Chapter 8: Vitamins Check Access

The chapter covers the definitions and distinctions of vitamins from other trace nutrients, the historical development of vitamin concepts and general principles, classification and water- and fat-soluble vitamins. For each vitamin, the basic chemistry, occurrence in foods, stability in storage, food preparation, processing, cooking, nutritional requirements, deficiency issues and supplementation are considered. The water-soluble vitamins include thiamin (B₁), riboflavin (B₂), pyridoxine (B₆), niacin (nicotinamide), cobalamin (B₁₂), folic acid (folacin), biotin, pantothenic acid and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Fat-soluble vitamins include retinol (vitamin A), cholecalciferol (vitamin D), tocopherols (vitamin E) and phylloquinone (vitamin K). The chapter also considers non-vitamins, carnitine, myo-inositol, choline, orotic acid (B₁₃) and pangamic acid (B₁₇).