Food chemistry of micronutrients

1. • Requirement and
Allowances
• Enrichment and
Restoration
• Losses and
retention
Chemistry
• Classification
and Source
• Functions
Vitamins
and
Mineral
• Deficiency
• Biological role
Biochemistry
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Vitamins and minerals
1. Introduction
2. Discovery
3. Sources
4. Classification
5. Functions
6. Deficiency
7. Requirements
8. Allowances
9. Enrichment
10.Restorations
11.Fortifications
12.Losses
13.Optimization and retention of vitamins and minerals
14.Relationship between vitamins and hormones in terms of
their biological role

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1. Vitamin, any of several organic substances that are
necessary in small quantities for normal health and
growth in higher forms of animal life.
2. Vitamins cannot be synthesized in amounts
sufficient to meet bodily needs and therefore must
be obtained from the diet or from
some synthetic source.
3. Vitamins differ from the other biological
compounds in that relatively small quantities are
needed to complete their functions.

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1. a mineral is a chemical element required as an essential
nutrient by organisms to perform functions necessary for
life.
2. Nutrient minerals, being elements, cannot be synthesized
biochemically by living organisms.
3. Plants get minerals from soil.
4. Most of the minerals in a human diet come from eating
plants and animals or from drinking water.
5. At least twenty chemical elements are known to
be required to support human biochemical processes by
serving structural and functional roles as well
as electrolytes.

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Discovery of Vitamins
1. Carimir Funk first created the term “vitamine” in 1912, not
too long after he discovered the first vitamin.
2. Funk was able to isolate and concentrate a substance from
bran that had the ability to cure beriberi, specifically in
pigeons.
3. He found that this substance was considered an amine and
that it was important for a healthy diet; this substance was
later termed “thiamine” (also known as Vitamin B).
4. His discovery allowed physicians to realize that many
diseases thought to be the result of infection (including
beriberi, scurvy, pellagra, and rickets) were instead arising
due to vitamin deficiencies.

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Major Minerals
Functions: Fluid balance, maintenance of bones and teeth,
muscle contractions, and nervous system function.
Mineral Function Sources
Sodium Needed for proper fluid
balance, nerve transmission,
and muscle contraction
Table salt, soy sauce; large
amounts in processed foods;
small amounts in milk,
breads, vegetables, and
unprocessed meats
Chloride Needed for proper fluid
balance, stomach acid
Table salt, soy sauce; large
amounts in processed foods;
small amounts in milk, meats,
breads, and vegetables
Potassium Needed for proper fluid
balance, nerve transmission,
and muscle contraction
Meats, milk, fresh fruits and
vegetables, whole grains,
legumes

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Major Minerals
Mineral Function Sources
Calcium Important for healthy bones and
teeth; helps muscles relax and
contract; important in nerve
functioning, blood clotting, blood
pressure regulation, immune system
health
Milk and milk products; canned fish
with bones (salmon, sardines);
fortified tofu and fortified soy milk;
greens (broccoli, mustard greens);
legumes
Phosphorus Important for healthy bones and
teeth; found in every cell; part of the
system that maintains acid-base
balance
Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk,
processed foods (including soda
pop)
Magnesium Found in bones; needed for making
protein, muscle contraction, nerve
transmission, immune system health
Nuts and seeds; legumes; leafy,
green vegetables; seafood;
chocolate; artichokes; "hard"
drinking water
Sulfur Found in protein molecules Occurs in foods as part of protein:
meats, poultry, fish, eggs, milk,
legumes, nuts

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Mineral Function Sources
Iron Part of a molecule (hemoglobin) found in
red blood cells that carries oxygen in the
body; needed for energy metabolism
Organ meats; red meats; fish;
poultry; shellfish (especially
clams); egg yolks; legumes; dried
fruits; dark, leafy greens; iron-
enriched breads and cereals; and
fortified cereals
Zinc Part of many enzymes; needed for
making protein and genetic material; has a
function in taste perception, wound
healing, normal fetal development,
production of sperm, normal growth and
sexual maturation, immune system health
Meats, fish, poultry, leavened
whole grains, vegetables
Iodine Found in thyroid hormone, which helps
regulate growth, development, and
metabolism
Seafood, foods grown in iodine-
rich soil, iodized salt, bread, dairy
products
Selenium Antioxidant Meats, seafood, grains

