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Introduction to Vitamins & their Functions

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Introduction to Vitamins

Essential for healthy growth, vitality and physical well being

Vital for the normal functioning of our bodies.

They occur naturally in minute quantities in foods and generally must be obtained from these foods or from dietary supplements.

13 major vitamins which each have a range of functions in the body.

Classification

Fat soluble Vitamins A, D, E and K Certain amount of fat is needed in the diet to

help the body absorb these vitamins. Unused supplies can be stored in the body.

Water soluble The B group vitamins and vitamin C They cannot be stored in the body so we need

a daily supply of them from the diet.

Origin

Vitamins are simply organic constituents of food They combine with the proteins, minerals and

enzymes within bodies to bring about the chemical reactions to create energy, form living tissue and protect cells from damage.

Deficiencies in one or more specific vitamins can leave humans open to various forms of sickness and disease.

Only a few are manufactured inside the body. Vitamin D is manufactured in the skin from

sunlight, while a few others can be made inside the gut by resident bacteria.

All of the other vitamins can be found in foods

Factors increasing needs for Vitamins

Various lifestyle habits such as smoking and consuming alcohol

Environment hazards like pollution, various forms of stress; emotional or physical.

Elderly, because of their decreased food intake and also their heavy use of conventional medications

Pregnant women, teenagers, people who are dieting, those on medication (especially the contraceptive pill), those who eat too many convenience foods or ‘junk’ foods, and fussy eaters.

Overdosage

Except for a very few, vitamins are relatively safe to take in large quantities.

Those that have the potential to become toxic need to be taken in extremely large doses and over a very long period of time before they do so.

Vitamin A for example must be taken in excess of 10-20 times the RDA and over a considerable period of time before it produces symptoms of toxicity, and even then the symptoms are reversible.

Beta-carotene provides an excellent way of obtaining the benefits of Vitamin A, as the body requires it.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is important for the production of collagen, connective tissue and protein fibers that give strength to our teeth and gums, muscles, blood vessels and skin.

Food sources Vitamin C can be found in fruit and

vegetables such as citrus fruit, blackcurrants, strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers as well as fortified drinks

Vitamin C

Importance In the immune system, vitamin C helps

the white blood cells to fight infection. Vitamin C helps the body to absorb iron. It is believed that the so-called

“antioxidant” properties of vitamin C help protect the body from the harmful effects of too many free radicals.

Vitamin C

Deficiency Leaves the person more susceptible to infection Makes wounds slower to heal and can lead to

bleeding gums, irritability and muscle wasting. A severe deficiency of this vitamin leads to scurvy Some groups of people may still have low levels

of vitamin C Those who eat a lot of junk food and miss out on

fresh fruit and vegetables Heavy drinkers Smokers: cigarette smoke increases the breakdown

of vitamin C. NB: Pregnant and breast feeding mothers have

increased requirements for vitamin C.

Vitamin C - Kinetics

Vit C is a water-soluble vitamin. It is rapidly absorbed from the GIT

and widely distributed in the body. Plasma concentration and total body

store is related to daily uptake. It is excreted in the urine. The body stores up to a maximum

of 2.5 g.

Vitamin C - Indications

Vitamin C is a compound that is necessary for proper growth and health.

It is needed in small amounts only and is usually available in the normal foods that are ingested.

Vitamin C is necessary for wound healing. Vit C plays a major role in many oxidative and

other metabolic reactions essential for formation and stabilization of collagens, conversion of folic acid to folinic acid, synthesis of adrenal steroids and catacholamines.

It is very important for maintenance of intracellular tissue.

Vitamin C - Dosage

Daily intake required: Infants and Children: Birth to 3

years of age = 20 mg 4 to 10 years of age = 25 mg Adolescent and adult males = 25-40

mg Pregnant Females = 30-40 mg Breast-feeding females = 55 mg

Vitamin D

Food sources There are only a few foods, which

contain vitamin D. These include oily fish, fish oils,

butter and eggs. Some foods, like margarine,

evaporated milk and breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin D.

Vitamin D

Exposure to sunlight Unlike other vitamins, we can actually make

vitamin D in our bodies as a result of exposure to sunlight, providing the necessary starting materials are there.

Generally, about fifteen minutes of direct sunlight per day gives the vitamin D needed

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be stored in the body

Vitamin D is vital for general well being and, in particular, for healthy bones and teeth.

