Presented by :

Chemistry Departement of Mathematics and natural sciences faculty

Semarang State University

Vitamins are essential nutrients your body needs in

small amounts for various roles in the human body.

Vitamins are divided into two groups:

Water-soluble (B-complex and C)

Fat-soluble (A, D, E and K).

Unlike water-soluble vitamins that need regular replacement in the body,

fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver and fatty tissues, and are

eliminated much more slowly than water-soluble vitamins.

Because fat-soluble vitamins are stored for long periods, they generally

pose a greater risk for toxicity than water-soluble vitamins when

consumed in excess.

Eating a normal, well-balanced diet will not lead to toxicity in otherwise

healthy individuals.

However, taking vitamin supplements that contain mega doses of

vitamins A, D, E and K may lead to toxicity. Remember, the body only

needs small amounts of any vitamin.

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Vitamin A is a vitamin that is needed by the retina of the eye in the form of

a specific metabolite, the light-absorbing molecule retinal, that is absolutely

necessary for both scotopic and color vision. Vitamin A also functions in a

very different role, as an irreversibly oxidized form of retinol known as

retinoic acid, which is an important hormone-like growth factor for epithelial

and other cells.

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Vitamin A plays a role in a variety of functions

throughout the body, such as:

Vision

Gene transcription

Immune function

Embryonic development and reproduction

Bone metabolism

Haematopoiesis

Skin health

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A deficiency of vitamin A may lead to eye problems with dryness of the

conjunctiva and cornea, dry skin and hair, night blindness as well as

poor growth.

Dry itchy eyes that tire easily are normally a warning of too little vitamin

A. If the deficiency become severe, the cornea can ulcerate and

permanent blindness can follow.

Abscesses forming in the ear, sinusitis, frequent cold and respiratory

infections as well as skin disorders, such as acne, boils and a bumpy

skin, as well as weight loss might be indicative of the vitamin being in

short supply.

Insomnia, fatigue and reproductive difficulties may also be indicative of

the vitamin in short supply. Your hair and scalp can also become dry with

a deficiency, especially if protein is also lacking.

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Dosages exceeding 15,000 IU per day must be taken under medical

supervision. Toxicity can appear in some individuals at relatively low

dosages and the symptoms may include nausea, dizziness, menstrual

problems, skin changes and dryness, itchiness, irritability, vomiting,

headaches and long term use can cause hair loss, bone and muscle

pain, headache, liver damage, and an increase in blood lipid

concentrations.

Pregnant women must be careful as a high intake of this vitamin can

cause birth defects.

Pro-vitamin A - beta-carotene does not cause toxicity.

Be careful if you in the unlikely event run across polar bear on a menu -

500 gram (about ½ a pound) of polar bear liver will deliver about

9,000,000 IU to your diet - a very lethal dose. Headaches, blurred vision,

loss of hair, drowsiness and diarrhea, enlargement of the spleen and

liver can all be indications when your intake is too high.

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Retinol is destroyed by light, high temperatures as well as when using

copper or iron cooking utensils.

Beta-carotene rich vegetables and fruit must not be soaked in water for

long periods, since the nutrients can be lost like that.

If you want to get the most vitamins possible from your food, refrigerate

fresh produce, and keep milk and grains away from strong light. Vitamins

are easily destroyed and washed out during food preparation and

storage. If you take vitamin supplements, store them at room temperature

in a dry place that's free of moisture.

Vitamin Storage

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Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids, the

two major physiologically relevant forms of which are

vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3

(cholecalciferol). Vitamin D without a subscript refers

to either D2 or D3 or both. Vitamin D3 is produced in

the skin of vertebrates after exposure to ultraviolet B

light from the sun or artificial sources, and occurs

naturally in a small range of foods. In some countries,

staple foods such as milk, flour and margarine are

artificially fortified with vitamin D, and it is also

available as a supplement in pill form. Food sources

such as fatty fish, eggs, and meat are rich in vitamin

D and are often recommended for consumption to

those suffering vitamin D deficiency.

