A short primer on public health related concepts on vitamins and minerals

1. Vitamins &
Minerals
Dr. Rizwan S A
Assistant Professor
Department of Community Medicine
VMCHRI, Madurai

2. Learning objectives
• At the end of this lecture you sh. be able to
– Describe the salient features of each vitamin
– Describe the importance of vitamins in health and
disease
– Describe the salient features of minerals and trace
elements
– Describe the importance of minerals and trace
elements in health and disease
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3. VITAMINS
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4. Vitamins – Introduction
• Vital-amines
• Required in small amounts
• Must be obtained from diet because they are
not synthesized in body
• A wide variety of functions
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5. Classification
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6. Functions of vitamins
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7. Functions of vitamins
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8. Dietary sources of vitamins
Vitamin Food Sources
Vitamin B1
(Thiamin)
Whole grains, enriched grains
Liver, pork, dried beans, nuts and seeds
Vitamin B2
(Riboflavin
)
Soybeans, meat and poultry, liver and eggs
Mushrooms
Milk, cheese, yogurt
Whole grains, enriched grains
Vitamin B3
(Niacin)
Mushrooms
Peanut butter, meat, fish, poultry
Whole grains, enriched grains
Biotin Sweet potatoes
Nonfat milk, yogurt
Peanuts, almonds, eggs, liver, soy protein
*The biotin content in food can vary greatly
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9. Dietary sources of vitamins
Vitamin Food Sources
Vitamin B6
(Pyridoxin)
Potatoes, bananas
100% bran, instant oatmeal
Meat, fish, poultry, liver, soybeans, chickpeas, lentils, pistachio, nuts,
sunflower seeds
Vitamin B12
(Cobalamin)
Milk, cheese, yogurt, fortified soy or rice beverages
Meat, fish, poultry, liver, eggs, fortified soy products
Folate Asparagus, cooked spinach, romaine lettuce, Brussels sprouts, beets,
broccoli, corn, green peas, oranges, orange juice
Bread, enriched pasta, wheat germ
Liver, dried beans, soybeans, chickpeas, lentils, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds
*Folic acid is the type of folate found in Vitamin supplements and fortified
foods.
Vitamin C Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits and
their juices, kiwi, strawberries, mangoes, papaya
Red, yellow and green peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, raw
dark leafy vegetables
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10. Dietary sources of vitamins
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Vitamin Food Sources
Vitamin A Liver, some fish
Milk, cheese
Carotenoids Cantaloupe, pink grapefruit, tomatoes, broccoli, dark green leafy vegetables
like spinach, beet greens and Swiss chard, dark orange vegetables such as
carrots and sweet potatoes
Vitamin D Milk, fortified soy and rice beverages
Fortified margarine
Some fish, eggs, organ meats, fish liver oils
Vitamin E Vegetable oils
Avocados, leafy green vegetables
Wheat germ, sunflower seeds, some nuts, peanut butter
Vitamin K Broccoli, soybeans, dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, collards,
turnip/beet greens and spinach

11. RDA of vitamins
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12. RDA of vitamins - simple
Vitamin name RDA for adult male
Vitamin B1 1.2 mg
Vitamin B2 1.3 mg
Vitamin B3 16.0 mg
Vitamin B5 5.0 mg
Vitamin B6 1.3–1.7 mg
Vitamin B12 2.4 µg
Vitamin C 90.0 mg
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Vitamin name RDA for adult male
Vitamin A 900 µg
Vitamin D 10 µg
Vitamin E 15.0 mg
Vitamin K 120 µg

13. Deficiency diseases
Vitamin name Deficiency disease
Vitamin B1 Beriberi, Wernicke syndrome
Vitamin B2 Ariboflavinosis, Glossitis, Angular stomatitis
Vitamin B3 Pellagra
Vitamin B5 Paresthesia
Vitamin B6 Anemia,peripheral neuropathy.
Folate
Megaloblastic anemia and Deficiency during pregnancy is
associated with birth defects, such as neural tube defects
Vitamin B12 Megaloblastic anemia
Vitamin C Scurvy
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14. Deficiency diseases
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Vitamin name Deficiency disease
Vitamin A Night blindness, Hyperkeratosis, and Keratomalacia
Vitamin D Rickets and Osteomalacia
Vitamin E
Deficiency is very rare; sterility in males and abortions in
females, mild hemolytic anemia in newborn infants.
Vitamin K Bleeding diathesis

