Vitamins, Minerals and Water

Objectives

Identify the two main classes of vitamins

List seven minerals your body needs in significant amounts

Explain why water is so important to your body

Vocabulary• Vitamin- A nutrient that is made by living things, is required

in small amounts, and assists in chemical reactions in the body

• Antioxidant- A vitamin that helps protect healthy cells from the

damage caused by the normal aging process as well as from certain types of cancer

• Mineral- A nutrient that occurs naturally in rocks or soil,

needed by the body in small amounts

• Anemia A condition in which the red blood cells do not

contain enough hemoglobin• HomeostasisThe process of maintaining a steady state inside

the body• ElectrolyteA dissolved substance that regulates many

processes in cells• DehydrationA serious reduction in the body’s water content

Vitamins Unlike carbs, fats and proteins; vitamins do

not directly provide you with energy or the raw materials of which your cells are made

Vitamins help the body with various processes, including the use of other nutrients

Vitamins play roles in chemical reactions in the body. example; vitamin K helps your blood clot when you get a cut or a scrape

Your body is able to make some vitamins Example; your skin manufactures vitamin

D when it is exposed to sunlight However, most vitamins must be

supplied in the food you eat 2 classes of vitamins: Fat-soluble

vitamins (which dissolve in fatty materials) and water-soluble vitamins (which dissolve in water).

Fat-Soluble Vitamins(Can be stored by the body)

• Vitamin A – Found in: Liver; eggs; cheese; milk; yellow, orange and dark green vegetables and fruit

• Vitamin D- Found in: Milk; eggs; liver; exposure of skin to sunlight

• Vitamin E- Found in: Margarine; vegetable oils; wheat germs; whole grains; legumes; green, leafy vegetables

• Vitamin K- Found in: Green, leafy vegetables; potatoes; liver; made by intestinal bacteria

Fat-Soluble Vitamin Functions• Vitamin A- Maintains healthy skin, bones,

teeth and hair; aids vision in dim light• Vitamin D- maintains bones and teeth;

helps in the use of calcium and phosphorus• Vitamin E- Aids in maintenance of red

blood cells, vitamin A, and fats• Vitamin K- Aids in blood clotting

Water Soluble Vitamins (Cannot be stored by the body)

Therefore, it is important to eat foods that supply them every day

• Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) – pork products; liver; whole-grain foods; legumes

• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) – Milk; eggs; meat; whole grains; dark green vegetables

• Vitamin B3 (Niacin) – Poultry; meat; fish; whole grains; nuts

• Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) – meat; poultry; fish; whole-grain foods; green vegetables

• Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) – meat; fish; poultry; eggs; milk; cheese

• Pantothenic acid – organ meats; poultry; fish; eggs; grains

• Folate (folic acid) – green, leafy vegetables; legumes

• Biotin- organ meats; poultry; fish; eggs; peas; bananas; melons

• Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) – citrus fruits; green vegetables; melons; potatoes; tomatoes

Water-Soluble Vitamin functions

• Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) – Aids in carbohydrate use and nervous system function

• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) – Aids in metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats

• Vitamin B3 (Niacin) – Aids in metabolism• Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) – Aids in metabolism

of carbohydrates, proteins and fats

• Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) – Maintains healthy nervous system and red blood cells

• Pantothenic acid – Aids in metabolism• Folate (folic acid) – Aids in formation of red

blood cells and protein• Biotin- Aids in metabolism• Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) – Aids in bone,

teeth, and skin formations, resistance to infection, iron uptake

The 7 minerals you NEED in significant amounts

• Calcium • Sodium• Potassium• Magnesium• Phosphorus• Chlorine• Sulfur

Water

• About 65% of your body weight is water• Water is essential for all life processes• Almost all of the body’s chemical reactions

take place in a water solution• Water is the primary component of blood and

tissue• It carries dissolved waste products out of the

body and helps digest food

What roles does water play in homeostasis?

• Water regulates body temperature• When you become overheated, your body

excretes perspiration, which cools your body

• Water contains dissolved substances called electrolytes that regulate many processes in your cells

Dehydration

• 2 causes of dehydration: very heavy perspiring and severe diarrhea

• When the body is dehydrated it loses important electrolytes along with the water

• Symptoms: weakness, rapid breathing, and a weak heartbeat

How much water?

• Females age 14-18: Everyday you need at least ten 8-ounce cups of water

• Males age 14-18: Everyday you need at least fourteen 8-ounce cups of water

Foods that contain a lot of water: fruits and vegetables or juices

Drinks that contain caffeine- may not be a good source of water for your body