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Natural sources of vitamin D include:

Fatty fish species, such as:

Catfish, 85 g (3 oz) provides 425 IU (5 IU/g)

Salmon, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz) provides 360 IU (3.6 IU/g)

Mackerel, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz), 345 IU (3.45 IU/g)

Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 50 g (1.75 oz), 250 IU (5 IU/g)

Tuna, canned in oil, 100 g (3.5 oz), 235 IU (2.35 IU/g)

Eel, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz), 200 IU (2.00 IU/g)

A whole egg provides 20 IU (0.33 IU/g if egg weighs 60 g)

Beef liver, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz), provides 15 IU (0.15 IU/g)

Fish liver oils, such as cod liver oil, 1 Tbs. (15 ml) provides 1360 IU (90.6

IU/ml)

Mushrooms are the only vegan source of vitamin D (besides UV light or

sunlight exposure).[30][31] 100g provides: (regular) 14 IU (0.14 IU/g), (exposed

to UV) 500 IU (5 IU/g)[32]

Nutrition Facts labels on food products in the US are not required to list

vitamin D content unless a food has been fortified with this nutrient.

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Vitamin D helps with increasing the absorption of calcium,

assists in bone growth and the integrity of bone and

promotes strong teeth.

It also helps regulate the amount of phosphorus in the

body as well as assisting in a healthy heart and nervous

system. In some recent studies it has also shown great

promise in assisting psoriasis, the immune system,

thyroid function as well as normal blood clotting.

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A shortage can lead to softening of the bone and muscle

twitching and convulsions, and in children it causes rickets

- resulting in bent legs. In adults, the shortage causes loss

of minerals from the bones, (osteomalacia) where the

bones are sore, tender, and weak muscles with the

possibility of deafness developing. In older people,

osteoporosis may appear when protein is also lost from

the bone. Vitamin D in short supply is also linked to having

a burning sensation in the mouth and throat, diarrhea,

insomnia and visual problems.

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Some clinical guidelines for toxicity are sometimes set

as 5,000 to 10,000 IU per day to cause toxicity, but

other researchers place the value much higher to

reach toxicity. You are however advised to keep your

supplement intake to no more than 600 IU per day.

Having too much vitamin D in your system could

leave a too elevated calcium level, a lower appetite,

increased thirst, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness,

abdominal pain. A long-term effect of too much

vitamin D is the deposit of calcium in soft tissues of

the body including the blood vessel walls and kidneys

where it can cause serious damage.

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Vitamin Storage

If you want to get the most vitamins possible from your food, refrigerate fresh

produce, and keep milk and grains away from strong light. Vitamins are easily

destroyed and washed out during food preparation and storage. If you take

vitamin supplements, store them at room temperature in a dry place that's free

of moisture.

When you are very seldom exposed to sunlight, or if you always wear

sunscreens with a SPF factor higher than 8, you might need extra vitamin D.

This is also the case if you are on a strict vegan diet and older people are also

advised to check their level of vitamin D.

People with compromised kidneys or liver are at risk of too little of this vitamin,

since the kidneys and liver are required to activate this vitamin in processes

taking place in those organs.

Vitamin E is a generic term for tocopherols and tocotrienols. Vitamin E

is a family of α-, β-, γ-, and δ- (respectively: alpha, beta, gamma, and

delta) tocopherols and corresponding four tocotrienols. Vitamin E is a

fat-soluble antioxidant that stops the production of reactive oxygen

species formed when fat undergoes oxidation. Of these, α-tocopherol

(also written as alpha-tocopherol) has been most studied as it has the

highest bioavailability.

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Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, protects your cells from oxidation,

and neutralizes unstable free radicals, which can cause damage.

This antioxidant capability is then also great in helping to prevent

degenerative diseases - including heart disease, strokes, arthritis,

senility, diabetes and cancer. It also assists in fighting heart disease

and cancers and is essential for red blood cells, helps with cellular

respiration and protects the body from pollution - especially the lungs.

Vitamin E is also useful in preventing blood clots from forming and

promotes fertility, reduces and/or prevents hot flushes in menopause.

An increase in stamina and endurance is also attributed to Vitamin E.

Vitamin E is also used topically to great effect for skin treatments - in

helping the skin look younger, promoting healing and cutting down

the risk of scar tissue forming. Used on the skin it is also reported to

help with eczema, skin ulcers cold sores and shingles.

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Deficiency of Vitamin E is not common, and the symptoms

not very clear cut, but may include fatigue, inflamed

varicose veins, wounds healing slowly, premature aging

and sub-fertility. When Vitamin E is in short supply

symptoms may include acne, anemia, muscle disease,

dementia, cancers, gallstones, shortened red blood cell life

span, spontaneous abortion (miscarriage), and uterine

degeneration.