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Mineral Function Sources
Copper Part of many enzymes; needed for
iron metabolism
Legumes, nuts and seeds, whole
grains, organ meats, drinking
water
Manganese Part of many enzymes Widespread in foods, especially
plant foods
Fluoride Involved in formation of bones and
teeth; helps prevent tooth decay
Drinking water (either
fluoridated or naturally
containing fluoride), fish, and
most teas
Chromium Works closely with insulin to
regulate blood sugar (glucose)
levels
Unrefined foods, especially
liver, brewer's yeast, whole
grains, nuts, cheeses
Molybdenum Part of some enzymes Legumes; breads and grains;
leafy greens; leafy, green
vegetables; milk; liver

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Vitamins RDA
Over dosage (mg or
µg/d)
Vitamins RDA
Over dosage (mg or
µg/d)
Biotin
(B-complex)
30 µg No information found
Vitamin
B2 (riboflavin)
1,6 mg
Doses higher than 200
mg may cause urine
colour alteration
Folate
(B-complex)
400 µg
Doses larger than 400
µg may cause anaemia
and may mask
symptoms of a vitamin
B12 deficiency
Vitamin
B3 (niacin)
18 mg
Doses larger than 150
mg may cause problems
ranging from facial
flushing to liver disease
Vitamin A 600 µg
Extremely high doses
(>9000 mg) can cause
dry, scaly skin, fatigue,
nausea, loss of appetite,
bone and joint pains
and headaches
Vitamin
B5 (patothenic
acid)
6 mg
Dose should not exceed
1200 mg; this may cause
nausea and heartburn
Vitamin
B1 (thiamin)
1,4 mg
No toxic effects
resulting from high
doses have been
observed
Vitamin
B6 (pyridoxine)
2 mg
Doses larger than 100
mg may cause numbness
and tingling in hands
and feet

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Vitamins RDA
Over dosage (mg or
µg/d)
Minerals RDA Over dosage
Vitamin C
(ascorbic acid)
75 mg
No impacts of over dose
have been proven so far
Boron < 20 mg No information found
Vitamin D
(cholecalciferol)
5 µg
Large doses (>50 µg)
obtained form food can
cause eating problems and
ultimately disorientation,
coma and death
Calcium 1000 mg
Doses larger than 1500 mg
may cause stomach
problems for sensitive
individuals
Vitamin E
(tocopherol)
10 mg
Doses larger than 1000 mg
cause blood clotting,
which results in increased
likelihood of haemorrhage
in some individuals
Chlorine
3400 mg
(in chloride
form)
No information found
Vitamin K 80 µg
Large doses of one form
of vitamin K (menadione
or K3) may result in liver
damage or anaemia
Chromium 120 µg
Doses larger than 200 µg
are toxic and may cause
concentration problems and
fainting

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Minerals RDA Over dosage Minerals RDA Over dosage
Copper 2 mg
As little as 10 mg of
copper can have a
toxic effect
Magnesium 350 mg
Doses larger than 400
mg may cause stomach
problems and
diarrhoea
Fluorine 3,5 mg No information found Manganese 5 mg
Excess manganese
may hinder iron
adsorption
Iodine
150
µg
No information found Molybdenum 75 µg
Doses larger than 200
µg may cause kidney
problems and copper
deficiencies
Iron 15 mg
Doses larger than 20
mg may cause stomach
upset, constipation and
blackened stools
Nickel < 1 mg
Products containing
nickel may cause skin
rash in case of
allergies

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Minerals RDA Over dosage Minerals RDA Over dosage
Phosphorus 1000 mg
Contradiction: the
FDA states that
doses larger than
250 mg may cause
stomach problems
for sensitive
individuals
Sodium
2400
mg
No information
found
Potassium 3500 mg
Large doses may
cause stomach
upsets, intestinal
problems or heart
rhythm disorder
Vanadium
< 1,8
mg
No information
found
Selenium 35 µg
Doses larger than
200 µg can be toxic
Zinc 15 mg
Doses larger than 25
mg may cause
anaemia and copper
deficiency

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Food Fortification
Food fortification is the addition of vitamins and minerals to
foods. The Food and Drug Regulations allow food
fortification to:
1. Replace nutrients lost in the manufacturing process;
2. Act as a public health intervention;
3. Ensure the nutritional equivalence of substitute foods; or
4. Ensure the appropriate vitamin and mineral nutrient
composition of foods for special dietary purposes.

