyphenols occur naturally in plants, such as tea, dark chocolate (cacao beans), and wine (grapes). Some types of polyphenols, such as flavonoids and tannins, may help prevent certain cancers and heart disease. - Other Vitamins and minerals can have a synergistic effect to promote better absorption. HCL in the stomach also helps with bioavailability of Minerals.

Water Soluble Vitamins

- All the B-Vitamins & Vitamin C. These dissolve in Water

Vitamin Toxicity

- Although the toxic effects of an excessive intake of any vitamin is theoretically possible, toxicity from the fat-soluble vitamins A and D is the most likely to occur. However, these vitamins are unlikely to cause toxicities unless taken in amounts at least 5 to 10 times greater than the RDA. 2, 3 The risk of water-soluble vitamin toxicity tends to be low because, unlike fat soluble vitamins, water-soluble vitamins are readily removed by the kidneys and excreted in the urine. In fact, Tolerable Upper Intake Levels have been set for only 3 of the water-soluble vitamins—niacin, vitamin B-6, and vitamin C—as well as choline. These vitamins cause toxic effects only when taken in amounts 15 to 100 times higher than the RDA. Because the daily use of balanced multivitamin supplements usually supplies less than twice the Daily Value of fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins, this practice is unlikely to cause toxic effects in adults.

Food source Bioavailability

- Bioavailability of food depends in plant sources. The refining process take a lot out, cooking take it out too. Fortifying foods has been a norm since the 1940's - Animal sources generally have a greater bioavailability of mineral.

General Supplementation guidlines

- Dietitians often suggest that you start by choosing a nationally recognized brand that contains no more than 100% of the Daily Value for the nutrients listed.

Excretion of Minerals

- Excretion of the major minerals takes place primarily through the urine. However, some trace minerals, such as copper and manganese, are secreted by the liver into the bile for excretion in the feces.

Health Claims and Suppliments

- However, two of the health claims that have been approved for supplements are the roles of calcium and vitamin D in osteoporosis and folic acid's effects on neutral tube defects. - Folic acid is monitored by FDA

Deficiencies

- Iodine and iron are some of the two most deficient minerals in the world.

Cofactor

- Is a Vitamin or a mineral, or inorganic or organic substance that binds to an enzyme to promote the full function of that enzyme.

Bioavailability

- Is the degree and integrity to which a substance is absorbed and used in the body.

Minerals

- Minerals are essential, inorganic elements needed in small amounts in the diet for the normal function, growth, and maintenance of body tissues. Minerals are indispensable in human diets because they are basic elements and, thus, cannot be synthesized in the body. - Divided into Major Mineral and Trace minerals depending on need in diet. - Generally if we require 100 mg or more of a mineral daily, it is considered a major mineral, or macromineral; otherwise, it is considered a trace mineral, or micromineral.

Recommendations of trace and ultratrace.

- Most trace and ultra trace minerals do not have a dietary recommendation because its too hard to know what the recommendation should be.

Transport and Storage of Minerals

- Once absorbed, minerals travel in the blood, either in a free form or bound to proteins. - Trace minerals in their free form are often highly reactive and are toxic if not bound. Thus, many trace minerals have specific binding proteins that transport them in the bloodstream. - Many also are bound by specific cellular proteins once they are taken up by cells. - Mineral storage in the body varies tremendously. Some minerals are stored in large quantities; for example, calcium and phosphorus are stockpiled in bones and teeth. - Other minerals are stored in small amounts, as is iron, which is stored in the liver and bone marrow. - The human body has extremely small stores of many trace and ultratrace minerals.

Vitamins:

- Organic (carbon to hydrogen), contain no energy. Aid in energy metabolism, growth, development, and maintenance of body tissue.

Synthesis of Vitamins

- Plants can synthesize all the vitamins they need. Animals cannot. We need to consume vitamins to prevent deficiencies. - Megadoses of certain vitamins can be used to treat certain diseases.

Digestion of Vitamins

- Stomach acid breaks vitamins away from food. digestive enzymes from the pancreas also aid in the breakdown of vitamins from food. - Fat Soluble Vitamins need bile from liver and gallbladder aid to absorb vitamins. - Fat soluble vitamins are absorbed in the small intestine along with dietary fat, and carried into the lymphatic system by chylomicrons. -Water soluble vitamins Water-soluble vitamins are absorbed in the small intestine and released directly into the blood. - Vitamin K Small amounts of vitamin K are made by bacteria in the ileum of the small intestine and in the large intestine.

Standardization of Supplement integrity

- The U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) designation may be listed on products that meet its standards for strength, quality, purity, packaging, labeling, solubility, and storage life. However, because USP labeling of dietary supplements is voluntary, many manufacturers still use their own standards for manufacturing and quality control.

Major Minerals

- The major minerals include sodium, potassium, and chloride, which are especially important in maintaining water and ion balance in cells. - Calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium are major minerals crucial to bone structure. - Sulfur is a component of some amino acids and several vitamins.

Trace Minerals

- Trace minerals are found in relatively small amounts in the body (less than 5 g). In fact, all of them combined make up less than 1% of the minerals in the body. - Trace minerals are essential for normal development, function, and overall health. For example, we need iron to build red blood cells; zinc, copper, selenium, and manganese help protect us from the damaging effects of free radicals; and iodine is essential for maintaining the body's normal metabolism. Other trace minerals include fluoride, which assists with bone mineralization, and chromium, which is linked to insulin action.

Ultra Trace Minerals

- Trace minerals the body requires in extremely small amounts, such as molybdenum, are called ultratrace minerals. For example, although needed in"ultratrace"amounts, molybdenum is essential for the activity of several enzymes.

Mineral Toxicicty

- Upper Level intakes are generally harmful, especially of trace minerals, unless otherwise prescribed by physician. - USP label and organization certify that the supplements are tested to do well for the body.

Fat Soluble Vitamin Absorption, transport & Storage

- under optimal conditions 40-90% of fat soluble vitamins are absorbed into the body. - Need dietary fat to be absorbed. - Fat soluble Vitamins are carried throughout the lymph by chylomicrons. They are then taken to the liver and "packaged" to either be transported in the blood and used, or either stored in adipose tissue for later use - Of the fat soluble Vitamins only Vitamin K is excreted quickly in the body. A, D, & E are either stored in the liver or adipose tissue.