Minerals
Mineral salts regulate the various metabolic activities of the body. They are usually taken in food. The important minerals needed for the body are calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potasium, sodium, iron, sulphur, copper, cobalt, zinc, iodine, chlorine etc. Sodium Chloride is a important mineral salt.
Water : Water is the essential constituent of the body. This is the elixir of life. Body contains about 70% of water. It goes into the body by drinking and as a part of the food materials like fruits and vegetables.
VITAMINS
Vitamins are essential for the normal health and activity of the body and for the prevention of certain deficiency diseases. The term vitamine was coined by Funk in 1911. Later e was dropped by J.C.Drummond. We get vitamins from fruits, vegetables, butter, milk, egg, meat etc.
Vitamins are basically of two types :
(a) Fat soluble such as vitamin A, D, E and K.
(b) Water soluble such as vitamin B and C. Different vitamins are as follows :
Vitamin A : Vitamin A is fat soluble and found in abundance in butter, fish liver oil, cream, egg yolk, carrots, maize, peas, beans etc, It is a yellow viscous oil.
Its deficiency causes dryness of cornea night blindness and rhodopsin.
Vitamin D : This vitamin is also fat soluble. Its deficiency causes rickets in man. For the prevention of rickets, cod liver oil was found useful by Mellanby in 1921. Vitamin D is found in Cod liver oil of fish and Yolk of eggs. Animal fats also contain very small quantity of vitamin D. Milk is a rich source of vitamin D.
In rickets legs become bowed and joints become enlarged. Sun light changes a substance in bones into vitamin-D.
Vitamin E : This vitamin is insoluble in water but soluble in fats. It is colourless. It was discovered by Evans and Sure in 1932.
Vitamin E is found in cotton seed oil, corn oil, oil of wheat germs and plants. Green lettuce and orange peels are also a good source of vitamin E. Green leaves, eggs, meat, butter are also good sources of vitamin E.
In the deficiency of this vitamin the germinal epithelium of testes is destroyed and testes fail to produce spermatozoa. In female the fertilization takes place but the foetus dies. The deficiecy of vitamin E causes a muscular dystrophy.
Vitamin K : Vitamin K is fat soluble. This is a essential vitamin for liver. It helps blood cloting. Vitamin K was invented by Dam in 1934. Vitamin K is found in green leafy vegetables, spinach, cabbage, chestnut, fish meat, milk, eggs etc.
The deficiency of vitamin K causes failure of blood clotting. It also helps in the oxidative phosphorylation process. Vitamin K is available in two form, K1 and K2.
Vitamin B complex : Vitamin B-complex comprise.
1. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
2. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
3. Vitamin B3 (Pantothenic acid)
4. Vitamin B5 (Niacin)
5. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)
6. Vitamin B7 (Biotin)
7. Inositol
8. Choline
9. Vitamin B9 (Folic acid)
10. Lipoic acid.
11. Para amino benzoic acid.
12. Cynanocobalamine Vitamin B12.
Vitamin B complex helps in metabolism of corbohydrades, lipids, proteins, nuclic acids etc. This forms coenzymes of different enzymes. Vitamin B-complex is obtained from milk, wheat germ and yeast.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) : It is soluble in water. It is stable up to 1000C. It is found in whole grains, legumes, nuts, yeast, eggs, fishes, pork, beet, liver, milk, fresh fruits and vegetables.
Deficiency discases are loss of appetite beri-beri. In beri-beri muscular atrophy and cardiovascular changes occur.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) : This is also water soluble. It is crystalline in nature with orange yellow colour. It occurs in milk. Milk is an important source and other important sources are liver, kidney, fish eggs, leafy vegetables and fruits. Its deficiency may leads morbid changes in the skin inflammation of the lips, fissures at the corners of mouth, scaliness and greasiness, inflammation of the tongue etc.
Vitamin B3 (Pantothenic acid) : It is a pale yellow viscous oil, readily soluble in water. It is stable to heat and moisture. It is found in liver, kidney, eggs, lean beef, cereal brans, crude cane molasses etc. In human the deficiency may cause burning feet syndrome, fatigue, cardiovascular disturbance, gastro-intestinal disturbances, numbness and tingling of the extremities etc.
Vitamin B5 (Niacin) : It is a water soluble, odourless, white, crystalline compound. It plays a very important role in carbohydrate metabolisms. This is found in liver, yeast, wheat germ, lean meat, whole cereals and pulses etc. Common fruits and vegetables also contain very little of it. Deficiency causes pellagra in which patches develop on the skin, mouth and tongue develop soreness and inflammation, achlorhydria, diarrhoea, thickening and pigmentation of skin.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) : It is water soluble vitamin. It is resistant to heat. This vitamin plays active role in the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. It also influences formation of RBC and synthesis of haemoglobin. Its sources are milk, egg, yolk, liver, meat, fish, yeast, peas and other leguminous plants. Deficiency diseases are skin lesions. Prolonged deficiency may causes fall in haemoglobin percentage, mental depression and confusion etc.
Vitamin B7 (Biotin Vitamin) : It is crystalline water soluble. It is very important and for human nutrition and plays important role in lipid metabolism. Deficiency causes dermatitis marked by scaliness and desquamation.
Inositol is also known as muscle sugar. It is a water soluble substance. Animal tissues such as muscles, brain, RBCs and eyes contain it. It widely occurs in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and yeast. Milk also contains it. In man its nutritional significance is not known.
Choline is a well known lipotropic factor. Its main sources are meat, egg yolk, pancreatic tissue, bread, cereals and vegetables. Deficiency disease produced is the development of fatty liver.
Vitamin B9 (Folic acid) : It is slightly soluble in water. It is a sensitive compound which is inactivated by acid, base, sunlight, heat and oxidation and reduction. It serves as an essential growth factor. Main sources are liver, kidney, yeast and mushrooms. It is also richly found in wheat germ dried lime beans, spinach, chicken, peanuts and whole wheat etc. Deficiency causes ailments such as macroytic anaemia and sprue.
Lipoic acid : It is a crystalline, insoluble substance. It acts as an oxidising agent.
Para-amino benzoic acid (PABA) : It is a white substance, soluble in water. The rich sources are liver, yeast, rice bran and whole wheat.
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamine) : It is soluble in water and stable to heat. It is also a nutritional factor necessary for normal metabolic functions. The sources for this vitamin are liver, egg, meat, beef, pork, milk and milk products. Deficiency causes disturbances in haematopoiesis, pernicious anaemia, typical sore tongue and several neurological involvements of the spinal cord.
Vitamin C (C6 H8 O6) (Ascorbic Acid) : It is also known as scurvy preventing vitamin. It is a colourless, odourless, crystalline, optically active, water soluble and strongly reducing substance. It is essential for body defence. It plays important role in blood formation and maintenance of physiological level of RBCs. Drying, storing and ageing of food may also destroy vitamin C activity. It occurs abundantly in certain fresh fruits such as citrus fruits, lemons, limes and grape fruits. It is also found in vegetables. Deficiency of vitamin C causes scurvy bleeding of gums, loosening and falling out of teeth.
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