Fat Soluble Vitamins: Vitamins A, D, E, K - Nutrition Essentials for Nursing | @LevelUpRN

Summary

In this video, Cathy from Level Up RN covers the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. She explains the functions, food sources, deficiency symptoms, and toxicity risks associated with each vitamin. Key points include vitamin A's role in vision, vitamin D's role in calcium absorption and bone health, vitamin E as an antioxidant, and vitamin K's importance in blood clotting. Cathy also highlights important considerations, like the interaction between vitamin K and warfarin, before concluding with a quiz to reinforce learning.

Takeaways

• 🟡 Vitamin A supports vision, immune function, and cell growth. It is found in orange and yellow vegetables, fish, liver, dairy, and eggs.
• 🟢 A deficiency in vitamin A can cause xerophthalmia, leading to night blindness and dry eyes.
• 🟡 Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption, bone growth, and decreasing inflammation. Sunlight, fatty fish, and fortified foods are key sources.
• 🟢 Deficiency in vitamin D can cause Ricketts in children and osteomalacia in adults, leading to bone deformities and seizures.
• 🟡 Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, supports immune function, and metabolism. It is found in seeds, nuts, vegetable oils, and green leafy vegetables.
• 🟢 Deficiency in vitamin E can cause peripheral neuropathy and impaired balance, while excess vitamin E increases the risk of bleeding.
• 🟡 Vitamin K is important for blood clotting and bone maintenance. It is found in green leafy vegetables, vegetable oil, and soybeans.
• 🟢 Deficiency in vitamin K increases the risk of bleeding, while toxicity is rare, but consistency in intake is important for patients on warfarin.
• 🟡 Vitamin A toxicity can lead to increased intracranial pressure, joint pain, liver damage, and birth defects.
• 🟢 Vitamin D toxicity can result in hypercalcemia, nausea, muscle weakness, and dehydration.

Q & A

What are the fat-soluble vitamins discussed in the video?

The fat-soluble vitamins discussed are vitamins A, D, E, and K.

What are the main functions of vitamin A in the body?

Vitamin A supports vision, immune function, and cell growth.

Which foods are good sources of vitamin A?

Foods rich in vitamin A include orange and yellow vegetables and fruits, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, and mango, as well as fish, liver, dairy, and eggs.

What condition can result from a deficiency in vitamin A?

A deficiency in vitamin A can cause xerophthalmia, which leads to night blindness, drying of the cornea, and drying of the conjunctiva.

What are some risks associated with vitamin A toxicity?

Vitamin A toxicity can lead to increased intracranial pressure, joint pain, liver damage, and birth defects.

Why is vitamin D essential, and how can it be obtained?

Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption, bone growth, and reducing inflammation. It can be obtained from sunlight, fatty fish, fish oil, and fortified foods like milk and cereals.

What are the effects of vitamin D deficiency in children and adults?

Vitamin D deficiency can cause Rickets in children, leading to decreased bone density, developmental delays, seizures, and skeletal deformities. In adults, it can cause osteomalacia, leading to bone pain and deformities.

What are the main functions of vitamin E, and what foods provide it?

Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant, supports immune function, and aids metabolism. It is found in seeds, nuts, vegetable oils, and green leafy vegetables.

What are the risks of vitamin E deficiency and toxicity?

Vitamin E deficiency can cause peripheral neuropathy, ataxia (impaired balance), and decreased immune function. Toxicity can impair blood coagulation, increasing the risk of bleeding.

Why is vitamin K important, and what should patients on warfarin be cautious about?

Vitamin K is important for blood clotting and bone maintenance. Patients on warfarin should maintain a consistent intake of vitamin K, as changes in its levels can affect the medication's effectiveness and their risk of bleeding or clotting.

Outlines

00:00

🟠 Overview of Fat-Soluble Vitamins (A, D, E, and K)

In this video, Cathy introduces fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E, and K. She starts with Vitamin A, highlighting its roles in vision, immune function, and cell growth. Sources of Vitamin A include orange and yellow vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, and fruits like mango. Deficiency can cause xerophthalmia, leading to night blindness and dry eyes, while toxicity may result in increased intracranial pressure, joint pain, and liver damage.

05:00

🌞 Vitamin D: Role in Calcium Absorption and Bone Health

Vitamin D is crucial for calcium absorption, bone growth, and reducing inflammation. Key sources include sunlight, fatty fish, and fortified foods like milk. Deficiency can lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, both characterized by bone deformities. Toxicity can cause hypercalcemia, nausea, muscle weakness, and dehydration. Cathy emphasizes the importance of adequate vitamin D levels for maintaining healthy bones.

🌿 Vitamin E: Antioxidant and Immune Support

Vitamin E functions as an antioxidant, supports the immune system, and aids metabolism. Food sources include seeds, nuts, vegetable oils, and green leafy vegetables. Deficiency can result in peripheral neuropathy, ataxia (impaired balance), and weakened immune function. On the other hand, excessive vitamin E intake can interfere with blood clotting, increasing the risk of bleeding. Cathy offers a helpful tip: too much 'E' can lead to bleeding.

🟢 Vitamin K: Blood Clotting and Bone Health

Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting and bone maintenance. It is found in green leafy vegetables (broccoli, kale) and vegetable oils. Deficiency increases the risk of bleeding. Cathy explains the importance of maintaining consistent vitamin K intake for patients on warfarin (an anticoagulant), as fluctuating levels can affect the effectiveness of the medication. She also warns against confusing vitamin K with potassium, which is denoted by 'K' in chemical symbols.

❓ Quiz Time: Test Your Knowledge on Vitamins

Cathy concludes the video with a quiz, testing viewers on their understanding of vitamin deficiencies, such as xerophthalmia due to lack of vitamin A, and the role of vitamin D in calcium absorption. She also emphasizes the need for consistent vitamin K intake for patients on warfarin. Cathy encourages viewers to review the material if needed, subscribe to the channel, and share the video with nursing classmates.

Keywords

💡Fat-soluble vitamins

Fat-soluble vitamins are a group of vitamins (A, D, E, and K) that dissolve in fats and are stored in body tissues for long periods. The video discusses how these vitamins are more likely to cause toxicity compared to water-soluble vitamins because they accumulate in the body. Examples in the script include vitamins A and D, which can lead to toxicity if consumed in excess.

💡Vitamin A

Vitamin A supports vision, immune function, and cell growth. The script highlights how a deficiency in vitamin A can lead to xerophthalmia, a condition that causes night blindness and eye dryness. Vitamin A is found in foods like carrots, sweet potatoes, and liver. The video also notes the risks of toxicity, such as increased intracranial pressure and birth defects.

💡Xerophthalmia

Xerophthalmia is an eye condition caused by a deficiency in vitamin A, leading to symptoms like night blindness, dryness of the cornea, and conjunctiva. The video uses this as an example of how a lack of vitamin A can severely affect vision and eye health.

💡Vitamin D

Vitamin D is crucial for calcium absorption, bone growth, and reducing inflammation. It can be obtained from sunlight and food sources like fatty fish and fortified foods. The video explains how a deficiency in vitamin D can lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, which are conditions marked by weak bones and skeletal deformities.

💡Rickets

Rickets is a childhood disorder resulting from vitamin D deficiency, characterized by weak bones, skeletal deformities, and developmental delays. The video uses rickets as an example of the severe consequences of not getting enough vitamin D, especially in children.

💡Osteomalacia

Osteomalacia refers to the softening of bones in adults due to a deficiency in vitamin D, causing bone pain, deformities, and seizures. In the video, it’s highlighted as the adult counterpart of rickets, emphasizing the importance of vitamin D for bone health.

💡Vitamin E

Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and supports immune function and metabolism. It's found in foods like seeds, nuts, and green leafy vegetables. A deficiency in vitamin E can lead to peripheral neuropathy and ataxia, which affects coordination. The video also mentions that excess vitamin E can impair blood clotting, increasing the risk of bleeding.