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Losses due to cooking
1. Food provides the ideal mix of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
But the nutrients in foods begin to decrease as soon as the fruit or
vegetable is picked and continues to decline until the food is eaten.
2. The sooner you eat the food, the less chance of nutrient loss.
3. The water-soluble vitamins, especially thiamin, folic acid and vitamin C,
can be destroyed during improper storage and excessive cooking. Heat,
light, exposure to air, cooking in water and alkalinity are all factors that
can destroy vitamins.
4. If food is not eaten within several days, freezing is the best method to
retain nutrients.
5. Frozen fruits and vegetables can be better than your grocer’s fresh ones
if they have been processed immediately after harvesting. Blanching
naturally stops enzymatic changes that destroys vitamins.

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Retention of Vitamins and Minerals
• Keep fruits and vegetables cool to prevent enzymes from destroying
vitamins.
• Refrigerate food in airtight moisture-proof containers. The loss of nutrients
is slowed near freezing temperatures, at high humidity, and less air contact.
• Avoid trimming and cutting fruits and vegetables into small pieces. The
greater surface area allows oxygen to break down vitamins faster. The
outer leaves of all greens and under the skins of fruits and vegetables, such
as potatoes, carrots and apples, have more nutrients than the inner portion.

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• Microwaving cooking, steaming, or using a pan or wok with very small
amounts of water and a tight-fitting lid are best. More nutrients are retained
when there is less contact with water and a shorter cooking time with less
exposure to heat. Cook fruits and vegetables with their skins on.
• Minimize reheating food.
• Do not add baking soda to enhance a vegetable’s green color. Alkaline
products destroy vitamins.
• Store canned goods in a cool place and serve any liquid packed with the
food. If you don’t need all the liquid to cook the food, reserve the
remainder for soup stock.
• Keep milk refrigerated and tightly capped, away from strong light.
Riboflavin is very sensitive to direct light.

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Vitamins and Harmones
Vitamin D and thyroid
1. Vitamin D can help play a part in regulating insulin and the thyroid
hormone.
2. Vitamin D is associated with thyroid antibodies (autoimmune
thyroid disorders).
3. Vitamin D supplement can help with the regulation of insulin flow.
Vitamin B6 and PMS
1. Vitamin B6 can help alleviate some of the symptoms of
premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
2. 100 milligrams of B6 daily can be an effective to ward off PMS
symptoms
3. It helps in synthesizing some of the neurotransmitters that affect
these feelings.

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Vitamin Niacin (B3) and stress
1. Niacin unique properties is to help you relax. This
is due to the fact B3 relaxes the muscle tissue,
allowing the arteries to widen and blood flow to
increase.
2. Increased blood flow and reduced blood pressure.
3. Niacin is associated with significantly reducing
stress, anxiety and depression.
4. Niacin can cause skin flushing so take advice on
dosage from a health professional.

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Regulate your hormone levels by:
1. Drinking up to 2 litres of plain filtered water daily
2. Being aware of the saturated and trans fats you are eating
3. Reduce processed foods
4. Limit sugar intake and refined carbohydrates
5. Choose nutritious food, naturally rich in vitamin D, vitamin E,
vitamin B6 and niacin
6. Regularly exercising
7. Getting adequate, good quality sleep
8. Being aware of your stress triggers
9. Avoiding under-eating or overeating by eating regularly and
consciously
10.Include omega 3- rich oily fish in your diet
11.Include fibre-rich food in your disruptors diet such as whole
wheat bread, peas, beans and pulses
12.Eating sufficient protein such as eggs, fish, meat and nuts

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References
1. https://www.britannica.com/science/vitamin
2. https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/ta3912
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_(nutrient)
4. https://www.cpha.ca/food-fortification-vitamins-and-
minerals
5. http://www2.ca.uky.edu/hes/fcs/factshts/FN-
SSB.006.PDF