Vitamin D

Exposure to sunlight Unlike other vitamins, we can actually make

vitamin D in our bodies as a result of exposure to sunlight, providing the necessary starting materials are there.

Generally, about fifteen minutes of direct sunlight per day gives the vitamin D needed

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be stored in the body

Vitamin D is vital for general well being and, in particular, for healthy bones and teeth.

Vitamin D

Deficiency A deficiency of vitamin D in children can lead to rickets

(bones are not formed correctly because the lack of vitamin D does not allow enough calcium to be absorbed)

Adults who are deficient in vitamin D may suffer from osteomalacia (thinning of the bones).

A lack of vitamin D may also prevent adequate adsorption of calcium and contribute to Osteoporosis

Vitamin D is important throughout life. Since it is necessary for calcium absorption,

With age, bodies are not able to absorb vitamin D or make it in the skin so efficiently.

Older people with a good regular supply of vitamin D and calcium may be less likely to suffer fractures due to brittle or thinning bones. They should eat more foods rich in vitamin D

Calcium

The mineral that makes up bones and keeps them strong.

99% percent of the calcium in the body is stored in bones and teeth.

The remaining 1% is in the blood and soft tissues and is essential for life and health.

Without this tiny 1% of calcium, muscles wouldn’t contract correctly, blood wouldn’t clot and nerves wouldn’t carry messages

Calcium

Sources From the calcium in diet   From the calcium in bone It is mainly dietary calcium that spares, or protects,

the calcium in bones. In addition to their structural role, bones are the

emergency supply of calcium. The body actually tears down and builds bone all of

the time in order to make its calcium available for body’s functions.

In lack of sufficient dietary Calcium, the body automatically takes it from bones.

In years, bones become weak and break easily. This leads to the crippling bone disease called "osteoporosis."

Calcium

 Age Group Dietary Reference Intakes

(DRI)

 0 - 6 months  210 milligrams/day

 6 - 12 months  270 milligrams/day

 1 - 3 years  500 milligrams/day

 4 - 8 years  800 milligrams/day

 9 - 18 years  1,300 milligrams/day

 Adults 19 - 50 years

 1,000 milligrams/day

 Adults 51+ years

 1,200 milligrams/day

Calcium

Sources in diet Calcium-rich foods such as low-fat

and No-fat dairy products, broccoli, kale, and salmon

Fortified food with calcium, including fruit juices, snack foods and breakfast cereals

Calcium

Calcium supplement: carbonate, citrate or lactate forms Calcium carbonate is inexpensive and

provides more elemental calcium than other supplements - such as calcium citrate and calcium lactate

Should be taken with meals. It may be better absorbed with food

In divided doses throughout the day. The body can absorb only so much calcium at one time

Calcium

Calcium importance with age From birth until about age 18, bones are forming

and growing, as children grow, it is equally important that their diet remain calcium-rich

During late adolescence, through young adulthood, adult bone is formed and reaches its maximum strength and density

Bones continue to accumulate calcium and become stronger after growing stops.

The calcium provided to bones in youth determines how well they will hold up later in life.

By age 35 bones are about as strong as they are ever going to be

Calcium No matter what age a woman is when she becomes

pregnant, calcium is very important to both the mother and the baby.

Calcium from the mother’s body is used by the developing baby, putting increased demands on the mother’s supply.

Additional calcium should be consumed for both the mother’s and baby’s health.

In the Journal of the American Medical Association, there is evidence that increasing calcium intake can help maintain normal blood pressure in pregnant women.

Pregnancy-induced high blood pressure is a serious complication that can put both mother and child at risk

When a woman enters menopause, her body produces much less estrogen.

Calcium

Loss of estrogen increases the risk of osteoporosis.

It is so important to take steps to protect from osteoporosis by getting enough calcium every day

Recent studies have shown estrogen plus daily calcium is up to three times more effective in building bone than estrogen alone

Men are also vulnerable to osteoporosis and need to consume adequate calcium through their older years to prevent further bone loss, and in their younger years to achieve peak bone mass

Calcium - Overdosage

It’s very difficult to get too much calcium Any excess which the body cannot use is excreted

from the body in the urine and stool Daily consumption up to 2,500 mg has been

shown to be safe. Additional calcium intake may actually lower risk

for kidney stones Restricting calcium intake could increase the risk

of stones The largest study ever conducted on calcium and

kidney stones, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1993, and another published in 1997, showed that daily calcium intake above 850 mg decreased the incidence of symptomatic kidney stones.

