Fat Soluble Vitamins

• Retinol: Form of vitamin A you get from the diet, supports reproduction (menstrual cycle and sperm development), major transport and storage
• form of the vitamin.
• Retinal: Active in vision, intermediate in the conversion of retinol to retinoic acid.
• Retinoic Acid: Acts like a hormone, regulates cell differentiation, growth (bone elongation), immunity and embryonic development, normal development of
• epithelial linings, cell development (differentiation).

Pigments commonly found in plants and animals, some of which have vitamin A activity; the carotenoid with the greatest vitamin A activity is beta-carotene.

proteins and epithelial cells.

Accutane is made from retionoic acid; it’s effective against deep lesions of cystic acne.

Itis highly toxic, especially during growth, and has caused birth defects in infants when women have taken it during their pregnancies; that’s why doctors recommend women to use two effective forms of contraception at least once a month after discontinuing its use.

• Regulation of phosphorus
• Immunity
• Prevents cancer tumor growth
• Muscles-Stronger muscles with increased vitamin D
• Reproduction
• Lower blood pressure
• Cellular metabolism
• Blood clotting
• Nerve transmission
• Muscle contraction

Kidneys

20-30%

• Dark skin
• Elderly - Can only make ¼ vitamin D compared to when they were younger.
• Latitude - No sun exposure in the north.
• Pollution
• Sunscreen - Anything over 8 SPF will decrease vitamin D synthesis.

• Antioxidant
• Stabilize cell membranes
• Regulate oxidation reactions
• Protect polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin A

Free radicals: Uncharged molcules (typically highly reactive and short lived), having an unpaired valence electron.Phospholipids of the bilayer membrane are damaged by free radicals.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals and prevents the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids and protects other lipids and related compounds.

Alpha-tocopherol

Natural form (D) of vitamin E is better utilized than synthetic (DL).

• Polyunsaturated plant oils (margarine, salad dressings, shortenings)
• Leafy green vegetables
• Wheat germ
• whole grains, nuts, seeds
• Liver
• fatty meats
• egg yolks, dairy
• Get the majority of Vitamin E from fats and oils

• Extremely high doses of vitamin E may interfere with the blood-clotting action of Vitamin K and enhance the effects of drugs used that oppose blood-clotting called anti-coagulants, causing hemorrhage/increase
• bleeding.

Synthesis of blood-clotting proteins and bone proteins; bone mineralization

• Osteocalcin is a protein found in the bone that is secreted solely by osteoblasts and was thought to play a role in the body’s metabolic regulation and is
• pro-osteoblastic (bone-building).

Implicated in bone mineralization and calcium ion homeostasis.Vitamin K and osteocalcin are instrumental to make bones harder.

Food: Liver, leafy green vegetables, cabbage-type vegetables, milk, eggs

Non-food: Bacterial synthesis in the digestive tract (makes 50% of your needs).

Vitamin K deficiency is rare.

• Secondary deficiency may occur in two circumstances:
• Whenever fat absorption falters, as occurs when bile production fails, vitamin K absorption diminishes.
• Some drugs disrupt vitamin K synthesis and action in the body - antibiotics kill the vitamin K-producing bacteria in the intestine and anti-coagulant drugs interfere with vitamin K metabolism and activity.

Symptoms of vitamin K deficiency: Hemorrhaging.

• Infants are born with a sterile intestinal tract, and vitamin K-producing bacteria take weeks to establish themselves; and plasma prothrombin is
• low (this reduces the likelihood of fatal blood-clotting during the stress of birth).

Vitamin K is not transferred from the mother to the child.Infants are susceptible to hemorrhaging.

High doses of vitamin K can reduce the effectiveness of anticoagulant drugs used to prevent blood clotting. Increasing vitamin K will increase blood clotting.