Important Notes on Vitamins and Minerals for Defence Exams

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: September 25th, 2023

Vitamins and minerals in a very important topic of Biology to prepare for any competitive exam. Many questions are asked about scientific names and disease caused due to their deficiencies. So here is the article to prepare vitamins and minerals for the exam.

Table of content

1. Vitamins
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Vitamins and minerals are essential for human beings, need to be taken in daily diet. There are a total of 13 essential vitamins and minerals, required by the body for the proper functioning of the body.

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Vitamins

Vitamin is a combination of two Latin words Vita and amine which means life and nitrogen, respectively. Vitamins act as a catalyst for the generation of energy by using fats and carbohydrates properly. Humans can’t live without them. The human body does not produce them (except vitamin D and vitamin B3). Humans take them through different sources such as food, vitamin capsules, etc.

There are two types of Vitamin

Fat-soluble vitamins: Which are dissolved in fat
Water-soluble vitamins: Which are dissolved in water

Fat-Soluble Vitamins
Name	Scientific Name	Food Source	Deficiencies
Vitamin A	Retinoids	Milk, liver, nuts, tomatoes, oranges, carrots, green leafy vegetables, ripe yellow fruits, etc	Hyperkeratosis Night blindness, keratomalacia
Vitamin D	Calciferol	Fish, egg, liver, beef, cod, chicken breast, etc	Rickets Osteomalacia
Vitamin E	tocopherol	Pumpkin, guava, mango, Potatoes, Milk, nuts, seeds etc.	Heart problems Hemolysis Sterility
Vitamin K	Phytomenadione	Cashew nuts, beef, tomatoes, broccoli, etc. chestnuts	Haemorrhage Non-clotting of Blood

Water-Soluble Vitamins
Name	Scientific Name	Food Source	Disease
Vitamin C	Ascorbic acid	broccoli, sweet potato, pineapple, cauliflower, kale, lemon juice, parsley, Guava, bell pepper, kiwi, orange, grapefruit, strawberries, Brussels sprouts, cantaloupe, papaya, etc	Swelling of Gums Scurvy
Vitamin B1	Thiamine	Fresh fruits, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, corn, cashew nuts, wheat, milk, black beans, dates etc	Beriberi
Vitamin B2	Riboflavin	Almonds, soybeans/tempeh, mushrooms, spinach, whole wheat, yoghurt, mackerel, eggs, liver, etc.	cracks, fissures and sores at the corner of mouth and lips, dermatitis, conjunctivitis, photophobia, glossitis of tongue, anxiety, loss of appetite, and fatigue.
Vitamin B3	Niacin	Carrots, almonds, celery, turnips, peaches, chicken meat, tuna, salmon, mushrooms, asparagus, peanuts, brown rice, corn, green leafy vegetables, sweet potato, potato, lentil, barley, etc.	Pellagra
Vitamin B5	Pantothenic acid	Broccoli, lentils, split peas, avocado, whole wheat, mushrooms, sweet potato, sunflower seeds, cauliflower, etc.	Paresthesia
Vitamin B6	Pyridoxine	Whole wheat, brown rice, green leafy vegetables, sunflower seeds, potato, garbanzo beans, banana, trout, spinach, tomatoes, avocado, walnuts, peanut butter, etc	Anaemia
Vitamin B7	Biotin	Green leafy vegetables, most nuts, whole-grain bread, avocado, raspberries, cauliflower, carrots, etc.	Dermatitis Enteritis
Vitamin B9	Folic acid	Green leafy vegetables, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, citrus fruits, black-eyed peas, spinach, great northern beans, whole grains, baked beans, etc.	Megaloblastic anaemia.
Vitamin B12	Cobalamin	Fortified cereals, liver, trout, salmon, tuna, haddock, egg, etc.	Megaloblastic anaemia.

Minerals help in the growth of the human body, found in nature, and their deficiency could lead to several disorders.

Minerals	Sources	Function	Deficiency
Iodine	Asparagus, green leafy vegetables,sea vegetables, iodized salt, eggs, strawberries,etc	Essential for Healthy hair, nails, skin and teeth. Also controls the growth and weight of the body	Impairs growth and neurological development. Deficiency can also result in the decreased production of thyroid hormones and hypertrophy of the thyroid.
Calcium	Green leafy vegetables, legumes, Milk, etc	Required for healthy bones, teeth and immune system	Long-term inadequate intake can result in low bone mineral density, rickets, osteomalacia and osteoporosis.
Sodium	Any processed foods, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables	Helps in the regulation of blood pressure and blood volume. It also helps in the proper the functioning of nerves and muscles	Low blood sodium mostly result of increased fluid retention. One may notice nausea, vomiting, headache, cramps, fatigue, and disorientation.
Phosphorous	Seafood, corn, wild rice, nuts, seeds, whole grains, eggs, fish, buckwheat, etc.	It, along with the Calcium, is required for the formation of bones, teeth, etc.	Premature infants, those who use antacids, alcoholics etc are more at risk.
Magnesium	Legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits.	Magnesium plays an important role in relaying signals between your brain and body.	Very rare because of the abundance of magnesium in foods. Those with gastrointestinal disorders, kidney disorders, and alcoholism are at risk.

CDS-I 2016

Question.1 Which of the following pairs of vitamin and disease is/are correctly matched?
1) Vitamin A: Rickets
2) Vitamin B1: Beriberi
3) Vitamin C: Scurvy
Select the correct answer using the code given below: