Fat soluble vitamin is the group of vitamins, which are dissolved in fat and store in body cell, didn’t excrete from body as like Water soluble vitamins. Following vitamins are known as fat soluble vitamins-
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E and
- Vitamin K
It is not essential to take fat soluble vitamin in everyday due to their storage capacity. If take more fat soluble vitamin, it will be toxic for you though it requires lot amount to run body function in everyday manner. Human body is generally sensitive to Vitamin A [come from animal source] and Vitamin D in excess amount. You can get the fat soluble vitamins in reach amount if you take balanced diet daily.
Vitamins and its classification:
Based on solubility vitamins are classified into Two type
- Fat soluble vitamins
- Water soluble vitamins
Fat soluble vitamins can be divided in to Four Types
- Vitamin A[Retinol]
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E [Tocopherol] and
- Vitamin K
Vitamin D further Divided in to two types
- Vitamin D2[Ergocalciferol]
- Vitamin D3[Cholecalciferol]
Vitamin K divided into Two Types
- Vitamin K1[Phytonadione]
- Vitamin K2[Menadione]
Water soluble vitamins can be classified into two types based on source
- B complex vitamins[Thermolabile & Thermostable]
- Non B complex vitamin[Vitamin C]
Thermolabile
Vitamin B1[Thiamine]
Thermostable
- Vitamin B2[Riboflavin]
- Vitamin B3[Niacin]
- Vitamin B5[Pantothenic Acid]
- Vitamin B6[Pyridoxine]
- Vitamin B7[Biotin also known Vitamin H]
- Vitamin B9[Folic Acid]
- Vitamin B12[Cobalamin]
Fat soluble vitamin Discovery, Daily Intake & Maximum Intake Level
| Vitamins [Fat Soluble] | Identified by | Year of Identification | Recommended daily dose(μg) | Upper intake level per day(μg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | Mc Collum and Davis | 1913 | 900 | 3000 |
| Vitamin D | Adolf Windaus | 1920 | 10 | 50 |
| Vitamin E | H.M. Evans and K. S. Bishop | 1922 | 15 | 1000 |
| Vitamin K | Henrik Dam | 1929 | 120 | N/A |
Fat Soluble Vitamin A
Natural form: A1 (Retinol), A2 (3-dehydro-retinol)
Active form: Retinol, Retinal, Retinoic acid
Provitamin A: β-carotene
Storage: Liver, Adipose tissue of the body
Source:
A. Plant Source:
- Amaranth
- Apricots
- Broccoli
- Butter
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Catalo
- Cheese
- Cod liver oil
- Cream
- Dark leafy green vegetables
- Deep orange fruits
- Eggs
- Kidney
- Mangoes
- Papaya
- Pumpkin
- Spinach
- Squash
- Sweet potato
- Tomatoes
- Watermelon
B. Animal Source:
- Cereals
- Condiments
- Egg yolk
- Fish liver oils
- Glandular meat
- Red palm oil
- Liver
- Milk
Age group, Safe level, Maximum level intake of Vitamin A
| Age | Requirement per day[μg] | Maximum Level[μg] |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 6 months | 180 | 375 |
| 7 to 12 months | 190 | 400 |
| 1 to 3 years | 200 | 400 |
| 4 to 6 years | 200 | 450 |
| 7 to 9 years | 250 | 500 |
| 10 to 18 years | 350 | 600 |
| 19 to 65 years | 270 | 500 |
| Above 65 Years | 300 | 600 |
| Pregnant Women | 370 | 800 |
| Lactating Women | 450 | 850 |
Function:
- Bone
- Healthy Skin
- Immune System
- Mucous Membrane
- Tooth growth
- Vision
- Embryo Development
- Gene Expression
Deficiency of Vitamin A:
If someone take Vitamin A containing foods lesser, amount every goes to Vitamin A deficiency cause the following disorder-
- Bacterial invasion of the eye
- Bigot’s spots
- Celiac diseases
- Chronic liver
- Chronic pancreatitis
- Conjunctival xerosis
- Crones’ diseases
- Decreased mucus production
- Decreased immunity
- Follicular hyperkeratosis
- Hypervitaminosis
- Liver disease
- Malabsorption
- Night blindness
- Poor growth
- Skin disorders
Adverse effects of Vitamin A:
- Liver damage
- Bone abnormalities
- Joint pain
- Alopecia
- Vomiting
- Redness of skin
- Decalcification
- Weight loss
- Hair loss
- Enlargement of liver
- Joints pain
- Irritability
- Skin desquamation
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
Therapeutic uses:
Vitamin A is mainly used in treatment of Xerophthalmia, psoriasis, night blindness, cold, warts, corns and calluses acne, follicular hyperkeratosis of arms, breast cancer and vision.
