Vitamins. Their Role in the Human Body

449 Pages·2004·8.16 MB·English

by  George F. M. Ball

Vitamins
Their Role in the Human Body
G.F.M. Ball
Vitamins: Their Role in the Human Body
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Vitamins
Their Role in the Human Body
G.F.M. Ball
Consultant, London, UK
Blackwell
Science
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© 2004 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd, a Blackwell Publishing company
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First published 2004
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available
ISBN 0-632-06478-1
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To the memory of Mariah Margaret Ball
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Contents
Foreword xiii
Preface xv
1 Historical Events Leading to the Establishment of Vitamins 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Early studies of nutritionally related diseases 2
1.3 Experiments on formulated diets 6
1.4 Naming of the vitamins 7
Further reading 7
References 7
2 Nutritional Aspects of Vitamins 8
2.1 Defi nition and classifi cation of vitamins 8
2.2 Nutritional vitamin defi ciency 8
2.3 Stability and bioavailability of vitamins 10
2.4 Vitamin requirements 11
Further reading 11
References 11
3 Background Physiology and Functional Anatomy 12
3.1 Movement of solutes across cell membranes and epithelia 13
3.2 The blood–brain, blood–cerebrospinal fl uid and placental barriers 26
3.3 Functional anatomy of the small and large intestine, liver and kidney 29
3.4 Digestion and absorption 36
3.5 Glucose transport 39
3.6 Digestion, absorption and transport of dietary fat 44
3.7 Neural and endocrine communication systems 47
3.8 Structure of bone and its growth and development 55
3.9 Cell proliferation 62
Further reading 64
References 64
4 Background Biochemistry 67
4.1 Major degradation pathways in which B-group vitamins are involved
as coenzymes 68
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viii Contents
4.2 Amino acid utilization 71
4.3 Defences against free radicals and other reactive species 75
4.4 Haemostasis 76
4.5 Atherosclerosis 80
Further reading 90
References 90
5 Background Immunology 94
5.1 General features of the immune system 94
5.2 Innate immunity 95
5.3 Infl ammation 101
5.4 Acquired immunity 103
5.5 Cytokines 106
5.6 Hypersensitivity 107
5.7 Immune suppression 108
5.8 Neuroendocrine modulation of immune responses 108
Further reading 108
References 108
6 The Genetic Control of Protein Synthesis and its Regulation by Nuclear Hormone Receptors 110
6.1 Functional structure of DNA 110
6.2 Role of RNA in protein synthesis 113
6.3 Gene expression 116
6.4 Mutation and polymorphism 116
6.5 Basal transcription 118
6.6 Regulated transcription 120
6.7 Jun, Fos and the AP-1 complex 125
6.8 Nuclear hormone receptors as regulators of protein synthesis 126
Further reading 131
References 131
7 Vitamin A: Retinoids and Carotenoids 133
7.1 Historical overview 134
7.2 Chemistry and biological functions 134
7.3 Dietary sources 136
7.4 Absorption, transport and metabolism 136
7.5 Nutritional factors that infl uence vitamin A status 150
7.6 The role of vitamin A in vision 151
7.7 Retinoids as regulators of gene expression 155
7.8 Effects of vitamin A on the immune system 171
7.9 Role of vitamin A in bone metabolism and embryonic development 174
7.10 Vitamin A and cancer 176
7.11 Vitamin A defi ciency and toxicity 178
Further reading 180
References 180
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Contents ix
8 Vitamin D 188
8.1 Historical overview 189
8.2 Chemistry and biological functions 190
8.3 Dietary sources 191
8.4 Cutaneous synthesis, intestinal absorption, transport and metabolism 191
8.5 Molecular action of the vitamin D hormones 198
8.6 Calcium and phosphate homeostasis 208
8.7 Immunoregulatory properties 218
8.8 Effects of vitamin D on insulin secretion 221
8.9 Vitamin D-related diseases 221
8.10 Therapeutic applications of vitamin D analogues 222
8.11 Toxicity 223
8.12 Dietary requirement 224
Further reading 224
References 224
9 Vitamin E 234
9.1 Historical overview 235
9.2 Chemistry, biopotency and units of activity 235
9.3 Dietary sources 236
9.4 Absorption, transport and delivery to tissues 236
9.5 Antioxidant role 239
9.6 Effect upon the ageing immune responses 240
9.7 Vitamin E and atherosclerosis 241
9.8 Vitamin E defi ciency 247
9.9 Dietary intake 251
Further reading 252
References 252
10 Vitamin K 256
10.1 Historical overview 256
10.2 Chemistry 257
10.3 Dietary sources 258
10.4 Absorption, transport and metabolism 258
10.5 Biochemical and physiological functions 263
10.6 Vitamin K defi ciency 268
Further reading 269
References 269
11 Thiamin (Vitamin B ) 273
1
11.1 Historical overview 274
11.2 Chemistry and biological activity 274
11.3 Dietary sources and bioavailability 274
11.4 Absorption, transport and metabolism 275
11.5 Biochemical functions 277
11.6 Neurophysiological functions 280
11.7 Vitamin B defi ciency 282
1
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