2.2.1

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

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Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Micronutrients are substances that the body needs in small doses, such as vitamins. Vitamins are organic compounds that help us to stay healthy.

Sources of vitamins

Sources of vitamins

  • Plants.
  • Animals.
Sources of fat-soluble vitamins

Sources of fat-soluble vitamins

  • Fatty foods - e.g. beef liver, butter, fatty fish, cheese.
Storing fat-soluble vitamins

Storing fat-soluble vitamins

  • The body stores fat-soluble vitamins it doesn't use up in fat tissue.
  • For this reason, the body doesn't have to take in the same quantities of fat-soluble vitamins every day.
  • This also means we're in danger of storing an excess of these vitamins.
  • This shouldn't be a problem for someone eating a balanced diet. But someone taking multivitamin supplements can risk building up an excess.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins - A and D

We get fat-soluble vitamins from fatty foods, like fatty fish and beef liver.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A

  • The body needs vitamin A for growth, keeping the immune system healthy, and for good skin and eyesight.
  • Vitamin A is an antioxidant.
  • We get vitamin A from retinol. Meat, full-fat milk and fatty fish all contain retinol. We can also make retinol from carotene. Carrots and other orange/yellow fruits and vegetables contain carotene.
Excess and too little vitamin A

Excess and too little vitamin A

  • Excess vitamin A over a period of time weakens bones.
  • Pregnant women are advised to stay clear of foods containing lots of vitamin A (like liver).
  • Too little vitamin A can weaken the immune system, cause blindness at night and inflamed skin and stunt growth.
  • The daily dose recommended by the NHS is:
    • 0.7mg for men.
    • 0.6mg for women.
Vitamin D

Vitamin D

  • We get vitamin D from fish liver oils and fatty fish like tuna and salmon.
  • We can also get vitamin D from being in sunlight.
  • Vitamin D aids mineral absorption, including calcium absorption. Our bodies need calcium to develop healthy teeth and bones.
Excess and too little vitamin D

Excess and too little vitamin D

  • If we take in too much vitamin D, our bodies may absorb too much calcium. Excess calcium can cause damage to our kidneys.
  • Bone diseases, such as osteomalacia (soft bones), osteoporosis (brittle bones) and rickets, can arise from the body getting too little vitamin D.
  • According to the NHS, the average person should have a daily dose of 0.01mg.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins - E and K

We get fat-soluble vitamins from fatty foods, like fatty fish and beef liver.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E

  • We get vitamin E from:
    • Vegetable oils (e.g. sunflower, corn, and soybean oils).
    • Nuts (e.g. peanuts, almonds and hazelnuts).
    • Seeds (e.g. sunflower seeds).
    • Green leafy vegetables (e.g. swiss chard).
  • Vitamin E helps to boost the immune system.
  • We also need vitamin E for healthy skin and eyes.
  • Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which means it can protect our bodies from free radicals.
Excess and too little vitamin E

Excess and too little vitamin E

  • Excess vitamin E can cause someone to feel nauseous, disrupt blood clotting and lead to blurred vision.
  • Weak muscles and eyesight problems are both symptoms of having too little vitamin E.
  • NHS guidelines for daily doses:
    • Men: 4mg.
    • Women: 3mg.
Vitamin K

Vitamin K

  • We get vitamin K from leafy greens, liver, green tea, cheese.
  • Like vitamin E, vitamin K supports the immune system. Vitamin K helps us to maintain healthy bones.
  • Vitamin K also helps blood clotting and helps us to heal wounds.
Excess and too little vitamin K

Excess and too little vitamin K

  • We can't have too much vitamin K.
  • Although adults are very unlikely to have too little vitamin K, newborn babies can suffer from uncontrolled bleeding if they have too little vitamin K.
  • NHS guidelines for daily dose:
    • 0.001mg per kg of body weight.
Jump to other topics
1

