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Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients in food items containing essential nutrients and components which ensure the overall growth of the body. Other such essential nutrients are fats, proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, and minerals. Among these, vitamins and minerals play a crucial role including maintaining the body, good immunity and many other roles. There are different food sources from which one can get the different kinds of minerals and vitamins.
| Table of Content |
Key Takeaways: Calcium, Minerals, Vitamins, Immune System, Scurvy, Rickets, Goitre
Vitamins
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Vitamins are the organic component that helps in the effective development of the human body and are responsible for its maintenance. There are two types of vitamins: fat-soluble and water-soluble. The types of vitamins, their role and sources are mentioned in the below table:
| Vitamin | Solubility | Sources | Deficiency Disorder/Disease | Symptoms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | Fat | Watermelon, green leafy vegetables, guava, tomatoes, carrots, milk, liver, ripe yellow fruits, nuts, oranges, broccoli, | Loss of vision | Poor or complete loss of vision, loss of vision during night |
| Vitamin B1 | Water | Sweet potatoes, fresh fruits, potatoes, peas, corn, dates, black beans, cashew nuts, wheat, milk | Beri-beri | Weak muscle and less energy to work |
| Vitamin C | Water | Fresh fruits, broccoli, goat milk, black currant, chestnuts | Scurvy | Longer healing duration of wounds, bleeding gums |
| Vitamin D | Fat | Fish, chicken breast, egg, liver, cod, beef | Rickets | Soft and bent bones |
| Vitamin E | Fat | Almonds, peanuts, vegetable oil, pumpkin. | Neuropathy and breakdown of RBCs | Muscle weakness and vision problems |
| Vitamin K | Fat | collard greens, kale, cabbage, spinach | Blood clotting and building bones | Internal bleeding and Internal clot formation |
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Minerals
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Minerals are organic and insoluble components responsible for the growth of the body. The table given below consists of names, sources and deficiency disorders of some important minerals.
| Mineral | Sources | Deficiency Disorder/Disease | Symptoms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iodine | Seafoods, milk, iodised salt, and foods growing in iodine-rich land | Goitre | Mental disability in child, Neck glands appearing swollen |
| Phosphorous | Passion fruit, oats, pomegranate, beef, dates, tuna | Hypophosphatemia, Rickets in kids | Anxiety, fatigue, bone pain, loss of appetite, weakness |
| Iron | Lentils, beans, spinach, tofu, dried fruits (apricots, prunes, raisins), enriched breads, nuts, prune juice, broccoli | Anaemia | Weakness |
| Calcium | Blackberries, milk, soybeans, egg, almonds, pomegranate, wheat, dates | Decay of bone & teeth | Teeth decay, weak bones |
Read Also: NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 2: Components Of Food
Things To Remember
- Vitamins and minerals are organic compounds important for the growth and development of the human body.
- It is essential to take a hygienic meal that contains important components/nutrients.
- Apart from iodine, phosphorus, iron and calcium, other minerals like potassium, sulphur etc. also play a major role in our body.
- The 13 major known vitamins have 9 water-soluble and 4 fat-soluble vitamins.
- Vitamin D is essential for skin and bones.
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Sample Questions
Ques. Name any four vitamins and what will happen if there is a deficiency of these 4 in the human body? (3 Marks)
Ans. The four types of vitamins and disorders associated with their deficiencies are:
| Vitamins | Deficiency Disorder |
|---|---|
| Vitamin A | Loss of Vision |
| Vitamin C | Scurvy |
| Vitamin D | Rickets |
| Vitamin B1 | Beriberi |
Ques. What are the main sources of calcium and its function in the human body? (3 Marks)
Ans. Calcium is one of the major components required for the body. It is a mineral which is essential for the proper functioning of the immune system. Calcium is also an important component of healthy teeth and bones. Some of the major sources from where one can get calcium are:
- Dates
- Milk
- Blackberries
- Almond
- Wheat
- Soybeans
- Sesame seeds
- Pomegranate etc.
Ques. Name major components of food and one role of each component? (5 Marks)
Ans. There are major five components required for the development of the body. These are proteins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins.
- Carbohydrates: Provides energy and is present in the body in the form of sugar and starch.
- Proteins: Also known as “bodybuilding food”, hence responsible for the growth of the body.
- Fats: These also provide energy to the body. In addition, fats give more energy in comparison to carbohydrates.
- Minerals: Helps in keeping bones and teeth strong, manages body growth & weight, etc.
- Vitamins: There are various vitamins required to build our immunity system strong, keep our eyesight good, etc.
Ques. A Balanced diet for the body should contain a variety of food items. Is this statement true? If yes, then why? (2 Marks)
Ans. The above-mentioned statement, “Balanced diet for the body should contain a variety of food items” is correct. The varieties of food items fulfill different needs of the body by providing essential components like vitamins, fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and minerals. Not every edible consists of all the nutrients and therefore, the human body requires varieties of food items.
Ques. Name four water-soluble Vitamins and four sources from where one can get them. (3 Marks)
Ans. Four water-soluble vitamins that are essential for the human body are:
- Vitamin B1: Wheat, milk, fresh fruits, dates
- Vitamin B2: Mangoes, dates, grapes, banana
- Vitamin B3: Mushroom, cereals, guava, egg
- Vitamin C: Chestnut, goat milk, fresh fruits, broccoli
Ques. Name food items each rich in the following: fats, proteins, Vitamin A, and Iodine. (3 Marks)
Ans. One can find the above mentioned from the following edibles:
Fats: Fish, meat, groundnut, coconut oil, etc.
Proteins: Peas, gram, fish, paneer, eggs, soybeans, etc.
Vitamin A: Papaya, mango, carrot, milk, etc.
Iodine: Ginger, iodized salt, milk, seafood, etc.
Ques. How many types of vitamins are you aware of? (2 Marks)
Ans. There are different types of vitamins each having a different role in the development and growth of the body. Some of these may include Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and Vitamin D. There are some B-complex vitamins as well, which are essential nutrients like Vitamin B1, Vitamin B3, etc.
Ques. Name fat-soluble vitamins and sources from where one can get these vitamins. (3 Marks)
Ans. There are 4 fat-soluble vitamins which are essential for the human body. These are:
Vitamin A: Watermelon, tomatoes, ripe yellow fruits, Green-leafy vegetables, etc.
Vitamin D: Chicken breast, egg, fish, liver, etc.
Vitamin E: Seeds, nuts, potatoes, milk, pumpkin, etc.
Vitamin K: Cashew nuts, broccoli, grapes, tomatoes, etc.
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