Vitamins
The 13 vitamins, fat-soluble (A, D, E, K) and water-soluble (the B group and C): what each does, its sources and what its deficiency causes (scurvy, rickets, beriberi, pellagra, anaemias), with the situations where supplementation is a must.
- 41 cards
- 3 topics
- Free
The outline, topic by topic
Each topic is weighted the way the exam weighs it.
- Concepts
- Scenarios
- Understand
A few cards from the deck
Vitamin A (retinol): what is it?
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A fat-soluble vitamin for vision in dim light, skin and immunity.
Its lack causes night blindness; its excess in pregnancy causes birth defects.
An alcoholic patient arrives confused, with an unsteady gait. What is given before any glucose?
- Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
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Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
Glucose without thiamine can trigger Wernicke's encephalopathy.
Vitamin D: what is it?
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A fat-soluble vitamin made by skin in sunlight, which makes the gut absorb calcium.
Its lack causes rickets in children, osteomalacia in adults.
Why is an excess of fat-soluble vitamins more dangerous than of water-soluble ones?
- They are stored in fat and the liver, while excess water-soluble ones leave in urine
- They are more acidic
- They have no role
- The stomach destroys them
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They are stored in fat and the liver, while excess water-soluble ones leave in urine
Excess vitamin A or D can be toxic.
Vitamin E: what is it?
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A fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin that protects membranes from oxidation.
Its lack, rare, affects nerves and red cells.
A person vegan for years, without supplements, has large-cell anaemia and tingling. Which deficiency?
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin E
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Vitamin B12
B12 is found only in animal foods: supplementation is essential.