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The administration of large doses of folic acid in a patient with vitamin B 12 deficiency
may alleviate the anaemia but it cannot cure or may even aggravate the neurological
deficit, by increasing the tissue demand of vitamin B 12 (Reynolds 2014).
9.3.2.7 Cobalamin (Vitamin B12)
Vitamin B 12 (cyanocobalamin) is a water-soluble vitamin found in meat, dairy products, fish and eggs. (Hariz and Bhattacharya 2019). It is essential for the normal
production of red blood cells by the bone marrow and for the growth of nervous
cells. Vitamin B 12 deficiency causes megaloblastic anemia and, via myelin damage,
neurological deficits (ataxia, neuropathy) or even neuropsychiatric symptoms such
as dementia. Vegan diets contain insufficient amounts of vitamin B 12 . Folate deficiency can also cause megaloblastic anemia and should be taken into account when
looking for the potential cause of the anemic syndrome (Lykstad and Sharma 2019;
Ankar and Kumar 2019).
9.3.2.8 Vitamin C
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a crystalline solid which is soluble in water (Halliwell
2001). Most animals and plants synthesize ascorbic acid; however, primates and
humans lack gluconolactone oxidase, a key enzyme in the final step of ascorbate
synthesis. Thus, in these species, the daily requirements of vitamin C should come
from the diet. Oranges, lemons, grapefruit, leafy green vegetables and beef liver are
the best sources of vitamin C (Ferraro et al. 2016). Vitamin C is needed to form collagen that gives strength to the connective tissues and required for wound healing
and a normal immune function. Vitamin C deficiency causes changes in the connective, leading to the development of scurvy, a disease in which the synthesized collagen is unstable. The symptoms of scurvy include muscle pain, joint swelling, and
bleeding. Vitamin C acts as antioxidant and free oxygen radical scavenger and can
be used topically in skin disorders, including those caused by photo-aging (Sorice
et al. 2014; Luis Gomez et al. 2018). The hyperpigmentation of the skin can be
treated with vitamin C, since it inhibits the activity of melanocytes, i.e. the cells
involved in the synthesis of melanin (Telang 2013).
9.4 Minerals
Minerals are inorganic elements that cannot be synthesized in the body but obtained
from the diet. They are naturally present in soil and water. Some are essential to living organisms while some are very toxic. Plants absorb significant amount of minerals from the environment and usually passed them along the food chain to animals.
The deficiency of such nutritionally important minerals usually proves fatal.
9 Vitamins and Minerals: Types, Sources and their Functions
The administration of large doses of folic acid in a patient with vitamin B 12 deficiency
may alleviate the anaemia but it cannot cure or may even aggravate the neurological
deficit, by increasing the tissue demand of vitamin B 12 (Reynolds 2014).
9.3.2.7 Cobalamin (Vitamin B12)
Vitamin B 12 (cyanocobalamin) is a water-soluble vitamin found in meat, dairy products, fish and eggs. (Hariz and Bhattacharya 2019). It is essential for the normal
production of red blood cells by the bone marrow and for the growth of nervous
cells. Vitamin B 12 deficiency causes megaloblastic anemia and, via myelin damage,
neurological deficits (ataxia, neuropathy) or even neuropsychiatric symptoms such
as dementia. Vegan diets contain insufficient amounts of vitamin B 12 . Folate deficiency can also cause megaloblastic anemia and should be taken into account when
looking for the potential cause of the anemic syndrome (Lykstad and Sharma 2019;
Ankar and Kumar 2019).
9.3.2.8 Vitamin C
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a crystalline solid which is soluble in water (Halliwell
2001). Most animals and plants synthesize ascorbic acid; however, primates and
humans lack gluconolactone oxidase, a key enzyme in the final step of ascorbate
synthesis. Thus, in these species, the daily requirements of vitamin C should come
from the diet. Oranges, lemons, grapefruit, leafy green vegetables and beef liver are
the best sources of vitamin C (Ferraro et al. 2016). Vitamin C is needed to form collagen that gives strength to the connective tissues and required for wound healing
and a normal immune function. Vitamin C deficiency causes changes in the connective, leading to the development of scurvy, a disease in which the synthesized collagen is unstable. The symptoms of scurvy include muscle pain, joint swelling, and
bleeding. Vitamin C acts as antioxidant and free oxygen radical scavenger and can
be used topically in skin disorders, including those caused by photo-aging (Sorice
et al. 2014; Luis Gomez et al. 2018). The hyperpigmentation of the skin can be
treated with vitamin C, since it inhibits the activity of melanocytes, i.e. the cells
involved in the synthesis of melanin (Telang 2013).
9.4 Minerals
Minerals are inorganic elements that cannot be synthesized in the body but obtained
from the diet. They are naturally present in soil and water. Some are essential to living organisms while some are very toxic. Plants absorb significant amount of minerals from the environment and usually passed them along the food chain to animals.
The deficiency of such nutritionally important minerals usually proves fatal.
9 Vitamins and Minerals: Types, Sources and their Functions