Classification of Nutrients, its functions, Sources and Deficiency (Micro Nutrients)

Micro Nutrients have major impact on our Health. Micro Nutrients plays large role in our Health concern.

In this blog, you will see, what are micro nutrients ? and Bio-chemical functions of Micro Nutrients

Classification of Micro-nutrients is done in mainly into two groups as following..

• Vitamins
• Minerals

1. VITAMINS

What are vitamins ?

Vitamins are organic compound occurring in small quantities but necessary for growth, reproduction and maintenance of Good Health in human being. 

Most of vitamin are not synthesized in body and must be supplied though diet.

Vitamins are classifieds into two main group on the basis of their solubility i.e. fat soluble and water soluble vitamins.

1.1 Fat Soluble Vitamins

1) Vitamin A : it is found in the form of Beta-carotene in plant and Retinol in the animals. It is found in yellow and orange fruits and vegetables. 

Sources of Vit. A	Functions	Deficiency
It is found in Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables like mango, papaya, carrots and pumpkin	Vision process: It is necessary in maintenance of good vision	Xeropthalmia
Green Leafy Vegetables: Fenugreek, spinach, coriander and drumsticks	It is essential for growth of skeletal and soft tissues	Conjunctival xerosis
Milk and Milk products.	Protects body from infection	Bitot’s spot
Fortified vanaspati ghee (Plant Fats)	Support normal functioning of reproductive system in both females and males	Corneal xerosis
Egg yolk		Keratomalacia
Fish		Reduced resistance to infection.
Liver meat		Severe deficiency causes blindness.
Fish liver oil (cod liver oil)		Skin becomes rough

2) Vitamin D : It is formed in the skin by action of ultraviolet rays from the sun. Our skins consist of substance called ‘ 7 dehydro-cholesterol’ which get converted into vitamin D in our body in the presence of sunlight.

Sources of Vit. D	Functions	Deficiency
Vitamin D is not found in plant foods.	Plays important role in absorption of calcium from digested food.	A) Rickets (children) • Impairment of calcification function • Bones and skull become soft and fragile
Natural Source Sunlight	Plays important role in mineralization and calcification of bone.	• Bowing of legs • Swelling of wrist, knees and ankle joints
Fortified vanaspati ghee (Plant Fats)		• Restlessness • Nervous irritability
Egg yolk		B) Osteomalacia (adults) • Bone malformation
Fish
Fish liver oil

3) Vitamin E : vitamin E designates a group of compound called Tocopherol which acts as a antioxidant.

Sources of Vit. E	Functions	Deficiency
Cereals: Wheat and rice	Required for normal reproduction to maintain fertility and potency	It reduces fertility
Pulses: black gram, green gram, bengal gram	Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant	Causes impotency
Green leafy vegetables	Maintain stability and integrity of cell membrane	Premature aging
Nuts		Muscular dysfunction
Vegetable oils		Liver damage
Meat, Eggs		Weakness in heart muscles
Dairy products.

4) Vitamin K: Vitamin K is called as coagulation vitamin. Vitamin K is available in plant and animal food having small biological activity. It is synthesized by bacteria.

Sources of Vit. K	Functions	Deficiency
Green Leafy Vegetables fenugreek, colocasia, cabbage, spinach	Helps in blood clotting	It reduces the clotting tendency of blood.
Vegetables: tomatoes, cauliflower		Continuous bleeding from wounds and cuts may occur.
Synthesized by a bacteria in intestinal tract
Soybean oil
Egg yolk
Milk
Organ meat like liver

1.2 Water Soluble Vitamins

These vitamins consists of large number of substance. These includes vitamin B complex like thiamine , riboflavin, niacin, etc. and vitamin C . These vitamin cannot be stored in the body for large time.

1) Vitamin B Complex

1.1) Thiamine : It also know as vitamin B1 and it is rapidly destroyed by heat .  

1.2) Riboflavin: It is also known as vitamin B2. This vitamin slightly soluble in water and stable to heat in neutral and acidic solution but destroyed rapidly in alkaline media.

1.3) Niacin : It is also known as vitamin B3. The precursor of niacin is tryptophan which gets converted into niacin in body , fairly stable to acid , alkali , head , light and oxidation.

