Vitamin Information Center

VITAMINS ARE organic compounds necessary for all metabolic reactions as well as protection for all systems of our body from foreign diseases. These are the essential chemical compounds, which must be present in our daily diet. Each vitamin is required in a very small amount for our body and each vitamin has specific functions and no vitamin is a substitute for other. Our body is unable to synthesise maximum vitamins therefore we need to take them with diet. Vitamins and their derivatives generally act as co-enzymes. Both the hypervitaminosis (except water soluble vitamins) and hypovitaminosis of vitamins in our body systems causes serious problems. All water soluble vitamins like vitamin-B complex and Vitamin-C are excreted out from the body if become excess.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND :
Scientist Casimir Funk in 1912, isolated some active chemical in rice polishing that could be used for the treatment of Beriberi. Since the chemicals are essential for life i.e. vitaland were found chemically amine. Later it was discovered that all such compounds are not chemically amines. In 1920, scientist Sir Jack Drummond coined the term ‘vitamin’ removing the letter ‘e’. As vitamins are made up of different functional groups so giving a specific chemical name was not correct. Since his experiments to isolate vitamin B1, a cure for dietary diseases such as Beriberi, it was found that human beings require 13 different vitamins, which have different functions and chemical structures. They were initially lettered from A to P as they were identified, but F, L, and P were later found not to be vitamins. Vitamin-H (biotin) and Vitamin-G (Niacin) and Vitamin-M (folic acid) are now included under the group of vitamin B-Complex.

IMPORTANT FEATURES OF VITAMINS
1. Vitamins are required in very low amount and they can act in very low concentration.
2. Vitamins are essential for our body to maintain metabolic activities and protection of body from different diseases.
3. Vitamins are present in general foods in low amount.
4. Vitamins are organic catalysts. Some of them are fat soluble and some are water soluble.

Pseusovitamins, Provitamins and Anti-vitamins :
Some organic chemicals are almost structurally equivalent with a vitamin, but not functionally. These are called pseudo-vitamins. For example, methaylcobalamin is a pseudovitamin of Vitamin B12. Many vitamins are synthesised from other chemicals called provitamins. For example, carotene is the provitamin of Vitamin-A. Some chemicals destroy a vitamin and called an anti-vitamin. For example, galactoflavin is the anti-vitamin of Riboflavin.

Discussion on different fat soluble vitamins :

VITAMIN-A or RETINOL
1). RETINOL is also called anti-xeropthalmic vitamin and it is of two types A1 and A2. The molecular formula of vitamin-A1 and vitamin-A2 are C20H29OH and C20H27OH respectively.

2). Food Sources :
a) Plant sources of Vitamin-A are carrot, tomato, spinach, pea pods, cabbage etc.
b) Animal sources of Vitamin-A are Liver extract oil of Cod, Shark, Halibut (very high amount) fishes, milk, egg yolk, fishes, butter etc.
3). Important functions of Vitamin-A are :
a) Helps in the formation of rod cells of retina of eye.
b) Helps in the formation of epithelial tissues.
c) Maintains the activities of nerve tissue and the normal action of bone cells.

4. Deficiency diseases/symtoms :
a) Night blindness or nyctalopia.
b) Drying of cornea or xeropthalmia.
c) Keratomalacia-ulceration and softening of cornea.
d) Degeneration of nerve tissue, renal stone etc.
e) Phrynoderma or toad skin.

VITAMIN-D or CALCIFEROL
1). CALCIFEROL prevents rickets so are also called anti-rachitic vitamin. The molecular formula of Calciferol is C28H43OH

2). Sunlight converts seven-dehydro-cholesterol(in skin) and ergosterol (in vegetable oils) into vitamin-D. These are called provitamins of vitamain-D3 and vitamin-D2 respectively.

3). Food Sources :
a) Plant source of vitamin-D is rare. But it is found in some vegetable oils.
b) Animal sources of vitamin-D are Liver extract oil of cod, shark, halibut (very high amount) fishes, milk, egg yolk, fishes, butter etc.

4). Main functions of Vitamin-D are :
a) Helps in the formation of teeth and bones.
b) Helps in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus.
c)Controls the activity of parathyroid gland.

5). Deficiency diseases/symtoms :
a) Rickets in young and osteomalacia in adults.
b) Prevention in growth of teeth and teeth decaying.

VITAMIN-E or TOKOPHEROL

1). TOKOPHEROL is of three categories, α, β, and γ. The molecular formula of this vitamin is C28H48O2. This vitamin is also called anti-sterility vitamin.

2). Food Sources :
a)Plant sources of vitamin-E are Lactuca, the germinating seed of Wheat, Pea pods, vegetative oils.
b) Animal sources of vitamin-E are rare, but found in egg yolk and milk.

