Vitamins &

Minerals
Cree Vickers & Jennifer Way
Georgia Southern Dietetic Interns

What is a Vitamin?
Organic substances made by plants and
animals
Helps the body perform specific
functions such as growth and
development and maintaining overall
health

Types of Vitamins
Fat-Soluble
vitamins that are dissolvable in dietary fat
Water-Soluble
vitamins that are dissolvable in water prior to
absorption

Fat-Soluble
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Vitamin K

Vitamin
Function

Sources

Deficiencies

Skin
Vision

Yellow, orange fruits

Dark leafy greens
Cantaloupes, liver,
carrots, fortified skim
milk, apricots, sweet
potatoes

Night blindness, corneal

damage, and/or dry,
scaly skin

Vitamin
Function

Sources

Deficiencies

Important for calcium

and phosphorus
metabolism

sunlight, egg yolk,

fortified milk,
mushrooms, salmon,
tuna

Rickets in children
Osteomalacia in adults

Vitamin
Function

Sources

Deficiencies

Antioxidant

Whole Grains
Green Vegetables
Almonds
Vegetable oils

Hemolytic Anemia

Vitamin
Function

Sources

Deficiencies

Helps in blood clotting

and calcium metabolism

Green leafy vegetables

Spinach
Kale
Cabbage
Broccoli

Hemorrhages

Water Soluble
B12
Folic Acid
Vitamin C

B6
Pantothenic Acid
Biotin
Thiamin
Riboflavin
Niacin

Vitamin
Function

Sources

Deficiencies

Helps in the formation

of red blood cells
Helps DNA regulation

Liver and Kidney

Meat
Milk
Cheese
Eggs
Fish

Macrocytic
Megaloblastic Anemia
Pernicious Anemia

Function

Sources

Deficiencies

DNA synthesis
Forms RBC in bone
marrow
Prevents neural tube
defects

Fortified dried cereal

Liver and Kidney
Green leafy vegetables
Citrus fruits
Lentils and beans

Macrocytic
Megaloblastic Anemia
Diarrhea
Fatigue
Neural tube defects in
infants

Vitamin
Function

Sources

Deficiencies

Collagen formation
Wound healing
Aids in non-heme iron
absorption
Promotes healthy
immune system

Citrus fruits
Potatoes
Papaya
Dark green/yellow
vegetables

Scurvy
Poor wound healing
Bleeding in gums
Petechiae

What is a Mineral?
Inorganic elements that come from
the earth such as soil and water that
come from the plants.
Animals and humans absorb minerals
from the plants they eat
Helps the body perform specific
functions such as growth and
development and maintaining overall
health

Types of Minerals
Macrominerals
minerals that our bodies needs in higher
amounts
Trace Minerals
minerals that our bodies needs in smaller
amounts

Macrominerals

Calcium
Magnesium
Potassium
Phosphorus

Chloride
Sulfur
Sodium

Calcium
Function

Sources

Deficiencies

Blood clotting, cardiac

function, nerve
transmission, smooth
muscle contractility

Dairy products
Leafy vegetables
Legumes

Hypocalcemia leads to
tenany

Magnesium
Function

Sources

Deficiencies

Helps in protein and

fatty acid synthesis

Most food items,

especially bread and milk

Tremors (rare)

Potassium
Function

Sources

Deficiencies

Muscle contraction
Regulates fluid and
mineral balance
Maintain normal blood
pressure

Fruits and vegetables

Bananas
Oranges
Papaya
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Beans
Carrots

Hypokalaemia

Phosphorus
Function
Transport of fat through
blood stream, bones, and
teeth

Sources
Meats
Milk
Poultry
Eggs
Fish
Cheese
Beans, lentils, nuts

Deficiencies
Rare

Trace Minerals
Zinc
Iron
Copper

Iodine
Fluoride
Selenium
Manganese
Chromium
Cobalt
Choline

Zinc
Function

Sources

Deficiencies

Increases taste acuity

Enhance insulin action

Meats
Liver
Eggs
Fish

Reduced immune
function
Poor wound healing
Alopecia
Hypogeusia

Iron
Function

Sources

Deficiencies

Carries oxygen to
various parts of the body

Heme iron: animals

foods, meats, fish,
poultry
Non-heme: cereals,
vegetables

Fatigue, anemia, spoonshaped nails

Copper
Function

Sources

Deficiencies

Hemoglobin synthesis
and aids in iron
absorption

Liver
Kidney
Shellfish

Microcytic Anemia (rare)

Neutropenia
Wilsons Disease

Supplements
If an individual maintains a healthy balanced diet, supplements are not
necessary
Supplements can be used if:
an individual has a certain illness that inhibits absorption of certain
vitamins and minerals or
an individual is not consuming enough of a certain food group
The use of supplements should always be followed by a doctors
recommendations

Multivitamins
Multivitamins
though a multivitamin is not
necessarily necessary, it will not
harm you but a doctors
recommendation should always
be followed
extremely beneficial for
pregnant women
Even if you use supplements or
multivitamins, you should still follow
a healthy balanced diet to receive
proper nutrition

Summary
Vitamin: organic substances made by plants and animals that helps
the body perform specific functions
Water Soluble: B vitamins, folic acid, vitamin C
Fat Soluble: Vitamins A,D,E,K
Mineral: inorganic elements that come from the earth that helps the
body perform specific functions
Macrominerals: calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus
Trace minerals: zinc, copper iron
Even if you use supplements or multivitamins, you should still follow
a healthy balanced diet to receive proper nutrition

Questions?

References
http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/vitamins/
http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/vitamins-and-supplements/types-ofvitamins-and-nutrients/potassium
Inmans Review of Dietetics (2013)