Kristi Goswick
SCI/241
June 1, 2014
Jennifer Frere
Fat- and Water-Soluble Vitamins
Vitamins have two classifications fat-soluble and water soluble. Fat soluble vitamins are stored in the body’s fatty tissues and the liver these vitamins are Vitamins A, D, E, and K they dissolve in fat not water and being that the body is able to store these vitamins our body does not require a supply of them on a daily basis. In fact getting too many fat-soluble vitamins can cause problems within the body. Some high nutrient sources of fat-soluble vitamins are: orange, yellow, and green vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, kale, greens) these contain Vitamin A. Nuts/seed (almonds, sunflower seeds), spinach, chards contain Vitamin E. Vitamin K dark leafy greens such as spinach, chard, and kale as you can see vitamins A, E, and K are contained in some of the same vegetables. Vitamin D comes from oily fish, milk, pasture-raised eggs, and shitake mushrooms, and is also made by our body with exposure to sunlight. Fat-soluble vitamins main functions include keeping the body’s bones strong, vision, immune system, and reproductive system. They also keep the heart, lungs and kidneys functioning and helps keep blood moving through the blood vessels without clotting, but on the other hand does promote clotting when the need does arise. Although each fat-soluble vitamin has its own benefit, deficiency risk, and toxicity associated with it the benefits, deficiencies risk and toxicities are similar such as the benefits are to keep the body healthy and strong, deficiencies risk of these vitamins can cause fatigue, muscle loss, brittle bones, anemia and heart problems. Toxicity risk can include nausea, dizziness, headaches, elevated calcium levels, deceased appetite. The fat-soluble vitamins working together main function is to help maintain a healthy body. Water-soluble vitamins are not able to be stored in the body for very long and these vitamins are Vitamins C and the B vitamins: B1(thiamine), B2(riboflavin), B3(niacin), B5(pantothenic acid), B6, B7(biotin), B12 and folic acid, so because they are not able to be stored in the body for very long the body needs a new supply of them every day. Some high nutrient sources of these vitamins are plant based foods such as citrus fruits, peppers, cabbage, berries, tomatoes, potatoes, grains, leafy vegetables and animal based foods. Functions of water-soluble vitamins are to provide the body with energy and increase metabolism, important to nerve function, digestive functions, helps make new red blood cells and new cells and aids in iron absorption. As with fat-soluble vitamins water-soluble vitamins each also have their own benefit, deficiency risk and toxicity risk which are not as great as that of a fat-soluble vitamin because the water-soluble vitamin is not stored in the body for very long. Water-soluble deficiency is usually caused by a poor or unhealthy diet and can lead to anemia, dermatitis and blurry vision and if serious enough it can cause neurological and dermatological problems. The lack of Vitamin B12 and B6 lead to anemia. Although it is hard to reach toxicity level with a water-soluble vitamin being that it is not stored in the body for very long it can be done some of the symptoms include reddish skin coloring, vomiting and