Vitamins, herbs, and nutritional supplements are important for supporting the body's functions but should be used carefully. Vitamins cannot be made by the body and must come from foods or supplements, while herbs are parts of plants that may have medicinal properties but are not always safe. Nutritional supplements can boost nutrient intake for those not meeting recommendations. It is best to consult a health professional before using supplements or herbs to determine what is needed based on individual health and diet. Proper hydration and protein intake are also important aspects of nutrition.

1. WHAT ARE VITAMINS, HERBS,
AND NUTRITIONAL
SUPPLEMENTS
By: Tracy Matney
Kaplan University

2. OBJECTIVES:
• Define Vitamins, Herbs, and Nutritional Supplements
• Define Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)
• Define Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)
• Distinguish between vitamins and herbs
• Distinguish between macronutrients and micronutrients
• Describe Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K
• Determine if protein supplementation is right for you
• Recognize the importance of hydration
• Bringing it all together!

3. VITAMINS
• What are Vitamins?
- Support metabolism
–Support immunity
– Necessary for normal growth
– Cannot be synthesized by the body
– Support cardiac function
– Support vision

4. HERBS
• What are Herbs?
– They are parts of plants used for flavor, medicine, or therapeutic properties.
– Includes flowers, barks, fruits, stems, roots, or leaves.
– Not all herbs are safe, just because they are natural

5. NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
• What are Nutritional Supplements?
• They are products used to boost the nutritional content of the diet.
– Nutrients not otherwise consumed in sufficient quantities.
• Protein
• Carbohydrates
• Electrolytes
– Dietary supplements are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent,
or cure disease, but to boost ones diet.

6. RECOMMENDED DIETARY
ALLOWANCES (RDA) AND DIETARY
REFERENCE INTAKES (DRI)
• What are RDA’s?
– RDA’s are quantities of nutrients in the diet that are required to maintain
good health (Nutrition.gov, 2017)
– How do you determine your RDA’s?
• What are DRI’s?
– A set of values for the dietary intakes of healthy people used for planning
and assessing diets (Nutrition.gov, 2017).
The Department of Agriculture has built a tool to calculate these:
RDA/DRI Calculator for Health Professionals

7. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
VITAMINS AND HERBS?
• Vitamins
–Cannot be created by the body
– Body can not survive without vitamins
– Can be taken several different routes by mouth as a tablet, capsule, powder, or liquid
– Comes from foods
• Herbs
– Cannot be created by the body
– Used as dietary supplements
– Can imitate actions of drugs and/or medicines
– Can be taken several different route by mouth as a tablet, capsule, powder, or liquid
– Comes from plants, trees, roots, stems, leaves

8. MICRONUTRIENTS AND
MACRONUTRIENTS
• Micronutrients are nutrients required by organisms for physiological function
–Requires small amounts
–Not considered vitamins
–The minerals needed to support function
• Calcium
• Chloride
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Sodium
• Macronutrients are nutrients required by organisms for daily function
– Required large amounts
–Not vitamins or minerals

9. VITAMIN A
• What Is Vitamin A?
– Fat-soluble
– Vital for normal vision, the immune system, and reproduction system
• What foods is Vit A found?
– Salmon
–Green leafy vegetables
–Dairy products
–Fortified breakfast cereals
–Fruits
–Carrots

10. VITAMIN B
• Vitamin B comes in many forms B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B1
• B1 – Thiamine – supports metabolism
• B2 – Riboflavin – supports metabolism
• B3 – Niacin – supports metabolism
• B5 – Pantothenic Acid – Oxidation of fatty acids and carbohydrates
• B6 – Pyridoxine – metabolism of amino acids and lipids. Important role in
gluconeogenesis
• B7 – Biotin – metabolism of proteins and lipids
• B9 – Folic Acid – metabolism of nucleic acids and amino acids
• B12 – Cobalamin – cellular metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids

11. VITAMIN C
• An antioxidant that rid the body of free radicals
– Formation of collagen
– a protein to help heal wounds
– Immune system support
• Scurvy
– What foods is it found?
• Citrus fruits
• Fortified foods and beverages
• Dietary supplement

12. VITAMIN D
• Helps maintain strong bones
• Millions of Americans with a serious Vitamin D deficiency.
• Help the body absorb calcium
• Vitamin D helps protect from osteoporosis
• Fat-soluble
• What foods is it found?
– Fortified dairy
– Fatty fish such as salmon and tuna
– Beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks
– Ultraviolet light – Sun light! In moderation

13. VITAMIN E
• A fat-soluble nutrient found in foods.
• Is a antioxidant to rid the body of free radicals.
• Boosts immune system
• What foods found?
– Vegetable oils
– Nuts (legumes)
– Green vegetables
– Fortified foods

14. VITAMIN K
• Fat-soluble
• Helps the body to heal wounds and stop bleeding (clotting)
• What foods is it found?
– Green leafy vegetables
– Vitamin supplements

15. IS PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTATION
AND YOU
• Protein and you
• Benefits to using protein powders?
– Muscle retention
– Muscle gain What types are available?
– Soy
– Whey
– Isolate
– Casein
– Beef
– Egg
– Plant
• How much is needed?
– 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

16. HYDRATION
• Water
– The main source of life
– The essential nutrients the body needs
– Can be found everywhere!
• Necessary for survival
• Necessary for cellular metabolism
• Hunger may be hidden as thirst!

17. SUMMARY
• Vitamins are an crucial part of life and needed to sustain body functions
• Herbs may look beneficial but consult a Health Professional before use
• Nutritional Supplementation consult a Health Professional before use
• If you’re unsure of what you should be taken and doing for physical activity consult
a Health Professional
• Health Professionals
– Nutritionist
– Health and Wellness Coach
– Personal Trainers
– Physician – Osteopathic Medicine
– Nurses with a nutritional background

18. REFERENCES
• CDC. (2012, October). Protein. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/pr otein.html
• NCCAM. (2017, October). Dietary and Herbal Supplements. Retrieved from
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine :
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/supplements?nav= gsa
• ODS. (2013, July 13). Dietary Supplementation. Retrieved from Office of
Dietary Supplements: http://ods.od.nih.gov/Health_Information/ODS_
Frequently_Asked_Questions.aspx#Need

19. REFERENCES
• Schlenker, E. D., & Roth, S. L. (2011). Williams' Essentials of Nutrition and Diet
Therapy. St. Louis: Elsevier Mosby.
• Skidmore-Roth, L. (2010). Mosby's Handbook of Herbs & Natural Supplements.
St. Louis: Elsevier.
• Thompson, J., & Manore, M. (2009). Nutrition an Applied Approach. San
Francisco: Benjamin Cummings.
• USDA. (2017, October). Interactive DRI for Health Professionals. Retrieved
from Unit