Vitamins, Minerals, Antioxidants,

Phytonutrients,Functional Foods

By Melissa Bess, Nutrition and Health Education Specialist

FNEP STAFF TRAINING ONLY, DO NOT USE WITH FNEP PARTICIPANTS

05/2007

Overview

What are vitamins?What are vitamins? Categories of vitaminsCategories of vitamins FunctionsFunctions Food sourcesFood sources DeficienciesDeficiencies What are minerals?What are minerals? Categories of mineralsCategories of minerals AntioxidantsAntioxidants

Overview (continued)

PhytonutrientsPhytonutrients Functional FoodsFunctional Foods Food LabelsFood Labels ActivityActivity

What are vitamins?

Complex substances that regulate Complex substances that regulate body processesbody processes

Coenzymes (partners) with Coenzymes (partners) with enzymes in reactionsenzymes in reactions

No calories, thus no energyNo calories, thus no energy

Categories

Fat-solubleFat-soluble

Dissolve in fatDissolve in fat

Can be storedCan be stored

Water-solubleWater-soluble

Dissolve in waterDissolve in water

Carried in Carried in bloodstream, not bloodstream, not storedstored

A, D, E, KA, D, E, K C and B-complex C and B-complex vitaminsvitamins

A and D excess can A and D excess can be harmfulbe harmful

E and K usually notE and K usually not

Excess amounts Excess amounts may cause extra may cause extra work on kidneyswork on kidneys

Vitamin A (and carotenoids)

Functions:Functions: Normal visionNormal vision Protects from Protects from

infectionsinfections Regulates Regulates

immune systemimmune system Antioxidant Antioxidant

(carotenoids)(carotenoids)

Food sources:Food sources: LiverLiver Fish oilFish oil EggsEggs Fortified milk or Fortified milk or

other foodsother foods Red, yellow, Red, yellow,

orange, and dark orange, and dark green veggies green veggies (carotenoids)(carotenoids)

Vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin)

Functions:Functions: Promotes Promotes

absorption of absorption of calcium and calcium and phosphorusphosphorus

Helps deposit Helps deposit those in those in bones/teethbones/teeth

Regulates cell Regulates cell growthgrowth

Plays role in Plays role in immunityimmunity

Sources:Sources: Sunlight (10 – 15 Sunlight (10 – 15

mins 2x a week)mins 2x a week) Salmon with Salmon with

bonesbones MilkMilk Orange juice Orange juice

(fortified)(fortified) Fortified cerealsFortified cereals

Vitamin E

Functions:Functions: Antioxidant, may Antioxidant, may

lower risk for lower risk for heart disease and heart disease and stroke, some stroke, some types of cancerstypes of cancers

Protects fatty Protects fatty acids and vitamin acids and vitamin AA

Sources:Sources: Vegetable oilsVegetable oils Foods made from Foods made from

oil (salad oil (salad dressing, dressing, margarine)margarine)

NutsNuts SeedsSeeds Wheat germWheat germ Green, leafy Green, leafy

veggiesveggies

Vitamin K

Functions:Functions: Helps blood clotHelps blood clot Helps body make Helps body make

some other some other proteinsproteins

Sources:Sources: Body can produce Body can produce

on its own (from on its own (from bacteria in bacteria in intestines)intestines)

Green, leafy Green, leafy veggiesveggies

Some fruits, other Some fruits, other veggies, and nutsveggies, and nuts

Thiamin (B1)

Functions:Functions: Helps produce Helps produce

energy from carbsenergy from carbs

Sources:Sources: Whole-grain and Whole-grain and

enriched grain enriched grain productsproducts

PorkPork LiverLiver

Riboflavin (B2)