💡Peripheral neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy is a condition where the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to weakness, numbness, and pain, usually in the hands and feet. The video mentions this as a possible consequence of a vitamin E deficiency, highlighting its role in nerve function.

💡Vitamin K

Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting and bone maintenance. It's found in green leafy vegetables and is necessary for the coagulation cascade, a process that helps stop bleeding. The video emphasizes the need for patients on warfarin to maintain a consistent intake of vitamin K to avoid interfering with the medication's effectiveness.

💡Warfarin

Warfarin is an anticoagulant medication that works by antagonizing vitamin K, preventing excessive clotting. In the video, it’s highlighted that patients taking warfarin need to maintain consistent vitamin K intake to ensure proper dosing and avoid either excessive bleeding or clotting.

Highlights

Introduction to fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and their functions.

Vitamin A supports vision, immune function, and cell growth.

Sources of Vitamin A include orange/yellow vegetables, fruits, fish, liver, dairy, and eggs.

Vitamin A deficiency can cause xerophthalmia, leading to night blindness and dry cornea/conjunctiva.

Vitamin A toxicity can increase intracranial pressure, cause joint pain, liver damage, and birth defects.

Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption, bone growth, and reducing inflammation.

Sources of Vitamin D include sunlight, fatty fish, fish oil, and fortified foods like milk and cereals.

Vitamin D deficiency can result in Ricketts in children and osteomalacia in adults.

Vitamin D toxicity can cause hypercalcemia, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, and dehydration.

Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and supports immune function and metabolism.

Sources of Vitamin E include seeds, nuts, vegetable oil, and green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin E deficiency can cause peripheral neuropathy, ataxia, and decreased immune function.

Vitamin E toxicity can impair blood coagulation, increasing the risk of bleeding.

Vitamin K is important for blood clotting and bone maintenance.

Vitamin K deficiency increases the risk of bleeding; important for patients on warfarin to maintain consistent Vitamin K intake.

Transcripts

Hi, I am Cathy with Level Up RN. And in  this video, I am going to go over the  

fat soluble vitamins, so vitamins A, D, E, and K. And if you're following along with cards,  

I'm on card number 11. And if you stick with me  through the whole video, at the end, I will give  

you guys a little quiz, little knowledge  check, make sure you're paying attention. 

Let's start with vitamin A. Vitamin A plays  a number of important functions in the body  

including supporting vision as well  as immune function and cell growth. 

You can find vitamin A in a  variety of food sources including  

orange and yellow vegetables and fruits. So carrots is the one that everybody seems to  

know. And it's true. Carrots are orange and they  are rich in vitamin A, and they do support vision. 

Other orange or yellow vegetables or fruits  include sweet potatoes and cantaloupe and mango.  

And those are all rich in vitamin A as well. You can also find vitamin A  

in fish, liver, dairy, and eggs. So if your patient has a deficiency in vitamin A,  

it can cause a condition called xerophthalmia.  And this is a condition of the eye that can cause  

night blindness, drying of the  cornea, and drying of the conjunctiva. 

If your patient has toxicity, because  again, vitamin A as well as D, E,  

and K are all fat soluble vitamins, so there  is definitely a greater risk of toxicity. 

Toxicity can cause an increase in intercranial  pressure. It can cause joint pain, liver damage,  

and birth defects in a developing fetus. Alright. Now let's talk about vitamin D. 

Vitamin D is another fat soluble vitamin. It is  essential for calcium absorption. It is critical  

for bone growth and remodeling, and it also  helps to decrease inflammation in the body. 

A key source of vitamin D is actually the  sunlight. So if you have a patient who  

is inside all the time and doesn't get any  sun, chances are they may be deficient in  

vitamin D and may require supplementation. Other sources of vitamin D include food sources  

such as fatty fish, fish oil, and fortified foods. So, often milk or cereals are fortified with  

vitamin D, and that helps to increase  an individual's intake of that vitamin. 

