Vitamins are essential organic micronutrients that the body cannot make or cannot make in sufficient amounts and therefore must be obtained through dietary intake. The body requires small amounts of vitamins for proper metabolism including cell function, growth and development. Vitamins are very potent requiring only minute amounts to perform their function. This makes testing the blood for their presence challenging, so clinicians must rely on clinical signs and symptoms to identify potential deficiencies. Vitamins are classified as either fat soluble or water soluble. There are daily recommended requirements (DRI) for vitamins for average people. Many vitamins maybe required in different amount depending on disease, age and growth. A physician, nutritionist or dietician should be consulted to determine appropriate levels for a specific individual.
By the end of this module the learner will be able to:
- Define nutrition related to vitamins.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the classification of vitamins(fat and water soluble).
- Describe the requirements, and identify sources of vitamins from the food groups in CFG.
- Describe the fat -soluble (A, D, E, and K) and water-soluble (B-complex and C) vitamins including their physiological roles, sources, and general effects of deficiency.