Mosby items and derived items © 2007 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Chapter 13 Vitamins and Minerals

Mosby items and derived items © 2007 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Vitamins and Minerals  Vitamins and minerals are essential for maintaining cell structure and metabolism.  Vitamins are classified into two groups; water soluble and fat soluble.  Water soluble vitamins include the B vitamins and vitamin C.  Fat soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E, and K. 2

Mosby items and derived items © 2007 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Vitamins and Minerals  The Recommend Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamins and minerals is meant to be used to make recommendations for populations rather than specific people.  A person’s requirements are influenced by physical characteristics, dietary habits, sex, pregnancy, lactation, and age. 3

Mosby items and derived items © 2007 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Vitamins and Minerals  Newer RDAs are designed to prevent deficiency and to minimize chronic diseases.  Newer terms such as the Dietary Reference Index (DRI) is used to develop diets for healthy people. 4

Mosby items and derived items © 2007 by Mosby, Inc., an affiliate of Elsevier Inc. Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies  Many different vitamin and mineral deficiencies have oral symptoms.  If an oral symptom is observed its cause should be determined.  If an oral symptom is due to a vitamin or mineral deficiency then the best way to treat it is with a vitamin or mineral supplement.  The best source of a vitamin is its dietary source.  There are no real adverse effects associated with vitamin and mineral supplementation.  Toxicity occurs when more than the RDA is taken on a daily basis. 5