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Toxicity is not easily reached.

High intakes may induce diarrhea, nausea or

abdominal wind.

People on anticoagulant medication should not

take more than 1,200 IU per day.

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Vitamin E is lost in food processing which includes milling, cooking,

freezing, long storage periods and when exposed to air.

Vitamin E should not be taken together with inorganic iron

supplements as it may destroy the vitamin, while organic iron, such

as ferrous gluconate and ferrous fumarate does not affect the

vitamin.

Vitamin Storage

If you want to get the most vitamins possible from your food, refrigerate

fresh produce, and keep milk and grains away from strong light. Vitamins

are easily destroyed and washed out during food preparation and

storage. If you take vitamin supplements, store them at room temperature

in a dry place that’s free of moisture.

Vitamin K is a group of lipophilic, hydrophobic

vitamins that are needed for the

posttranslational modification of certain

proteins, mostly required for blood coagulation

but also involved in metabolism pathways in

bone and other tissue. They are 2-methyl-1,4-

naphthoquinone derivatives.

Vitamin K1 is also known as phylloquinone or

phytomenadione (also called phytonadione).

Vitamin K2 (menaquinone, menatetrenone) is

normally produced by bacteria in the large

intestine, and dietary deficiency is extremely

rare unless the intestines are heavily damaged,

are unable to absorb the molecule, or are

subject to decreased production by normal flora,

as seen in broad spectrum antibiotic use.

There are three synthetic forms of vitamin K,

vitamins K3, K4, and K5, which are used in many

areas including the pet food industry (vitamin

K3) and to inhibit fungal growth (vitamin K5).

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Foods that contain a significant amount of vitamin K

include beef liver, green tea, turnip greens, broccoli,

kale, spinach, cabbage, asparagus, and dark green

lettuce. Chlorophyll is the substance in plants that gives

them their green color and provides vitamin K.

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Vitamin K is used in the body to control blood clotting and

is essential for synthesizing the liver protein that controls

the clotting. It is involved in creating the important

prothrombin, which is the precursor to thrombin - a very

important factor in blood clotting.

It is also involved in bone formation and repair. In the

intestines it also assists in converting glucose to glycogen,

this can then be stored in the liver. There are some

indications that Vitamin K may decrease the incidence or

severity of osteoporosis and slow bone loss.

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Daily intake for dietary vitamin K (according to the U.S. RDA) are listed below:

Pediatric

Infants birth - 6 months: 2 mcg

Infants 7 - 12 months: 2.5 mcg

Children 1 - 3 years: 30 mcg

Children 4 - 8 years: 55 mcg

Children 9 - 13 years: 60 mcg

Adolescents 14 - 18 years: 75 mcg

A single injection of vitamin K is also given at birth.

Adult

Males 19 years and older: 120 mcg

Females 19 years and older: 90 mcg

Pregnant and breastfeeding females 14 - 18 years: 75 mcg

Pregnant and breastfeeding females 19 years and older: 90 mcg

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Vitamin K deficiency can lead to excessive bleeding (hemorrhage), which may

begin as oozing from the gums or nose.

Other circumstances that may lead to vitamin K deficiency include:

Health problems that can prevent the absorption of vitamin K (such as

gallbladder or biliary disease, which may alter the absorption of fat), cystic

fibrosis, celiac disease, and Crohn's disease

Liver disease

Use of blood-thinning medications (such as warfarin)

Continuing hemodialysis

Serious burns

Other conditions that benefit from vitamin K include:

Excessive Bleeding

Vitamin K is used to reduce the risk of bleeding in liver disease, malabsorption

syndromes, or in association with long-term use of antibiotics.

Osteoporosis

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Toxicity does not easily occur with normal dietary intake

of this vitamin, but can happen if synthetic compound

vitamin K 3 is taken. High to toxic uptake in the synthetic

form can cause flushing and sweating. Jaundice and

anemia may also develop.

If you are taking anti-coagulant (to prevent blood clotting)

medication, consult your medical practitioner before

taking a Vitamin K supplement.

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Freezing foods may destroy vitamin K, but heating does

not affect it.

This nutrient can be destroyed by freezing and radiation

as well as air pollution. Absorption may be decreased

when rancid fats are present, as well as excessive refined

sugar, antibiotics, high dosages of vitamin E, or calcium

and mineral oils.