Food Preparation Skills

1.1

Food Preparation Skills

1.1.1General Practical Skills1.1.2Knife Skills1.1.3Preparing Fruit, Vegetables & Using Equipment1.1.4Cooking Methods: Prepare, Shape & Combine1.1.5Sauce Making, Tenderising & Marinating1.1.6Dough & Pastry1.1.7Shaping & Finishing Dough1.1.8Raising Agents & Mixtures1.1.9End of Topic Test - Food Preparation Skills 1
2

Food, Nutrition & Health

2.1

Macronutrients

2.1.1Proteins2.1.2Proteins 22.1.3Fats2.1.4Carbohydrates2.1.5Carbohydrates 2
2.2

Micronutrients

2.2.1Fat-Soluble Vitamins2.2.2Water-Soluble Vitamins2.2.3Minerals & Water2.2.4Minerals & Water 22.2.5End of Topic Test - Macro & Micronutrients
2.3

Nutritional Needs & Health

2.3.1Informed Choices for a Balanced Diet2.3.2Informed Choices for a Balanced Diet 22.3.3Energy Needs2.3.4Nutritional Analysis2.3.5Diet Modifications2.3.6Diet-Related Problems2.3.7Diet-Related Problems 22.3.8End of Topic Test - Nutritional Needs & Health
3

Food Science

3.1

Cooking of Food & Heat Transfer

3.1.1Reasons for Cooking & Heat Transfer3.1.2Water-Based Cooking Methods3.1.3Fat-Based Cooking Methods3.1.4Dry Cooking Methods3.1.5Dry Cooking Methods 2
3.2

Functional & Chemical Properties of Food

3.2.1Proteins & Carbohydrates3.2.2Fats & Oils3.2.3Raising Agents3.2.4End of Topic Test - Food Science
4

Food Safety

4.1

Food Spoilage & Contamination

4.1.1Microorganisms & Signs of Food Spoilage4.1.2Enzymes & Signs of Food Spoilage4.1.3Food Poisoning4.1.4Bacterial Contamination4.1.5Microorganisms in Food Production
4.2

Principles of Food Safety

4.2.1Temperature Control4.2.2Ambient Foods & Food Labels4.2.3Preparing, Cooking & Serving Food4.2.4End of Topic Test - Food Safety
5

Food Choice

5.1

Factors Affecting Food Choice

5.1.1Factors Which Influence Food Choice5.1.2Food Choices5.1.3Religious Food Choices5.1.4Food Labels5.1.5Mandatory Food Labels5.1.6Optional Food Labels5.1.7Marketing Influences5.1.8End of Topic Test - Food Choice
5.2

British & International Cuisines

5.2.1British Cuisine5.2.2Japanese Cuisine5.2.3Japanese Ingredients & Dishes5.2.4Spanish Cuisine5.2.5Spanish Ingredients & Dishes
5.3

Sensory Evaluation

5.3.1Taste Receptors & Olfactory Systems5.3.2Sensory Testing Methods5.3.3Sensory Testing Methods 25.3.4End of Topic Test - Cuisines & Senses
6

Food Provenance

6.1

Environmental Impact & Sustainability of Food

6.1.1Food Sources - Intensive & Organic Farming6.1.2Food Sources - Genetically Modified Crops6.1.3Food Sources - Reared Food6.1.4Food Sources - Caught Food6.1.5Food & The Environment6.1.6Food & The Environment 26.1.7Sustainability of Food6.1.8Sustainability of Food 26.1.9End of Topic Test - Environmental Impacts
6.2

Food Processing & Production

6.2.1Primary Food Processing6.2.2Primary Food Processing 26.2.3Secondary Food Processing6.2.4Fortification6.2.5Additives6.2.6End of Topic Test - Food Processing & Production

Practice questions on Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    What do we call substances that the body needs in small doses?Multiple choice
  2. 2
    Which of the following is NOT an example of a micronutrient?Multiple choice
  3. 3
    Which of the following are micronutrients?True / false
  4. 4
    What can be caused by consuming too much vitamin A?Multiple choice
  5. 5
    Which of the following foods contain retinol?True / false
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Carbohydrates 2

Water-Soluble Vitamins