Vitamins & Minerals

What Are Vitamins? They are compounds that we get from the earth and plants Known as organic compounds; occuring naturally Vitamins are vital for human survival, and other living organisms (animals) Some can be made inside our bodies, but some we must get from our diet or have supplements

Categories of Vitamins Water Soluble Vitamins versus Fat Soluble Vitamins Water soluble vitamins dissolve in water and are removed from your body with your urine Fat soluble vitamins dissolve in fat and are stored in your body and recycled

Water Vs. Fat Soluble

What Do Vitamins Do? Vitamins are involved in many different functions of our bodies! Energy metabolism: help break down the food you digest to provide your body with energy the B vitamins are involved in energy metabolism Some vitamins help you grow and develop before you are even born! Vitamin B12 and folic acid

What Do Vitamins Do? Vitamin A helps you see well Have you ever heard of carotenoids? (hint: they’re in orange veggies) Some vitamins act as antioxidants, meaning they protect you from free radicals (dangerous) Vitamin C and Vitamin E

Where Do We Find Vitamins? B-vitamins: meat, eggs, diary products, leafy green veggies, grain products Vitamin C: citrus fruit Vitamin E: eggs, oil Vitamin D: eggs, milk, oil and the sun!

Minerals Minerals are organic compounds just like vitamins Minerals are retrieved from the ground, but we also get them from our food!

What Do Minerals Do? Just like vitamins, minerals are involved in many different functions of the body! Some minerals help your bones get nice and strong What is this mineral? Some minerals help deliver oxygen to your body

What Do Minerals Do? Some minerals are involved in nervous function potassium & sodium Some minerals are involved in digestion Some minerals are involved in red blood cell production

Where Do We Find Minerals? Calcium is found in diary products (milk, cheese, yogurt) Potassium is found in bananas Sodium & Chlorine are found in table salt Iron is found in spinach, beans, soy products, many more products have small amounts of iron There are many many more minerals!

Now… Back to Vitamin Vitamin C is a water-soluble compound that is essential for life. It is involved in many processes in the human body, including: the production of collagen in the connective tissue the synthesis of neurotransmitters (feel good hormones) synthesis of carnitine, which is important in the transfer of energy

So.. Why Are We Talking About Vitamin C Again? You are going to do a super cool activity with Vitamin C!! We are going to extract Vitamin C from orange juice! 

The Experiment Today we are going to do something called a titration We are going to add a measured amount of solution to different types of juices When the reaction between them is complete, we will see a colour change We can then tell how much vitamin C is in each juice!

Titration Titrations require a specific set up Look up front and you will see how to put together your apparatus Be very very careful with the glass burets

Titration Bring your 250ml beaker to the front and we will give you Vitamin C indicator solution Once you have your solution, pour it into the buret using your funnel Write down the initial amount of solution you have (the burets have numbers like a ruler on them)

Titration Next, come get 5ml of the first juice to test (use your graduated cylinder) Pour this carefully into your 100ml beaker Come back and get 5ml of oxalic acid solution Pour this into your 100ml beaker also This solution stabilizes the vitamin C in the juice

Titration Place spare beaker under the buret It is important that you open the stopper very slowly so that the liquid comes out one drop at a time If you need help just ask! 

Titration Very carefully change beakers so that your juice beaker is under the buret Allow the buret to open and start dropping the indicator into the juice You should be looking for a colour change from pink to blue If the colour disappears, swirl the beaker Continue to swirl until the blue colour no longer goes away

Titration Write down the final amount on the buret When you are done with one juice, come get the next juice to test & repeat the steps!

Results Which juice used the most indicator? Which juice used the least indicator? What do you think this means? Do the juices have similar amounts of vitamin C in them?