Vitamins and Minerals
FDA.gov; CDC.gov; Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine 19e; Krinsky’s Handbook of Non-Prescription Drugs 17e.
Vitamins and minerals are necessary for life to continue and for physiological processes to
proceed, and as humans,
we get most of what we need through food
. However, sometimes
there are deficiency that cause ill health.
Diagnosable changes in vitamin levels in the body may be due to:
1.
malnutrition
– bad diet (need carbs, protein, little bit of fat, grains)
2.
malabsorption
– bad absorptions. Or, and life style alcoholism, smocking, exercise
3.
disease processes
– liver disease we can’t abs (genetically can’t abs food like in liver
disease)
4.
secondary to lifestyle
– alcoholism, exercise ((loss of electrolytes), smoking
Some diagnoses are related to specific vitamin deficiencies or toxicities.
1.
anemia
– iron and vit C present the same way in deficiency.
a.
Iron/vitC deficiency
presents as fatigue and weakness, pallor (
pale appearance)
,
chest pain, tachycardia, brittle nails, unusual cravings/Pica, inflamed tongue
b.
Pernicious anemia B12(Cyanocobalamin)
presents as weakness, HA, chest pain,
weight loss, gait changes, memory loss, depression, N/V/C, heartburn
c.
Megaloblastic anima (folic acid B9)
presents as fatigue, HA, pallor,
sores in
mouth
2.
scurvy: lack of vit C:
presenting as malaise, lethargy,
loss of teeth
, spots on skin, slow
wound healing, death.
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- Spring '18
- Vitamin, Folic acid, liver disease