Fat Soluble Vitamin D
It can be classified as follows-
- Vitamin D1[Lumisterol and Calciferol by 1:1 ratio]
- Vitamin D2[Ergocalciferol]
- Vitamin D3[Cholecalciferol]
- Vitamin D4[22-dihyroergocalciferol]
- Vitamin D5[Sitocalciferol]
Among all the Vitamin D, Vitamin D1, D2 and D3 is important.
Source of Vitamin D
A. Collect from fortified foods
- Breakfast cereal
- Margarine
- Oil spreads
- Milk
- Pastries
- Yogurt
B. From Natural Sources:
- Cod liver oil
- Catfish
- Eel
- Mackerel
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Tuna
- Mushrooms
Age group, Safe level, Maximum level of intake of Vitamin D
| Age | Requirement per day[mg] |
|---|---|
| 0 to 6 months | 5 |
| 7 to 12 months | 5 |
| 1 to 3 years | 5 |
| 4 to 6 years | |
| 7 to 9 years | 5 |
| 10 to 18 years | 5 |
| 19 to 50 years | 5 |
| 51 to 65 years | 10 |
| Above 65 Years | 15 |
| Pregnant Women | 5 |
| Lactating Women | 5 |
Function of Vitamin D:
Vitamin D help the older adults from osteoporosis with the help of calcium. Helps in the reduction of Inflammation, enhancing cell growth, glucose metabolism, enhancing of neuromuscular and immune function.
Vitamin D greatly helps in regulation of Blood level of Calcium and phosphorus. By absorbing calcium, its help to build strong bone especially in older person.
Vitamin D play key role in phosphorus and calcium homeostasis. In terms of these case it’s alter the insulin synthesis regulating calcium level in plasma. Change the insulin synthesis and secretion.
Deficiency of Vitamin D
Deficiency of vitamin D found rare in case to case study while Vitamin D synthesize in the human body in everyday little exposure to sunlight. If Vitamin D present little amount in food cause hyperparathyroidism.
If you are limit to less exposure of sunlight, malabsorption of vitamin D due to renal and hepatic disorder like anticonvulsant therapy, abnormal metabolism, nephrotic syndrome, hepatobiliary syndrome and pancreatic disorders etc.
Deficiency of Vitamin D leads to rickets where calcification did not properly occur in the bone in older children, senior citizen, and infants due to less exposure to sunlight. Sometime the situation led to tetany if the calcium level reduce drastically.
Adverse effect of Vitamin D
The recommended daily dose of Vitamin D is 5000 IU/per day where toxic dose is 50,000 IU/day [1.25 mg]. Taking excessive amount of Vitamin D cause toxicity as hypercalciuria and hypocalcaemia. Excessive disposition of Vitamin D tends to calcification in bones and this effects then cause hardening of the artery where excessive calcification occur in blood vessel.
Excessive disposition of Vitamin D cause nephrocalcinosis, anorexia, vomiting, nausea,
Muscular weakness, CNS depression [lead to comma]. Disposition of Vitamin D in renal tube cause nocturia, polyuria growth retardation.
Highly exposure to sunlight did not cause Vitamin D toxicity or over production of Vitamin D moreover its cause skin damage. So prolonged exposure to sunlight is always discouraged.
It is very easy to get Vitamin D from Sunlight, only 5 to 10 minutes exposure to sunlight before 11 AM and after 4 PM form adequate Vitamin D in human body.
Uses of Vitamin D
- Metabolism of calcium and phosphorous
- Treat autoimmune diseases
- Reduce colon, breast cancer and ovarian cancer
- Heart diseases
- Diabetes mellitus
- Preventing infections
- Psoriasis
- Multiple sclerosis
Fat Soluble Vitamin E
Referred as Tocopherols [“Tokos” indicate “child birth”; “phero” indicates to bear and “ol” depicts alcohol] so it is very essential female birth process.