Functions:Functions: Produce energyProduce energy Changes Changes

tryptophan tryptophan (amino acid) into (amino acid) into niacinniacin

Sources:Sources: LiverLiver Yogurt and milkYogurt and milk Enriched grainsEnriched grains EggsEggs Green, leafy Green, leafy

veggiesveggies

Niacin

Functions:Functions: Helps body use Helps body use

sugars/fatty acidssugars/fatty acids Helps enzymes Helps enzymes

function normallyfunction normally Produces energyProduces energy

Sources:Sources: Foods high in Foods high in

protein typically protein typically (poultry, fish, (poultry, fish, beef, peanut beef, peanut butter, legumes)butter, legumes)

Enriched and Enriched and fortified grainsfortified grains

Pyridoxine (B6)

Functions:Functions: Helps body make Helps body make

non-essential non-essential amino acidsamino acids

Helps turn Helps turn tryptophan into tryptophan into niacin and niacin and serotoninserotonin

Help produce Help produce body chemicals body chemicals (insulin, (insulin, hemoglobin, etc)hemoglobin, etc)

Sources:Sources: ChickenChicken FishFish PorkPork LiverLiver Whole grainsWhole grains NutsNuts LegumesLegumes

Folate (folic acid)

Functions:Functions: Produces DNA and Produces DNA and

RNA, making new RNA, making new body cellsbody cells

Works with vitamin Works with vitamin B12 to form B12 to form hemoglobinhemoglobin

May protect against May protect against heart diseaseheart disease

Lowers risk of Lowers risk of neural tube defects neural tube defects in babiesin babies

Controls plasma Controls plasma homocystine levels homocystine levels (related to heart (related to heart disease)disease)

Sources:Sources: Fortified and Fortified and

enriched grains enriched grains and breakfast and breakfast cerealscereals

Orange juiceOrange juice LegumesLegumes Green, leafy Green, leafy

veggiesveggies PeanutsPeanuts AvacadosAvacados

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)

Functions:Functions: Works with folate Works with folate

to make RBC’sto make RBC’s In many body In many body

chemicals and chemicals and cellscells

Helps body use Helps body use fatty acids/amino fatty acids/amino acidsacids

Sources:Sources: Animal productsAnimal products MeatMeat FishFish PoultryPoultry EggsEggs Milk, other dairyMilk, other dairy

Biotin

Functions:Functions: Produces energyProduces energy Helps body use Helps body use

proteins, carbs, proteins, carbs, and fats from and fats from foodsfoods

Sources:Sources: Wide variety of Wide variety of

foodsfoods EggsEggs LiverLiver Wheat germWheat germ PeanutsPeanuts Cottage cheeseCottage cheese Whole grain breadWhole grain bread

Pantothenic Acid

Helps produce Helps produce energyenergy

Helps the body Helps the body use proteins, fat, use proteins, fat, and carbs from and carbs from foodfood

Sources:Sources: Found in almost Found in almost

all foodsall foods Meat, poultry, fishMeat, poultry, fish Whole grain Whole grain

cerealscereals LegumesLegumes MilkMilk Fruits, veggiesFruits, veggies

Vitamin C

Functions:Functions: Helps produce Helps produce

collagen collagen (connective tissue (connective tissue in bones, muscles, in bones, muscles, etc)etc)

Keeps capillary Keeps capillary walls, blood walls, blood vessels firmvessels firm

Helps body absorb Helps body absorb iron and folateiron and folate

Healthy gumsHealthy gums

Heals cuts and Heals cuts and woundswounds

Protects from Protects from infection, boosts infection, boosts immunityimmunity

AntioxidantAntioxidant SourcesSources

Citrus fruitsCitrus fruits Other fruits, Other fruits,

veggiesveggies

Deficiencies

Rickets (children and vitamin D)Rickets (children and vitamin D) Osteoporosis/osteomalacia Osteoporosis/osteomalacia

(vitamin D)(vitamin D) Scurvy (vitamin C)Scurvy (vitamin C) Night blindness (vitamin A)Night blindness (vitamin A) Beriberi (thiamin)Beriberi (thiamin)

What are minerals?