3). Main functions of Vitamin-E are :
a) Controls the normal growth of muscles.
b) increases fertility power of adults.
c) prevents sterility (research works on rats)
d) Its functions are still not properly known in human body.

4). Deficiency diseases/symtoms :
a) sterility and metabolic disorder.
b) decreased lactation.
c) the normal growth of embryo in uterus is hampered.

VITAMIN-K or PHYLLOQUINONE:
1). Scientist Dam discovered this vitamin in 1933. It is of two types, K1 and K2. The molecular formula of this vitamin is C31H46O2. This vitamin is also called anti-hemorrhagic vitamin.

2). Food Sources :
a) Plant sources of vitamin-K are cabbage, cauliflower, tomato, gram, soya bean, leafy vegetables.
b) Animal sources of Vitamin-K are eggs, milk, liver extract oil of pig, fishes etc.

3). Main functions of Vitamin-K are :
a) This vitamin controls the normal amount of prothrombin in blood, so helps in the blood clotting after an injury.

4). Deficiency diseases/symtoms :
Prolonged bleeding after an injury.

Discussion on different water soluble Vitamins :

VITAMIN-C or ASCORBIC ACID
1). Ascorbic Acid is destroyed if heated. It is also called anti-scorbutic vitamin because it prevents Scurvy disease. The molecular formula of Ascorbic acid is C6H8O6.

2). Food Sources :

a) The plant sources of this vitamin are mainly comprises of sour fruits like Guava, Lemon, Orange, Amla, Mango. This vitamin is also found in Papaw, Tomato, germinating gram, green chilly.
b) In animal sources of food vitamin remains in very low amount. In milk (unboiled), egg, fishes this vitamin is present in very low amount. The breast milk of mothers contains this vitamin.

3). Main functions of Vitamin-C are :
a) Helps in the formation of Red blood corpuscles and Platelets.
b) Keeps the gums healthy.
c). Increases immunity power of the body.

4). Deficiency diseases/symtoms :
a) Scurvy occurs due, to which teeth become ugly and spongy, gum bleeding occurs.
b) Wounds do not heal easily and properly.
c) A tendency to be affected by cold easily.
d) sometimes Anaemia occurs.

VITAMIN-B-COMPLEX

1). This is a group of vitamins composed of several vitamins. These are listed below :
a). Vitamin B1 or Thiamine or aneurine.
b). Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin or Lactoflavin.
c). Lipoic acid or thio-acetic acid.
d). Vitamin B3 or Pantothenic acid
e). Vitamin G or Niacin or Nicotinic acid.
f). Vitamin B6 or Pyridoxin.
g). Vitamin-M or Folic acid.
h). Vitamin B12 or Cyanocobalamin.
i). Vitamin-H or Biotin.
j). PABA or Para amino benzoic acid.
k). Inositol.
l).Choline.
m). Vitamin B4 (Helps in the growth of Pigeon).
n). Vitamin B5 (Helps in the growth of Pigeon).

2). Food Sources:
a) General Plant sources of the vitamins of B-complex are pulses, rice processed by husking-pedal, nut, carrot, germinated seeds, yeast, gram, pea pods, soya beans, leafy vegetables etc.
b) General Animal sources of vitamins of B-complex are eggs, milk, meat, goat liver, fishes etc.

3) Main functions of Vitamin-B complex are :
a). Vitamin B1 : Co-enzyme in cellular respiration.
b). Vitamin B2 : Helps in cellular respiration
c). Lipoic acid : Normal growth
d). Vitamin B3 : Helps in growth and nutrition
e). Vitamin G : Mainly helps in normal growth, and skin care.
f). Vitamin B6 : Synthesis of Haemoglobin, metabolism of protein.
g). Vitamin-M : Formation of RBC.
h). Vitamin B12 : Formation of blood cells, synthesis of nucleic acids, regulation of nerve activity, and controlling of normal growth of body.
i). Vitamin-H : Normal growth.
j). PABA : Not properly known.
k). Inositol : Not properly known.
l). Choline : Not properly known.
m).
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Vitamin B4 : Helps in the growth of pigeon.
n). Vitamin B5 : Helps in the growth of pigeon.

4) Deficiency diseases/symtoms :
a). For Vitamin B1 : Beriberi
b). For Vitamin B2 : Stomatitis and ulcer on tongue.
c). For Vitamin B3 or Pantothenic acid : Dermatitis and nerve disorder.
d). For Vitamin G : Pellagra.
e). For Vitamin B6 : Anaemia, Nerve disorder.
f). For Vitamin-M : Anaemia.
g). For Vitamin B12 or Cyanocobalamin : Pernicious Anaemia.

BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 27 — High weekly doses of vitamin D₃ for a year raise serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels safely in adolescents, a randomized study showed. Hypovitaminosis D is prevalent in youth worldwide, but recommended doses of 200 IU/day are insufficient to raise levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels to optimum. At the same time, the safety of vitamin D at doses exceeding 200 IU/day has been unknown for adolescents.

Seeking to ascertain the optimal serum vitamin D level for them, Ghada El-Hajj Fuleihan, M.D., M.P.H., of American University of Beirut, and colleagues found that vitamin D₃ at a dose 10 times the recommended intake was well tolerated by those ages 10 to 17.

The vitamin D levels achieved with the highest dose by the end of the yearlong study were within the optimal range for adults — over 30 ng/mL — but the low dose, which matched recommendations of the Institute of Medicine and American Academy of Pediatrics, failed to meet the goal.

In 115 children ages 10 to 17, mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels increased significantly from 15 ± 7 to 36 ± 22 ng/mL after one year of weekly treatment with 14,000 IU of vitamin D₃ (P<0.0001), Dr. El-Hajj Fuleihan and colleagues reported online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. The study will be published in the July print issue.

Both the Institute of Medicine and the pediatrics academy recommend a weekly intake of 1,400 IU, which, in the current study, was associated with a smaller increase in mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in 114 children after one year (15 ± 8 to 19 ± 7 ng/mL, P<0.0001).

None of the participants developed vitamin D intoxication, the researchers said.

The findings are “particularly relevant in view of the increasingly recognized musculoskeletal benefits of vitamin D not only in the adult but also in the pediatric age group, and the pleiotropic effects of vitamin D on multiple physiologic and pathologic processes,” they said.

“The high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D worldwide across all age groups, the fact that many diseases of adulthood are rooted in the pediatric age group, and the safety data available to-date render it quite compelling to modify the current recommendations regarding adequate vitamin D intake not only for adults but also for children,” they concluded.

The safety of vitamin D doses as high as 10,000 IU per day had been established in adults, the researchers said, but pediatric data were lacking.

To explore the issue, Dr. Fuleihan and colleagues undertook a 16-week pilot study that randomized 26 children ages 10 to 17 (mean age 13.7) to a weekly vitamin D₃ dose of 14,000 IU (17) or placebo (nine) for eight weeks followed by eight weeks without treatment.

Mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels increased significantly in the treatment group from 44 ± 11 ng/mL at baseline to 54 ± 19 ng/mL at eight weeks (P=0.033) but dropped back down within two weeks of stopping therapy. There was a steady decrease in the levels with placebo (P<0.01) through 16 weeks.

After establishing the safety of the high dose, the researchers randomized 340 children (mean age 13.1, 51% male) to weekly vitamin D₃ doses of 1,400 IU (114) or 14,000 IU (115) or placebo (111) for one year.

Among girls, mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels increased significantly from baseline with placebo (P=0.041), the low dose of vitamin D₃ (P=0.011), and the high dose (P<0.0001). The level in the high-dose group was significantly higher than those in the other two groups (P<0.0001) at one year.

Among boys, serum vitamin D levels increased with both doses of vitamin D₃ (P=0.0034 with the low dose and P<0.0001 with the high dose). As with girls, the level in the high-dose group was significantly higher than those in the other two groups (P<0.001) at one year.

Mean serum calcium and 1,25-hydroxyvitamin D levels did not change significantly from baseline in any group in either the pilot or long-term study.

One major adverse event — glomerulonephritis — occurred in the low-dose group, and the participant dropped out at seven months.

The researchers previously reported that participants in the high-dose group had “substantial increments in lean mass, bone area, and bone mass.” This confirmed that the serum vitamin D levels achieved in the study were beneficial, as well as safe, they said.

They acknowledged some limitations, including the lack of data on urinary calcium excretion and the fact that they did not screen the children with ultrasonography for kidney stones which represented a potential significant adverse affect. They pointed out that urinary calcium would have been an earlier safety marker, as it likely increases to maintain serum calcium normal with increased calcium absorption associated with increased vitamin D intake.

Also, they said that the results might not apply to different age groups or to children with different calcium and vitamin D intake.

Finally, the mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in the study might not be reproducible because of inter-assay variations between kits, they said.

The study was supported by an educational grant from the Nestle Foundation and a grant from Merck KGaA, which provided some of the vitamin D₃ used in the study.

Primary source: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
Source reference:
Maalouf J, et al “Short term and long term safety of weekly high dose vitamin D₃ supplementation in school children” J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2008; DOI: 10.1210/jc.2007-2530.