TABLE OF CONTENT
CONTENTS PAGE
Title Page – – – – – – – – i
Certification – – – – – – – ii
Dedication – – – – – – – – iii
Acknowledgements – – – – – – iv
Table of Contents – – – – – – – vi
CHAPTER ONE
- INTRODUCTION – – – – – 1
CHAPTER TWO
- SOURCES OF VITAMINS – – – – 5
- Classification of Vitamins – – – – 6
- Fat – soluble Vitamins – – – – – 7
- Water – soluble Vitamins – – – – – 8
- Deficient intake – – – – – – 9
- Excess intake – – – – – – 11
- Effects of Cooking – – – – – – 12
- Classification of Vitamins – – – – 6
CHAPTER THREE
- SUPPLEMENTATION OF VITAMINS – – 14
- Types of Vitamins and their biological role – – 16
- Vitamin A – – – – – – – 16
- Vitamin B – – – – – – – 18
- Vitamin C – – – – – – – 19
- Vitamin D – – – – – – – 20
- Vitamin E – – – – – – – 22
- Vitamin K – – – – – – – 23
- Recommended level of Vitamin – – – 24
- Types of Vitamins and their biological role – – 16
CHAPTER FOUR
- CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS – 28
- Conclusion – – – – – – – 28
- Recommendations – – – – – 28
References
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
         Vitamins are groups of highly complex compounds, organic in nature, present in foodstuffs in traces, essential for normal metabolism and absence of these nutrients cause disorders whereas, resupply of these nutrients can cure the deficiency symptoms (Marshall, 2006). Vitamins are diverse in nature relative to fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Vitamins are differentiated from other groups by their organic nature and their classification depends on chemical nature and function. Very trace amounts of vitamins are needed for growth, development, health and reproduction. Some vitamins are deviants from usual definition and not always needed to be part of food stuff i.e. ascorbic acid, vitamin D and niacin. Ascorbic acid is synthesized by animals, niacin synthesized from tryptophan amino acid and vitamin D synthesized from UV radiation from sunlight. Therefore, specific species and under certain conditions vitamin D, ascorbic acid and niacin does not fit in the definition of vitamins (McDowell, 2000). So, far as classification of vitamins is concerned, these are divided into two main categories i.e. water soluble and fat soluble vitamins. Vitamins of B complex and C are water soluble whereas, vitamin A, D, E, and K are fat soluble. Fat soluble vitamins have association with fats and absorb with dietary fats. Absorption of fat soluble vitamins follow the same mechanics as for absorption of fats. Water soluble vitamins are not associated with fats and rendered unaffected by alterations in fat absorption (Wardlawet al., 2004).
         In earlier days of vitamin discovery, chemical composition of vitamins was unknown and these factors were designated with alphabet letters. Alphabetizing became complicated due to different forms of vitamins (vitamin B complex), differences in chemical structure within groups and determination of chemical functions. Vitamins were also named based on their function and sources. Vitamin H was named to the factor which protects the haut, a German word meaning skin. Vitamin K is derivative from Danish word koagulation meaning coagulation. Pantothenic acid derived from Greek word pantos, means found everywhere. Rules for nomenclature of vitamins were established by Committee on Nomenclature of the American Institute of Nutrition (Cnain, 2001).
Human body is unable to synthesize the vitamins so, their intake through diet is necessarily vital. Vitamins are chemically complex compounds and have significant role in growth and development of the human body. There are numerous vitamins like; vitamin A, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin B12 (cobalamin), vitamin B6, vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid), vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and vitamin B9 (folate, folic acid, or folacin), flavonoids (vitamin P). Severe or even fatal diseases are caused by deficiency of vitamins. Vitamin deficiencies are associated with specific disease like, vitamin A associated with Blindness, vitamin B1 with beriberi, vitamin B3 with pellagra, vitamin B6 with anemia, vitamin C with scurvy and vitamin D with rickets (Asensi-Fabado and Munne-Bosch, 2010).
         If intake of vitamins was lacking, the result was vitamin deficiency and consequent deficiency diseases. Then, commercially produced tablets of yeast-extract vitamin B complex and semi-synthetic vitamin C became available. This was followed in the 1950s by the mass production and marketing of vitamin supplements, including multivitamins, to prevent vitamin deficiencies in the general population. Governments have mandated the addition of some vitamins to staple foods such as flour or milk, referred to as food fortification, to prevent deficiencies.Recommendations for folic acid supplementation during pregnancy reduced risk of infant neural tube defects (Wilson et al., 2015).
