VITAMIN A and CAROTENE
BETA-CAROTENE RICH SOURCES

• Orang colored foods,
• Dark green vegetables
• Spinach
• Eating ast least every other day meet Vit A requirements

• Only found in animal origin
• Richest - liver/fish oil
• Milk, Cheese, fortified cereals
• Healthy people can eat a lot w/out risk of toxicity

VITAMIN A
FUNCTION

• Regulation of activities of genes
  • affect production of specific protiens
• Vision
  • Night Blindness
• Protein Synthesis/Cell Differentiation (maturing)
  • smooth, moist, epithelial tissues
• Immunity
• Reproduction, Growth, Development
• Beta-Carotene
  • Antioxidant

• 90% stored in liver/up to a year's worth stored in body
• Symptoms would not appear till 1-2 years later
• Drying, hardening of cornea
• Blindness
• Dry, rough, scaly, hard skin (keritanization)
• Susceptibility to Infection
• Secondary to protein deficiency

• Already in active form from animal origin (Preformed Vitamin A)
• Beta
  • Plant form - inactive form, doesn't convert fast enough to produce toxicity
  • Skin can turn yellow/orange
• Teratogenic Risk - abnormal fetal development
• May weaken bones - osteoperosis, hip fractures
• Reduced bone mineral density
• Liver abnormalties
• Birth Defects

VITAMIN D
GENERAL INFO

• Body can sythesize it in significant quantities w/ the help of sunlight
• No need of Vitamin D from foods if you get enough sun
• Converted by kidney and liver (add OH) to activate

VITAMIN D
RICH SOURCES

• Sun
• Eggs
• Liver
• Butter
• Some Fatty Fish
• Fortified Milk

VITAMIN D
FUNCTIONS

• Hormone - manufactured by one organ but affects another
• Target organs: Intestine, Kidneys, Bones
• Bonemaking and Maintenance
• Makes Calcium available in the blood
  • absorption from the GI tract
  • from bones
  • retention by kidneys

• Weak bones - bend - not ables to support body weight
• Rickets - bowed legs - children
• Osteomalacia - adult form
• Osteoperosis
• Could cause
  • High bp
  • arthritis
  • IBD
  • multiple sclerosis

• Stones - accumulation of excess calcium in blood
• Harden blood vessels
  • Major arteries of heart lungs = Death
• Calcium Inbalance

• Tocopherol - "offspring"
• Alpha-Tocopherol
• Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta

VITAMIN E
RICH SOURCES

• Vegetable Oils
  • Unsaturated
• Soybean Oils
• Germ Oils
• Fruits/Vegetables

• Antioxidant
• Prevents oxidation of unsaturated fats - free radicals

• Red Blood cells tend to break open - membranes oxidize (lipid)
  • Erythrocyte Hemolysis
• Loss of muscle coordination & reflexes w/ impaired movement
• Vision
• Speech
• Malabsorption of fat associated with disease
• Nerve Damage

VITAMIN E
TOXICITY

• Extremely high - interfere with blood clotting
• Enhance action of anticoagulants = hemorrhage
• Toxicity - not as serious
• Aging/Cancer (not toxicity, just association info)

VITAMIN K
RICH SOURCE

• Green leafy vegetables
• Cabbage
• Liver
• Other vegetables, milk, eggs, cereal, fruits - not significant amounts

VITAMIN K
FUNCTION

• Blood Clotting
• Intestinal Synthesis
• Recommended for infants because they do not have the abillity to produce Vitamin K yet - Sterile Gut - Prevent hemorrhaging

• Can be fatal
• Fat malabsorption
• Interefered w/ it's synthesis and acitivity
• Hemorrhage!!

• Reduce effectivness of anticoagulant meds used to prevent clotting