Micronutrients - 1.2 & 1.3

Question 1

What are the 2 types of vitamin a?

Answer 1

Retinol (animal), carotene (plant)

Question 2

What are the animal sources of vitamin a?

Answer 2

Milk, cheese, eggs, oily fish, liver

Question 3

What are the plant sources of vitamin a?

Answer 3

Carrots, tomatoes, apricots, spinach, cabbage, dark green leafy veg

Question 4

What are the functions of vitamin a?

Answer 4

Makes visual purple; assists with vision particularly in dim light, keeps mucous membranes healthy, maintains healthy skin, required for normal growth in children, antioxidant vitamin

Question 5

What happens if you get too little vitamin a?

Answer 5

Deficiency leads to poor vision in dim light or night blindness. Severe deficiency can lead to total blindness

Question 6

What happens if you get too much vitamin a?

Answer 6

Vitamin a is stored in the liver and too much can be toxic. Consuming too much vitamin a whilst pregnant has been linked to birth defects

Question 7

What are the sources of vitamin d?

Answer 7

Sunshine, cod liver oil, oily fish, liver, egg yolks, fortified margarine, breakfast cereals

Question 8

What are the functions of vitamin d?

Answer 8

Vitamin d is required for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from foods, it’s needed for the development and maintenance of bones and teeth and promotes healing of bone breaks and fractures

Question 9

What happens if you get too little vitamin d?

Answer 9

Deficiency leads to rickets and the formation of soft bones. This causes the bones to bend. Deficiency in adults causes osteomalacia resulting in pain and muscular weakness

Question 10

What happens if you get too much vitamin d?

Answer 10

Vitamin d can be stored in the body. Excess can lead to excess levels of calcium in the blood.

Question 11

What are the sources of vitamin e?

Answer 11

Eggs, nuts seeds, cereals, vegetable oil

Question 12

What are the functions of vitamin e?

Answer 12

Required to make cells for healthy skin, antioxidant vitamin; protects against heart disease and some cancers

Question 13

What are the sources of vitamin k?

Answer 13

Green vegetables, fruit, pulses, cereals, meat and liver

Question 14

What are the functions of vitamin k?

Answer 14

Required for normal clotting of blood

Question 15

What happens if you get too little vitamin k?

Answer 15

If we are deficient in vitamin k, our blood will not clot resulting in harmful bleeding

Question 16

What are the sources of vitamin c?

Answer 16

Peppers, blackcurrants, strawberries, citrus fruit, kiwi, green vegetables

Question 17

What are the functions of vitamin c?

Answer 17

Helps prevent infections, helps form connective tissue, helps us absorb iron from food, helps form walls of blood vessels, antioxidant therefore helps lower risk of heart disease and cancer

Question 18

What happens if you get too little vitamin c?

Answer 18

Scurvy can result from a lack of vitamin c. It tends to occur in infants and older adults. Scurvy leads to spots on the skin, bleeding gums and loose or loss of teeth

Question 19

What are the 8 different b group vitamins?

Answer 19

B1 - thiamine
B2 - riboflavin
B3 - niacin
B5 - pantothenic acid
B6 - pyridoxine
B7 - biotin
B9 - folate
B12 - cobalamin

Question 20

What are the sources of vitamin b1 - thiamine?

Answer 20

Whole grains, nuts, meat (especially pork), fortified breakfast cereals

Question 21

What are the functions of vitamin b1 - thiamine?

Answer 21

Release energy from carbohydrates, normal functioning of nervous system

Question 22

What happens if you get too little vitamin b1 - thiamine?

Answer 22

Deficiency can lead to the development of the disease beri-beri. Symptoms include fatigue, mental confusion, weakness of the legs and eventual paralysis

Question 23

What are the sources of vitamin b2 - riboflavin?

Answer 23

Milk, eggs, rice, fortified breakfast cereals, liver, legumes, mushrooms, green vegetables

Question 24

What are the functions of vitamin b2 - riboflavin?

Answer 24

Release of energy from carbohydrates, protein and fat

Question 25

What are the sources of vitamin b3 - niacin?

Answer 25

Meat, flour, eggs, dairy products

Question 26

What are the functions of vitamin b3 - niacin?

Answer 26

Release energy from foods, normal functioning of nervous system

Question 27

What happens if you get too little vitamin b3 - niacin?

Answer 27

Deficiency of niacin can result in the disease pellagra. Symptoms can include dermatitis, dementia, and diarrhoea

Question 28

What are the sources of vitamin b12 - cobalamin?

Answer 28

Meat, fish, eggs, dairy, fortified breakfast cereals

Question 29

What are the functions of vitamin b12 - cobalamin?

Answer 29

Required for the formation of red blood cells, required for healthy nervous system

Question 30

What happens if you get too little vitamin b12 - cobalamin?

Answer 30

Deficiency causes pernicious anaemia - feel tired and breathless and unable to make red blood cells

Question 31

What are the sources of vitamin b9 - folic acid/folate?

Answer 31

Green leafy veg, whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, peas, beans, lentils, oranges, bananas

Question 32

What are the functions of vitamin b9 - folic acid/folate?

Answer 32

Required for the formation of red blood, ensures unborn babies grow properly and protects neural tube defects such as spins bifida

Question 33

What are the sources of iron?

Answer 33

Red meat (especially liver), fortified flour and bread, green leafy veg, dried fruit (raisins, apricots), pulses (lentils), cocoa, plain chocolate

Question 34

What are the functions of iron?

Answer 34

Iron is a component of haemoglobin, the substance which gives blood cells their colour, haemoglobin is required to transport oxygen to cells in our bodies, helps prevent iron deficiency anaemia

Question 35

What factors assist iron absorption?

Answer 35

Vitamin c

Question 36

What factors hinder iron absorption?

Answer 36

Lack of vitamin c, phytic acid, dietary fibre

Question 37

What are the sources of sodium?

Answer 37

Table salt, salty snacks(crisps, nuts, popcorn), cheese, bacon, tinned foods, takeaways

Question 38

What are the functions of sodium?

Answer 38

Maintains correct fluid balance in body, correct muscle and nerve activity, needed by cell walls so that nutrients in the blood can flow into body cells and waste products can flow out

Question 39

What happens if you get too little sodium?

Answer 39

Muscle cramps

Question 40

What happens if you get too much sodium?

Answer 40

Kidney damage in children, increased blood pressure (hypertension) which increases the risk of CHD and/or stroke

Question 41

What are the sources of calcium?

Answer 41

Milk, cheese, yoghurt, green veg (spinach), canned fish (sardines), bread, soy beans

Question 42

What are the functions of calcium?

Answer 42

Growth and development of bones & teeth, normal clotting of blood, nerve and muscle functioning (muscle contraction)

Question 43

What are factors which assist calcium absorption?

Answer 43

Vitamin d, lactose, protein

Question 44

What are factors which hinder calcium absorption?

Answer 44

Lack of vitamin d, dietary fibre, fats, phytic acid (whole grain foods), oxalis acid (rhubarb)

Question 45

Why do we need vitamin d?

Answer 45

To allow calcium to be absorbed into the intestine.

Question 46

What are the sources of phosphorus?

Answer 46

Milk, milk products (yoghurt), cereal products, meat and meat products, nuts

Question 47

What do calcium, phosphorus and vitamin d work together to make?

Answer 47

Strong teeth and bones