Regulate body processesRegulate body processes Give structure to things in the Give structure to things in the

bodybody No calories (energy)No calories (energy) Cannot be destroyed by heatCannot be destroyed by heat

Categories of minerals

Major mineralsMajor minerals CalciumCalcium PhosphorusPhosphorus MagnesiumMagnesium Electrolytes Electrolytes

(sodium, chloride, (sodium, chloride, potassium)potassium)

Trace mineralsTrace minerals ChromiumChromium CopperCopper FlourideFlouride IodineIodine IronIron ManganeseManganese SeleniumSelenium ZincZinc

Calcium

Bone buildingBone building Muscle contractionMuscle contraction Heart rateHeart rate Nerve functionNerve function Helps blood clotHelps blood clot

Phosphorus

Generates energyGenerates energy Regulate energy metabolismRegulate energy metabolism Component of bones, teethComponent of bones, teeth Part of DNA, RNA (cell growth, Part of DNA, RNA (cell growth,

repair)repair) Almost all foods, especially Almost all foods, especially

protein-rich foods, contain protein-rich foods, contain phosphorusphosphorus

Magnesium

Part of 300 enzymes (regulates Part of 300 enzymes (regulates body functions)body functions)

Maintains cells in nerves, musclesMaintains cells in nerves, muscles Component of bonesComponent of bones Best sources are legumes, nuts, Best sources are legumes, nuts,

and whole grainsand whole grains

Electrolytes

Chloride:Chloride: Fluid balanceFluid balance Digestion of food, transmits nerve impulsesDigestion of food, transmits nerve impulses

PotassiumPotassium Maintains blood pressureMaintains blood pressure Nerve impulses and muscle contractionNerve impulses and muscle contraction

SodiumSodium Fluid balanceFluid balance Muscles relax, transmit nerve impulsesMuscles relax, transmit nerve impulses Regulates blood pressureRegulates blood pressure

Electrolytes

Sources:Sources: Salt (sodium chloride)Salt (sodium chloride) Fruits, veggies, milk, beans, fish, Fruits, veggies, milk, beans, fish,

chicken, nuts (potassium)chicken, nuts (potassium)

Iron

Part of hemoglobin, carries oxygenPart of hemoglobin, carries oxygen Brain developmentBrain development Healthy immune systemHealthy immune system Sources:Sources:

Animals (heme) vs. plants (non-Animals (heme) vs. plants (non-heme)heme)

Better absorbed from hemeBetter absorbed from heme Consume vitamin C with non-heme Consume vitamin C with non-heme Fortified cereals, beans, eggs, etc.Fortified cereals, beans, eggs, etc.

Antioxidants

Slow or prevent damage to body cellsSlow or prevent damage to body cells May improve immune function and May improve immune function and

lower risk for infection and cancerlower risk for infection and cancer Carotenoids – beta carotene Carotenoids – beta carotene

(familiar)(familiar) Vitamin CVitamin C Vitamin EVitamin E Found in colorful fruits/veggies and Found in colorful fruits/veggies and

grainsgrains

Phytonutrients

Phyto – plantPhyto – plant ““Spark” body processes that may fight, Spark” body processes that may fight,

or reduce risk for some diseasesor reduce risk for some diseases Fruits/veggiesFruits/veggies Examples:Examples:

CarotenoidsCarotenoids LuteinLutein LycopeneLycopene FlavanolsFlavanols Prebiotics/probioticsPrebiotics/probiotics SoybeansSoybeans

For more information: see page 109 in the ADA Complete Food and

Nutrition Guide

Functional Foods

Foods that provide benefits Foods that provide benefits beyond basic nutritionbeyond basic nutrition

PhytonutrientsPhytonutrients Prebiotics/probioticsPrebiotics/probiotics Fatty fish/omega 3’sFatty fish/omega 3’s Soy proteinSoy protein Oats (heart-healthy)Oats (heart-healthy) FlaxseedFlaxseed

Food Labels

Must list vitamins A, C, calcium, Must list vitamins A, C, calcium, ironiron

May list others (potassium, folate, May list others (potassium, folate, riboflavin, etc.)riboflavin, etc.)