Deficiency can result in Ricketts in children.  So signs and symptoms of this disorder  

include decreased bone density, developmental  delays, seizures, and skeletal deformity. 

Or we can end up with osteomalacia in  adults which is also characterized by bone  

deformities as well as bone pain and seizures. So our little Cool Chicken hint here on card 12  

is hopefully helpful for you. Low vitamin D can  cause decreased bone density and bone deformity.  

So we got all those Ds in there in  that sentence to help you remember  

that lack of vitamin D is going to cause those  bone deformities and decreased bone density. 

If we have toxicity associated with excess  vitamin D, which is always a risk because it's  

a fat soluble vitamin and stored in the body  for a long period of time, signs and symptoms  

of toxicity can include hypercalcemia, nausea  and vomiting, muscle weakness, and dehydration. 

Alright. Next up we have vitamin E. Vitamin E  plays a number of important functions in the body. 

It acts as an antioxidant. It helps to support  immune function and also supports metabolism. 

You can find vitamin E in foods such as seeds,  nuts, vegetable oil, and green leafy vegetables. 

If you have a deficiency in vitamin E, this can  cause peripheral neuropathy as well as ataxia,  

which is a fancy name for  impaired balance and coordination. 

Also a lack of vitamin E can cause  a decrease in immune function. 

If we have too much vitamin E, so toxicity of  vitamin E, this can impair blood coagulation which  

would increase a patient's risk for bleeding. So our little Cool Chicken hint here on this  

card is that too much E can cause bleeding.  So hopefully that's helpful for you! 

And next up, we got vitamin K. Vitamin K  is important for blood clotting as well  

as bone maintenance. You can find vitamin K  in a variety of foods including green leafy  

vegetables like broccoli, kale, and collards.You  can also find it in vegetable oil and soybeans. 

A deficiency in vitamin K places an individual  at increased risk for bleeding because vitamin  

K is an essential component of the coagulation  cascade. So if you don't have enough vitamin K,  

then you're not going to clot effectively  and you have increased risk of bleeding. 

So there's a low potential for  toxicity, so too much vitamin K. 

However, if you have a patient who is on  warfarin, which is an anticoagulant that  

works by antagonizing vitamin K, then it's going  to be important for that patient to maintain a  

consistent intake of vitamin K. Because if they  suddenly increase their intake of vitamin K,  

their medicine is not going to be as effective. They're not going to get good anticoagulation from  

warfarin. And if they suddenly  decrease their intake of vitamin K,  

then they're going to be at risk for bleeding. So they really need to maintain a consistent  

intake, and that will allow their provider to  get the right dosing down of warfarin so that  

they can have the anticoagulation without too  much clotting and without too much bleeding. 

The other thing I want to mention  is that it's really easy to confuse  

vitamin K with potassium, which the  symbol for that is K. So definitely  

watch out for that. Super common amongst nursing  students to get those two things confused. 

Alright. You guys ready for quiz  time? I have three questions for you. 

First question. Xerophthalmia is  caused by a deficiency of what vitamin? 

Alright. If you answered  vitamin A, you got that right. 

Second question. Which vitamin is  essential for calcium absorption? 

Vitamin D. So when people are needing  a calcium supplement, they are often  

given vitamin D at the same time because that  vitamin D is needed for calcium absorption. 

Third question. If you have a patient  who is on warfarin, an anticoagulant,  

should they increase their intake of vitamin K,  

decrease their intake of vitamin K, or  maintain a consistent intake of vitamin K? 

Alright. If you answered  consistent intake, you are right. 

So if you had trouble with any of those questions,  

definitely go back and review the  video. Take a look at our cards. 

You got this. So I'm here for you. We'll  get through all this material together,  

and I know you'll do great. Take care! I invite you to subscribe to our channel and share  

a link with your classmates and friends in nursing  school. If you found value in this video, be sure  

and hit the like button, and leave a comment and  let us know what you found particularly helpful.