Micronutrient Quiz Resources

Micronutrient	Roles in the body	Symptoms of excess	Symptoms of deficiency	Good sources
Vitamin A	Vision, antioxidant, immune function	Skin disorders, bone fracture, liver damage	Night blindness, drying of skin, infections	Liver, sweet potato, carrots, spinach
Thiamin (B1)	Glucose metabolism	None	Beriberi, weakness, loss of appetite, nerve degeneration	Pork, whole/enriched grains, fortified cereals
Riboflavin (B2)	Releasing energy from fats and sugars	None	Inflamed tongue, mouth, cracking of skin at mouth	Liver, cereals, yogurt, milk
Biotin (B5)	Helps make DNA, glucose, fatty acids	None	Hair loss, rash, convulsions, neurologic disorders, delayed growth	Cauliflower, peanuts, cheese
Folate (B9)	DNA synthesis, cell division, making RBCs	Could mask a B12 deficiency	Megaloblastic anemia, neural tube defects in infants	Fortified cereals, fruits, spinach, legumes
Vitamin B12	Folate metabolism, nerve function (by helping produce myelin)	None	Megaloblastic anemia, nerve damage, numbness, tingling, loss of cognitive function	Animal proteins, fortified cereals
Vitamin C	Collagen formation, immune function, antioxidant	Diarrhea, nausea	Scurvy, poor wound healing, bleeding of gums, weakness	Fruits and vegetables
Vitamin D	Regulates level of calcium in blood (and bone)	High amount of calcium in blood – urination, thirst, nausea	Rickets or osteoporosis – lss of bone density	Fortified milk and cereals, seafood
Vitamin E	Antioxidant, protects cell membranes	Can interfere w/ blood clotting	Breakdown of RBCs – hemolysis, neurological problems	Wheat, vegetable and seed oils
Vitamin K	Blood clotting, bone health	Rare	Rare except in newborns	Spinach, broccoli, lettuce, turnips

Micronutrient	Roles in the body	Symptoms of excess	Symptoms of deficiency	Good sources
Calcium	Makes bones hard and strong, allows nerves to transmit impulses, blood clotting, muscle contraction	Fatigue, confusion, loss of appetite, constipation Coma, cardiac arrest	Muscle spasms, convulsions Osteoporosis	Tofu, yogurt, milk, cheese
Fluoride	Prevents dental cavities	Discoloring and pitting of tooth enamel	Increased risk for cavities, bone weakness	Fluoridated water
Iodine	Used to make thyroid hormones that control metabolism	Goiter	Goiter, weight gain, sluggishness, decreased body temp.	Seafood, iodized salt, bread
Iron	Oxygen transport in blood, forming enzymes, immune function, brain function	Constipation, increased risk of heart disease and cancer	Anemia	Seafood, lentils, beef, spinach
Phosphorous	Essential component of ATP, DNA, and RNA	Can bind Ca and lead to muscle spasms and convulsions Bone loss	Anorexia, dizziness, bone pain, muscle weakness	Milk, meat, yogurt
Potassium	Regulates muscle contractions and nerve impulse transmissions	Cardiac arrest, death	Loss of appetite, muscle cramps, confusion	Bananas, spinach, Seafood, yogurt
Zinc	Growth and development, formation of collagen, immune function, enzymes	Nausea, vomiting, cramping	Cessation of growth, hair loss, skin lesions, infections	Beef, oysters, crab, legumes, whole grains