Vitamin Requirements• Daily Values (DV): standard nutrient intake values

developed by FDA– Includes DRIs (Daily Recommended Intakes

for Individuals) and (DRVs) Daily Recommended Values (Proteins, etc.)

– Disease prevention– Best met through a consumption of a wide

variety of foods

Vitamin Requirements

• Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI): recommendation for individuals (more accurate, but would be impossible to label)–Age–Gender–Pregnancy–Lactation

Vitamin Requirements• Daily Reference Values (DRV):

standards established for protein and other dietary components lacking a RDA or nutrient standard

• Constitute part of the Daily Values (DV) used on food labels

Dietary Supplements $6 Billion Market

• They are classified as “Nutritional Supplements” They are not foods, and not drugs.*

• Supplements are “Product intended to supplement the diet and contains vitamins, minerals, botanicals, amino acids, and their extracts.”

• NOT consumed as a food replacement• Loosely regulated, “not evaluated by FDA”

By definition a “drug” is used to “prevent, treat or cure” disease. These terms cannot be used with supplements.

Use of some supplements is backed by scientific data.

Fat Soluble Vitamins• A – orange, carotenoids, vision, antioxidant-

used as color and antioxidant

• D – we make it with sunlight, deficiency causes rickets, in milk, regulates Ca:P ratios

• E – tocopherols, antioxidants, role in preventing stroke, cancer, heart disease- used as antioxidant

• K – contributes to blood clotting factor

Vitamin A• Carrotinoids Used in food industry as

a colorant (orange) (label friendly)• Antioxidant (label friendly)• Stored in liver• Important for sight

– Deficiency causes ~500,000 cases of “night blindness” worldwide

• Genetically engineered rice with high Vitamin A can prevent night blindness

• Carrotenosis

Vitamin D• Also known as calciferol due to its role in

calcium absorption

• Main role is to maintain calcium and potassium levels

• It is the only fat soluble vitamin that we can make- in the presence of sunlight

• Can be made from cholesterol

Vitamin D• Can be stored in fat tissues (as can all fat

soluble vitamins)

• Elderly and shut ins are at risk- not enough sunlight

• We get vitamin D form fortified milk and cereal

• Toxicity is very dangerous

– Occurs only from excess supplementation

– Can lead to calcium deposits in kidneys, heart and blood vessels

Vitamin D

Rickets can be caused by lack of sunlight, but also from insufficient

calcium. Vitamin D linked to calcium absorption.

(Rickets reported in NYC.)

Vitamin E• A family of eight naturally occurring compounds• Used as an anti-oxidant in foods• Since aging is considered an “oxidation”

reaction, many “anti-oxidants” are used as dietary supplements

• Deficiencies are not well understood• Role is stroke, cancer, heart, and immune

response• Americans spend $300 million per year on

vitamin E supplements

Vitamin K • Contributes to synthesis of seven blood

clotting factors

• Can be reactivated to continue biological action

• Works as a cofactor for an enzyme that makes two bone proteins

Water Soluble Vitamins• Relatively cheap to

add to food

• Only Vitamin C is used for its functionality

Water Soluble Vitamins• B1, thiamine• B2, riboflavin• B6, pyridoxamine• B12

• Biotin • Panothenic acid • Niacin• Folacin• Vitamin C

Water Soluble Vitamins• Vitamin B1

– Thiamine– Involved in carbohydrate metabolism– Helps body metabolize glucose, affects

central nervous system– Deficiency causes Beri beri (Singlese, “I can’t, I can’t”)

• B2- riboflavin– Energy metabolism

Water Soluble Vitamins• B6 - Pyridoxamine

– Neurotransmitter, co-enzyme in over 100 reactions

• B12 –

– Development of red blood cells– Lack of it makes one anemic– Hard for vegans to get

Water Soluble Vitamins• Biotin –

– Involved in fatty acid synthesis– Deficiency causes skin disease and hair loss

• Panthothenic acid– Found in many foods– Essential for metabolism of carbohydrates,

protein, alcohol and fat

Water Soluble Vitamins• Choline

– A major component of cell membranes

– Folacin = Folate = Folic acid

– Deficiency causes neural tube defects – in utero

– Took Rutgers Professor 20 years for FDA approval as enrichment Why?

Vitamin C• Ascorbic acid

• Very inexpensive to add to food, marketing tool. Antioxidant

• Deficiency leads to bleeding gums, hemorrhages

• High in citrus fruits, limes, (Limeys)

Vitamin C - Scurvy

Niacin (B3)• Energy metabolism

• Disease – pellagra – The Four D’s– Dermatitis– Diarrhea– Dementia– Death

Minerals• Issues

– Absorption

– Bioavailability

Minerals• Percent of Body weight

– Calcium 2%– Phosphorus 1%– Potassium 0.3%– Sulfur 0.2%– Sodium

0.1%– Chloride

0.1%– Magnesium 0.05%– Iron 0.04%

Minerals• Calcium

– 99% is structural– ~25% absorption– Vitamin D aids

absorption– 75% is obtained from 75% is obtained from

dairy productsdairy products– Many products are

fortified with it– Built in youth, lost in

maturityVery hard for vegans to get

enough calcium

Calcium• Osteoporosis – a pediatric

disease with geriatric consequences

• 1.5 million fractures each year- major cause of subsequent mortality (25% within one year)– 14 billion in direct health cost– 25 million women at risk– DRI women 600 – 800

mg/day

National Osteoporosis Foundation www.nof.org

Calcium

Risk Factors- By Mayo Clinic staff

Your gender. Age. Race.

Frame size. Eating disorders.

Low calcium intake.Excess soda consumption (Ca:P ratio).

The link between osteoporosis and caffeinated sodas isn't clear, but caffeine may interfere with calcium absorption and its diuretic effect may increase mineral loss. In addition, the phosphoric acid in soda may contribute to bone loss.

Bone density can be improved at any time.

Soda is the devil’s drink

• Extra calories

• Poor nutrient density

• Interferes with calcification

• Replaces more nutritious drinks

Minerals• Phosphorus

– Easily absorbed by the body– Enhanced by Vitamin D– Deficiency are rare– Soda, phosphoric acid

• Potassium– A primary electrolyte in blood– Associated with lower blood pressure– Athletes

Minerals• Sodium and Chloride

– Added during processing– Enhances flavor– We consume 2X of what we need (DV = 2.4

grams, 1/10 ounce) (show)– Excess Sodium can lead to hypertension

• High blood pressure• Salt sensitivity – genetics and race

Salt – Uses in Food

• Enhances other flavors, cuts cost

• Salty taste, per se

• Increases consumer acceptance

• Raises boiling point of liquids (pasta)

• Masks bitter tastes

• Food safety

• Water binding

Minerals• Sulfur

– Necessary for collagen formation

• Magnesium– Abundant in plants

Minerals• Iron

– Most common and easily preventable deficiency– Needed for oxygen absorption, immune function,

developmental performance– Poor absorption from plant sources– Low iron causes anemia, especially in menstruating

women– Toxicity

• 6 – 12 vitamins with 100% iron content will kill a small child

(The dose makes the poison.)

Fortification vs Enrichment • Fortification - restores lost nutrients due to processing• Enrichment – adds nutritional value to meet a specific standard

 

                                 

                              

Old London Restaurant Style Croutons. Seasoned Sourdough.

Enriched Bread, [Enriched Flour (Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid),Water,Yeast,Sugar,Salt,Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil ,Vinegar,Ascorbic Acid] Bean Oil with BHT added as a Dextrin