Learn the vitamins. All the vitamins.
Through unfortunate circumstances that I'm mostly at fault for, I have to learn all about the vitamins before the exam in approx. 9 hrs. Typing them up might help.... maybe...
VITAMINS (in general)
Vitamins are organic compounds that are needed in small amounts; they are essential nutrients. Vitamins can be destroyed by air, water or heat, so you have to be careful in preparation for consumption such as refrigerating them and reducing cooking time. You should get your vitamins from foods, even if they're fortified, unless your doctor tells you otherwise, because those vitamins can't give you the essential phytochemicals. Supplements are really only a good idea for pregnant & lactating women, older people, strict vegetarians and those with medical conditions.
VITAMIN A
Men should have up to 900 micrograms per day, while women only need about 700 micrograms per day. Vitamin A comes in two forms - active and inactive. The inactive form, known also as the precursor for the active, is beta-carotene, which is found in carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin (and pumpkin seeds), spinach and broccoli. The good news is that if you overdose on this form, you just get carotendodermia - orange skin, which you might recall from House (as well as referenced in Scrubs). The active form of Vitamin A is found in three forms, which are retinol, retinal, and retinoic acid. You can find them in animal sources such as liver, fish oil and food that is fortfied. Too much of Vitamin A's active form can be toxic, with the UL set at 3,000 micrograms, while a deficiency can lead to night-blindness, and later, xerophthalmia, which is dryness and permanent damage to the cornea of the eye (the outermost, clear bit). Vitamin A in general aids with healthy skin and eyes, as well as bone growth and immunity. Also, Vitamin A is fat-soluble.
VITAMIN B1
Also known as Thiamin. Women, you need 1.1 milligrams. Men, you need 1.2 milligrams. A day. Functions include nerve impulses transmission and the breakdown of alcohol in the body. (Which, by the way, makes enriched bread a good hangover treatment). So, yeah, you can find this shit enriched and in whole grain products. And pork. Go figure. A deficiency causes beriberi (meaning "I can't"), which isn't common in the US, but it caused confusion, muscular weakness and abnormal heart action. It can make your fingers tingle. There's something about Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, which has something about chronic alcohol abuse. Yeah.
VITAMIN B2
Riboflavin, bitch. Try saying it. It's light-sensitive. Same daily needs as B1. This shit metabolizes energy and keeps cells healthy. You find it in milk and yogurt and the excess is ecreted in urine. Cool, right? A deficiency causes dry and scaly lips. Ew.
VITAMIN B3
Niacin. Men need 16 milligrams and women need 14 milligrams. The precursor is trypotphan, I guess. It also metabolizes energy and is prescribed by physicans to lower cholestrol and and fatty acids, but don't go diagnosing yourself, okay? A deficiency causes Pellagra, symptoms are your 4 Ds: Dermatitis, Diarrhea, Dementia and Death. The UL is 35 milligrams. Got it memorized?
VITAMIN B6
No fancy name. Men need 1.3-1.7 milligrams; Women need 1.3-1.5 milligrams. It's a co-enzyme in protein metabolism and makes hemoglobin. Keeps immune and nervous system healthy. Found in meat, fish and legumes - peanut butter, broccoli, potatoes, spinach and cantaloupe. A deficiency can cause skin inflammation and confusion, difficulty walking. Too much causes numbness and tingling. The UL is 1.0 grams.
VITAMIN B12
Official name; cyanocobulamin. This shit can be stored in the liver, and requires an instrinsic factor for absorption. Vegetarians and vegans alike know all about this dumb shit because it's found only in animal sources and a deficient is rather damaging. Its regular functions are to make DNA and red blood cells; it's super important to the brain. When deficient, you get macrocytic anemia. Whatever. What really fucking sucks is that by the time your storage has been used, three years have passed and that's when the problem will come to your attention. And you'll get all this crazy nerve system issues like paralysis and nerve damage. A symptom would be tingling sensation. I take this supplement all the time.
VITAMIN C
It's also known as ascorbic acid. This co-enzyme helps with iron absorption and collagen synthesis, as well as acting as an antioxidant, but has no basis as being effective with preventing colds, as is a common myth. Men need 90 milligrams daily while women need 75 milligrams. Smokers should tag an extra 35 milligrams to their diet because the toxins in tobacco destroys Vitamin E's effectiveness. You can get Vitamin C from citrus fruit, peppers and tomatoes. A deficiency in Vitamin C leads to scurvy, which is the breakdown of collagen. The UL (upper limit) is set at 2,000 milligrams; too much can lead to kidney stones and hemochromatosis (liver and heart damage), which occurs due to taking supplements.
VITAMIN D
Also known as the "sunshine vitamin." As long as you have adequate exposure to the sun (UV rays), you'll synthesize all the Vitamin D you need (which is 5-15 micrograms, depending on age). If you don't have enough, you can get Vitamin D through fortified milk, yogurt and cereal, as well as fatty fish. Vitamin D acts as a hormone, which regulates both Calcium and Phosphorus. When deficient, it can cause rickets in children, osteomalacia in adults (which is essentially rickets... FOR ADULTS!!) Overuse of supplements is toxic, leading to hypervitaminosis D which deposits unnecessary shit into your kidneys. The UL is set at 50 micrograms.
VITAMIN E
The official chemical name is alpha-tocopherol. Vitamin E is a good antioxidant and anticoagulant. Vitamin E is found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. A deficient in E is rare. In cases of chronic deficiency, there is free radical damage going on on cell membranes. Toxicity can occur, due to over-consumption with those damn supplements. The UL is set at 1000 milligrams a day;the DRI is set at 15 milligrams.
VITAMIN K
Two forms: menaquinone, which is synthesized in your intestinal tract, and phylloquinone ,which is found in green plants and vegetable oils and would be the primary source of your DRI 120 micrograms (for men) and 90 micrograms (for women). This shit helps with blood clotting and bone health. It's a comfort to know that a deficiency is rare in affecting blood clotting (but might have problems absorbing fat) and there is no known toxicity that has occured.
FOLATE
Commonly known in its synthetic form - folic acid 0 this vitamin is found in enriched grains, legumes and leafy greens; You'll want 400 micrograms of that. Functions of this vitamin include DNA synthesis and preventing birth defects... like a boss. When it's deficient, you get macrocyte anemia. And that sucks. Too much can mask a Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia. That also sucks.
PANTOTHENIC ACID
There's not many deficiencies for this co-enzyme for metabolizing energy. It's widespread in food, really.
BIOTIN
Also wide-spread and metabolizes energy, but this one breaks down protein and fat as well, and can be synthesized by glucose. Deficiency: Avidin from raw egg whites.
That covers one chapter. Wewt. There's also eating disorders and weight management.
/passes out
DISCLAIMER: ALL THIS INFORMATION COMES STRAIGHT FROM NUTRITION AND YOU, SECOND EDITION, WRITTEN BY JOAN SALGE BLAKE AND FROM MY INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES, BUT WAS TYPED IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT. THIS INFORMATION SHOULD BE DOUBLE-CHECKED BEFORE PUT INTO ANY USE. (THAT IS, I WOULD NEED TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO TYPOS)