15. Hypervitaminosis
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Vitamin name
Upper intake
level
Overdose manifestations
Vitamin B1 N/D Drowsiness or muscle relaxation
Vitamin B2 N/D
Vitamin B3 35.0 mg
Liver damage (doses > 2g/day)and other
problems
Vitamin B5 N/D Diarrhea; possibly nausea and heartburn.
Vitamin B6 100 mg
Impairment of proprioception, nerve damage
(doses > 100 mg/day)
Vitamin B12 N/D Acne-like rash
Vitamin C 2,000 mg Vitamin C megadosage

16. Hypervitaminosis
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Vitamin
name
Upper intake
level
Overdose manifestations
Vitamin A 3,000 µg Hypervitaminosis A
Vitamin D 50 µg Hypervitaminosis D
Vitamin E 1,000 mg
Increased congestive heart failure seen in one
large randomized study.
Vitamin K N/D
Increases coagulation in patients taking
warfarin.

17. Vitamin A deficiency
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18. Vitamin D deficiency
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19. Vitamin K deficiency
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20. Vitamin B 1 deficiency
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21. Vitamin B 2 deficiency
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22. Vitamin B 3 deficiency
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23. Folate deficiency
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24. Vitamin B 12 deficiency
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25. Review
• What are the fat soluble vitamins?
• What is the definition of vitamins?
• Why does vitamin deficiency occur?
• Which vitamin deficiency is most likely to
occur in vegetarians?
• Which vitamin should be given specifically
prior to pregnancy?
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26. MINERALS
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27. Classification of minerals
Minerals
Macro
minerals
Trace
elements
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28. Classification of minerals
Major minerals
• Calcium
• Phosphorus
• Sodium
• Potassium
• Magnesium
Trace elements
• Iron, iodine, fluorine, zinc,
copper, cobalt, chromium,
manganese, molybdenum,
selenium, nickel, tin, silicon
and vanadium
• Trace with no known
function: lead, mercury,
barium, boron, and
aluminium
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29. Sources and functions
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30. Sources and functions
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31. Deficiency disorders
Mineral Deficiency causes
Calcium No clear cut disease but associated with Vitamin D deficiency
Magnesium Irritability, tetany, hyper-reflexia and occasionally hypo-
reflexia
Iron Nutritional anemia
impaired cell-mediated immunity, reduced resistance to
infection, increased morbidity and mortality and diminished
work performance.
Iodine Goitre, hypothyroidism
Low IQ, hearing and speech defects
Eye defects
Cretinism, IUD
Fluorine Dental caries
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32. Deficiency disorders
Mineral Deficiency causes
Zinc Growth failure and sexual infantilism in
adolescents, and in loss of taste and delayed
wound healing
Copper Neutropenia
Cobalt Cobalt may interact with iodine and affect its
utilization
Selenium Reduces antibody production
Molybdenum Mouth and oesophageal cancer
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33. Some important mineral deficiency
Hypocalcaemia (low serum Ca in the blood) cause the
hyperexcitability of the nervous system
Osteomalacia (softening of bone), tetany (muscle spasms) and
kidney stones are other calcium related disorders
Osteoporosis occurs when bone resorption exceeds formation
• Mainly in women
• Increases in age
• May be related to a low Ca intake
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34. Magnesium deficiency
 Weakening of the bones
 Imbalanced blood sugar
 Elevated blood pressure
 High excitability
 Brain damage
 Unstable internal cell structure
 Inadequate hormone production
 Headaches
 Seizures
 Depression
 Nausea
 Vomiting
 Lack of appetite
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35. Iron deficiency
• Anemia
• Affects cell growth in the nervous and GI
system
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36. Zinc deficiency
• Stunted growth
• Skin rash
• Hair loss
• Immune system
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37. Review
• What are the major minerals in the human
body?
• What does iodine deficiency cause?
• What does fluoride excess cause?
• Which vitamin is linked to calcium
metabolism?
• Is Zinc an important mineral for the body and
why?
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38. THANK YOU
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