Source of Vitamin E:
- Almond oil
- Asparagus
- Barley grass
- Bell pepper
- Blue berries
- Blue crab
- Brussel sprouts
- Broccoli
- Canola
- Chard
- Chickpeas
- Cooking oil
- Corn
- Cottonseed oil
- Eggs
- Fish oil
- Fortified cereals
- Kale
- Kiwi fruit
- Legumes
- Lentils
- Mangoes
- Multigrain apricots
- Mustard greens
- Northern beans
- Oats
- Olives
- Papayas
- Parsley
- Peanut
- Palm oils
- Poultry
- Pumpkin
- Rice
- Rice bran
- Rockfish
- Seeds
- Sesame
- Soybean and hazelnuts
- Sunflower
- Spinach
- Sweet potato
- Tomato
- Turnip
- Vegetable oils
- Wheat
- Whole grains
Function of Vitamin E
Vitamin E perform its activity as antioxidant help body cells from being damaged by free radicals. Free radicals are highly destructive compound from oxidative deterioration of unsaturated fats.
Vitamin E interrupts the chain reaction of free radicals by capturing it exhibits antioxidant property.
Help in cellular metabolism and protect Vitamin C and Vitamin A. When Vitamin E combined with Vitamin C then it’s used to protection of red blood cells, Alzheimer’s disease, stabilization of fats and amino acids, metabolism of steroids and nucleic acids.
Deficiency of Vitamin E:
Deficiency of Vitamin E cause the following disorder
- Heart disease
- Angina
- Cancer
- Multiple sclerosis
- Muscle weakness
- Diabetes
- Respiratory tract infections
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Poor nerve conduction
- Cataracts
- Emphysema
- High cholesterol
- Infertility
- Impotence
- Genital herpes
- Bedsores
- Leg cramps
- Muscle soreness
- Phlebitis
- Menopausal discomforts
- HIV
- Osteoarthritis
- Lupus
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Low birth weight in infants
Adverse Effect of Vitamin E:
If overdoses are identified then it cause vomiting, diarrhea and nausea. People who are deficiency of Vitamin K[People using blood thinner] not require taking Vitamin E without proper medical history.
Individual may face allergic reaction during application of Vitamin E. The side of Vitamin E often show as blurred vision, headaches unusual bleeding and nausea.
Therapeutic use of vitamin E
Vitamin E plays a vital role in treating various types of skin diseases like psoriasis, acne, surgical scars.
It helps to reduce the risk of coronary artery disease almost 40% lower than the standard individual who did not take Vitamin E.
Enhance immune function and protect the development of various type of cancer. Use in the treatment of post pregnancy stretch mark.
It may also protect against the development of cancers [33] by enhancing immune function. Vitamin E is also a popular treatment for post-pregnancy stretch marks, which is supported by numerous studies.
Initiate health benefit for the heart, muscle, red blood cells and skin. It help to control blood sugar, blood pressure, provide anti-aging effect on the skin reduce wrinkles and aging like looks younger.
Enhance the healthy hair, slowdown the aging activity, DNA repairing, Vitamin K absorption, tissue repairing, wound healing.
Fat Soluble Vitamin K
Vitamin K derived from the German word Koagulation that means clotting of blood. For this reason, Vitamin K also known as clotting vitamin.
Source of Vitamin K
- Spinach
- Parsley
- Alfalfa
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Yogurt
- Soya bean
- Wheat
- Oats
- Tomatoes
- Cashew nuts
- Chestnuts
- Pine nuts
- Avocado
- Kiwi fruit
- Eggs
- Cow’s milk
- Pig’s liver
- Swiss chard
- Watercress
- Carrot tops
- Mayonnaise
- Vegetable oils
- Soybean oil
- Olive oil
- Cotton seed oil
Age group, Safe level intake of Vitamin K
| Age | Requirement per day[μg] |
|---|---|
| 0 to 6 months | 5 |
| 7 to 12 months | 10 |
| 1 to 3 years | 15 |
| 4 to 6 years | 20 |
| 7 to 9 years | 25 |
| 10 to 18 years | 35 |
| 19 to 65 years | 55[65μg-Male] |
| Above 65 Years | 55[65μg-Male] |
| Pregnant Women | 55 |
| Lactating Women | 55 |