Recommendations for adequate calcium and vitamin D intake

The National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference on Osteoporosis recommend the following calcium intake:

800 mg/day for children ages 1 to 10 1000 mg/day for men, premenopausal women,

and postmenopausal women also taking estrogen

1200 mg/day for teenagers and young adults ages 11 to 24

1500 mg/day for post menopausal women not taking estrogen

1200mg to 1500 mg/day for pregnant women and nursing mothers

Recommendations for adequate calcium and vitamin D intake

The total daily intake of calcium should not exceed 2000 mg The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute

of Medicine recommended the following vitamin D intake:

200 IU daily for men and women 19 to 50 years old

400 IU daily for men and women 51 to 70 years old

600 IU daily for men and women 71 years and older

For patients with established osteoporosis, the recommended dose of vitamin D is 400 IU twice a day.

Precautions Excessive vitamin D leads to elevated blood

calcium levels, which can cause significant toxicity. Symptoms of vitamin D toxicity include loss of

appetite, nausea, vomiting, thirst, excessive urination, muscular weakness, and in severe cases, coma.

Consequently, intake should not exceed 1000 IU daily.

While adequate calcium intake and vitamin D levels are important to maintain bone strength, they are not always sufficient to fully protect against the rapid bone loss that can occur around the time of menopause.

Estrogen replacement therapy, and medications that strengthen bone may also be necessary

Calcium and Vitamin C Calcium metabolism is very much affected

by Vitamin C intake For patients who suffer from calcium

overload, larger amounts of Vitamin C are an effective part of the daily regimen to keep calcium soluble and prevent it from calcifying soft tissue

Low stomach acid levels are involved with elevated calcium as well, for which higher Vitamin C intake is also beneficial, however acidifying strategies are additionally required in most of these cases

Calcium and Vitamin C Normal amounts of Vitamin C increase

bioavailability of average calcium levels, while very high intake puts extra demands on calcium stores (bone) to make up calcium loss

There are a lot of people whose copper and zinc levels are excessively high, so Vitamin C becomes the ideal candidate because it is capable of lowering both

Large amounts can at the same time significantly reduce calcium levels to the point of seriously accelerating bone loss

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin that exists in three major chemical forms: pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine.

It performs a wide variety of functions in your body and is essential for your good health.

For example, vitamin B6 is needed for more than 100 enzymes involved in protein metabolism.

It is also essential for red blood cell metabolism.

The nervous and immune systems need vitamin B6 to function efficiently.

Vitamin B6 Hemoglobin within red blood cells

carries oxygen to tissues. Your body needs vitamin B6 to make hemoglobin. Vitamin B6 also helps increase the amount of oxygen carried by hemoglobin. A vitamin B6 deficiency can result in a form of anemia that is similar to iron deficiency anemia.

Vitamin B6 Vitamin B6, through its involvement in protein

metabolism and cellular growth, is important to the immune system.

It helps maintain the health of lymphoid organs (thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes) that make your white blood cells.

Animal studies show that a vitamin B6 deficiency can decrease your antibody production and suppress your immune response.

Vitamin B6 Vitamin B6 also helps maintain your blood

glucose (sugar) within a normal range. When caloric intake is low your body needs vitamin

B6 to help convert stored carbohydrate or other nutrients to glucose to maintain normal blood sugar levels.

While a shortage of vitamin B6 will limit these functions, supplements of this vitamin do not enhance them in well-nourished individuals.

When can a vitamin B6 deficiency occur? Vitamin B6 deficiency can occur in individuals

with poor quality diets that are deficient in many nutrients.

Symptoms occur during later stages of deficiency, when intake has been very low for an extended time.

Signs of vitamin B6 deficiency include dermatitis (skin inflammation), glossitis (a sore tongue), depression, confusion, and convulsions.

Vitamin B6 deficiency also can cause anemia. Some of these symptoms can also result from a

variety of medical conditions other than vitamin B6 deficiency.

What is the health risk of too much vitamin B6? Too much vitamin B6 can result in

nerve damage to the arms and legs. This neuropathy is usually related to high intake of vitamin B6 from supplements, and is reversible when supplementation is stopped.

CeCal Product Information

CeeCal is presented as effervescent tablets (10 tabs per tube) containing the following ingredients: Calcium Carbonate 625 mg USP

(equivalent to 250 mg elemental calcium)

Vitamin C 1000 mg USP Vitamin D 200 IU Vitamin B6 5 mg

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