Vitamin A	Vitamin E	Vitamin K

Vitamin K Functions:

• Major importance in blood clotting formation.

Disease Implications:

• Deficiency leads to poor blood clotting. Bleeding can occur in severe cases of deficiency.
• Acquired deficiency has been described in anti-biotic related treatments.
• There is some recent evidence for the role of vitamin K-associated proteins in chronic diseases

Toxicity can occur with excessive intakes and lead to hemolytic anemia.

Major Sources:

Major sources include:
Wheat, legumes, spinach, broccoli, egg yolk, milk

Notes: Vitamin K is formed by intestinal bacteria although this endogenous source alone is not sufficient to prevent a deficiency.

A	E	K

Fat soluble Vitamins A, E & K

General properties:

Since these vitamins are fat soluble they are not as easily eliminated from the body as the B group vitamins. Therefore the risk of attaining toxic levels must be considered. With the exception of vitamin K, as a group they are more complex in that they comprise multiple forms. Individually they serve different functions, but A & E in particular are important to protect against oxidative damage to tissue.

Select vitamin name for more information on each vitamin

Vitamin A	Vitamin E	Vitamin K

Vitamin A Functions:

• Essential for good vision.
• Necessary for reproductive system
• Important in protecting mucous membranes and helping in immune function.
• Necessary for bone formation .
• Prevents dry skin .

Disease Implications:

• A deficiency of this vitamin leads to night blindness and susceptibility to infections, as well as dry skin , retarded growth and circulatory problems.
• Toxic intakes have been associated with headaches,liver damage, birth defects and alopecia among others symptoms.
• As Vitamin A is an antioxidant, it protects against oxidative damage and studies have shown that increasing vitamin A intakes is associated with reduced risk to certain cancers.

Major Sources:
A variety of fruits and green vegetables, particularly dark vegetables, as well as in egg and milk products. Also in fish oils.
Fruit sources include: oranges, apricots, peach, tomato.
Vegetable sources include:
lettuce, spinach, broccoli, carrots.
Also in animal derived foods.

Vitamin A	Vitamin E	Vitamin K

Vitamin E Functions:

• Essential for growth and development
• Helps prevent damage to tissues caused by oxidantive damage from free radicals due to it powerful antioxidant properties
• Necessary for healthy mucous membranes
• Helps reproductive system
• Helps skin conditions

Disease Implications:

• Deficiency leads to hemolytic anemia (lysing of red blood cells), accumulation of fatty deposits in muscular tissue causing heart problems
• Other conditions caused by deficiency include peripheral neuropathy and malabsorption of fats and loss of libido.
• A number of studies have been done showing that vitamin E supplementation is beneficial in cancers, heart disease and in aging .
• Vitamin E may help to reduce the risk of developing diabetes as studies have shown vitamin E deficiency carries a 4-fold higher risk for developing diabetes.

Toxicity can develop with excess intakes and can cause problems with poor clotting of blood.
Note: As vitamin E exists in multiple forms knowing which form is important should be considered. Eg, the gamma-tocopherol form is more effective in removing destructive free radicals in inflammation, as opposed to the alpha-tocopherol form, the form found in vitamin pills

Major Sources:
Found in many types of food oils, including cod-liver oil, corn oil.
Fish such as salmon are good sources, also in whole grain cereals and nuts.
Egg yolk.