Sources of Vit. B Complex	Functions	Deficiency
Thiamine (B1)
Whole cereals, Legumes	Controlling agent in energy metabolism	Affects digestive and nervous system
Wheat germ, Nuts	Involved in proper functioning of nerves and muscles	Loss of appetite, Impaired digestion
Vegetables, Fruits		Weakness and numbness Pain in the legs
Meat, Fish, Milk		Irritability Mental depression Confusion and fear
Riboflavin (B2)
Whole cereals, Legumes, Millets	Controlling agent in energy production and tissue building	Affects oral and facial skin and eyes
Green leafy vegetables	It is a vital factor in protein and carbohydrate metabolism	Angular stomatitis
Milk and milk products		Cheilosis which includes inflammation of lips and tongue
Eggs, Organ meat like liver and heart		Eyes become sensitive to light with itching and burning
Yeast extract		Cracks at corner of the lips
Niacin (B3)
Whole cereals Beans, peas	It is essential for normal function of skin, intestinal tract and nervous system.	This condition involves gastrointestinal tract, skin and nervous system
Nuts, Oilseeds	Niacin is a part of coenzyme which helps in carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism. (Coenzyme is a compound that is necessary for the functioning of an enzyme.)	It is also known as disease of 4D’s because it causesa 1. Dermatitis
Milk		2. Diarrhoea
Meat, Fish Poultry Egg		3. Dementia 4. Death

4) Vitamin C : It is also known as Ascorbic acid . It is the most unstable vitamin as it is easily destroyed by heat , oxygen , alkalies and high temperature. 

Sources of Vit. C	Functions	Deficiency
Citrus Fruits are the richest sources of vitamin C	It is a powerful reducing agent	General weakness Fatigue
Best source of vitamin C is amla	Helps in formation of hemoglobin	Shooting joint pains Anemia
Other sources guava, ber, orange	Formation of structural protein collagen that helps in bone, teeth formation and healing of wounds	Poor wound healing Spongy bleeding gums
Green leafy vegetables	Activation of many enzymes	Rough and dry skin.
Sprouted pulses and others	Increases resistance to disease	Infections
Not present in animal sources	For better absorption of iron

2. MINERALS

What are Minerals ?

Minerals are inorganic elements present in the form of their salt.e.g. calcium, iron , potassium , sodium. They required in small amounts and are vital in body. 

Mineral Properties:  

a) minerals do not provide energy, but are highly essential for metabolic and physiological activities.

b) Minerals do not acts singly in their functions and regulations of body process , but work with the help of other minerals and organic compounds.

Types of minerals:  

• Macro minerals: calcium , Phosphorus , magnesium.
• Micro minerals: Iron , iodine , zinc , copper.

A) Calcium: calcium is inorganic mineral element . It is a white substance which is stable to heat and light and dissolve in an acid solution.

Calcium Sources: – Milk & milk products, Green leafy Vegetables, Ragi, Nuts & Oil seeds, small fish

Functions:-

• Important for formation and maintenance of bones and teeth
• Necessary for normal growth
• Needed for activation of many enzymes and secretion of hormones

Deficiency: – Rickets (children), Osteomalacia (adults)

B) Phosphorous: it is important constituent in every body tissues.

Sources: – Whole grain cereals and flour, Legumes and pulses, Vegetables, Nuts, Milk and milk products, Eggs, Fish Liver oil.

Functions:-

• Plays a vital role in ‘Calcification’ of bone and teeth
• Regulates energy released and acid base balance of body
• Constituent of essential compounds like DNA and RNA

Deficiency: – Retarded growth, Poor teeth and bone formation, Weakness, Anorexia, Pain in bones.

C) Iron: in the body most of the iron is found in blood and rest it is stored in organs like liver , spleen and kidney. Iron is a carrier of oxygen: hemoglobin which is red coloured compounds present in red blood cell contain iron in the ‘ haem’ part. Haemoglobin carries oxygen to the various part of the body and bring back carbon dioxide to the lungs.

Sources: – Whole grain cereals, Legumes, Dark leafy vegetables, Dry fruits, Meat, Fish Poultry

Functions: –

• Myoglobin is an iron containing protein required for muscle contraction
• Iron is an integral part of many enzymes which are required for metabolism
• Component of haemoglobin is necessary for carrying oxygen

Deficiency: – Paleness of skin, tongue, lip and conjunctiva; General fatigue, Breathlessness, Anorexia, Headache, Spoon shaped nails, Poor attentiveness and memory

D) Iodine: Iodine is an essential for normal growth and development of human body It occurs widely in nature.

Sources: – Vegetables Fruits, Iodised salt, Salt water fish, Shell fish, Eggs, Dairy products, Meat, Poultry

Functions: –

• Component of thyroxine hormon secreted by thyroid gland
• Regulation of oxidation and metabolism within the cell
• Influence physical and mental growth

Deficiency: – Enlargement of Thyroid Gland, Reduce mental functions.

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