Chapter 7A Lecture Chapter 7A: In Depth: Vitamins and Minerals: Micronutrients with Macro Powers © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc What Are Micronutrients? • Vitamins and minerals that are needed in much smaller amounts • Essential to our survival • Assist body functions such as energy metabolism and the formation and maintenance of healthy cells and tissues © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Vitamins • Vitamins are carbon-containing compounds that regulate a wide range of body processes • Fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E, and K • Readily stored in the body's adipose tissue • Can be toxic when taken in excess • Megadosing: >10 times the recommended intake © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc â 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Vitamins Water-soluble vitamins: • Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and B-vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate, pantothenic acid, and biotin) • Not stored in large amounts (except vitamin B12): must be consumed on a daily or weekly basis • Toxicity is rare • Deficiency symptoms, including diseases or syndromes, can arise fairly quickly © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Minerals • Naturally occurring inorganic (non-carboncontaining) substances • All minerals are elements: • Already exist in the simplest chemical form possible • Are not digested or broken down prior to absorption • Categorized as major, trace, or ultra-trace © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Minerals Major: require at least 100 mg per day - Sodium - Potassium - Phosphorus - Chloride - Calcium - Magnesium - Sulfur © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Trace: require less than 100 mg per day - Flouride - Iron - Manganese - Zinc Ultra-trace: require less than mg per day - Chromium - Copper - Iodine - Molybdenum - Selenium © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Vitamins and Minerals—Absorption • Depends on their chemical form • Dietary iron: heme (only in meats, fish, and poultry) and non-heme (in plant and animal foods, iron-fortified foods, supplements) • Binding factors within the same food • Other foods within the meal • High-fiber foods (whole grains) and oxalic acid (tea, spinach) decrease zinc and iron absorption © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Chemical Transformation • Many vitamins are modified after they are eaten and absorbed: • B-vitamins combine with other substances • Combinations activate the vitamin when the compound is needed • Minerals: basic natures not change, but may undergo minor adjustments in their atomic structure © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Micronutrient Metabolism • Toxic overload is generally more likely to develop from taking supplements than from consuming foods • Some micronutrient supplements may be harmful to the health of certain groups of people • Most minerals are better absorbed from animal sources than from supplements © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Micronutrient Metabolism (cont.) • Enriching low-nutrient foods with vitamins/minerals does not turn them into healthful foods • Eating a variety of healthful foods provides more nutrients, phytochemicals, and other dietary benefits than supplements alone • Foods can provide a balance of micronutrients and other factors that work together to enhance health © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Micronutrient Metabolism (cont.) • A healthful diet built from a variety of foods offers social, emotional, and other benefits absent from supplements • In certain populations—such as pregnant women —micronutrient supplements can play an important role in promoting health © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Micronutrients: Preventing or Treating Disease • Adequate intake of these nutrients has been associated with lower risk for certain diseases: • Vitamin D and colon cancer • Vitamin E and diabetes complications • Vitamin K and osteoporosis • Calcium and pregnancy-induced hypertension • Chromium and blood glucose control in those with diabetes • Magnesium and muscle wasting in older adults • Potassium and high blood pressure â 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Other Essential Micronutrients Research into emerging micronutrients is ongoing • Some vitamin-like factors and trace minerals may have beneficial health effects, such as: • Carnitine • Boron • Nickle • Silicon • Not yet classified as essential micronutrients; more study is needed • In the future, we may develop individual micronutrient profiles based on age, gender, and DNA © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Nutri-Tools: Build-a-Salad PLAY © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Build-A-Salad ... Transformation • Many vitamins are modified after they are eaten and absorbed: • B-vitamins combine with other substances • Combinations activate the vitamin when the compound is needed • Minerals: basic... turn them into healthful foods • Eating a variety of healthful foods provides more nutrients, phytochemicals, and other dietary benefits than supplements alone • Foods can provide a balance of. .. micronutrients and other factors that work together to enhance health © 2017 Pearson Education, Inc Micronutrient Metabolism (cont.) • A healthful diet built from a variety of foods offers social,