Muralism and the Cosmic Affect

03/17/13 Muralism and The Cosmic Race In the Cosmic Race written by Jose Vasconcelo, Vasconcelo writes about the definition of Latin American people and their divine mission in America, while also briefly comparing them to other races such as the Europeans. Vasconcelo states that there are 4 racial trunks, the Blacks, the Indians, the Mongols, and the Whites, while expanding detail with the Whites who he described as organizing themselves in Europe, and becoming invaders of the rest of the world.Vasconcelo gives an example as the Spaniards conquered Latin American, however he believes that their role was just to reintegrate the red world, which he describes as a bridge which has brought the world to a state at which all human types and cultures can fuse together. According to Vasconcelo the faithful Latin-people are those called upon to this divine mission after they have gained freedom. It is safe to say Vasconcelo easily inspired and influenced several aspects of Diego Riveraâ€⠄¢s artwork.While Mexico was under similar circumstances after the Mexican Revolution as Latin America, Deigo Rivera used some of Jose Vasconcelo’s ideas to impart social and political messages. In Diego Rivera’s â€Å"El Hombre en Cruco de Caminos† located in Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, one can see a man who appears to be in control of the Universe with a variety of people in the backgrounds. At one point Vasconcelo states that every ascending race needs to constitute its own philosophy to get to its own success, rather than just learn and copy from the others.This idea is expressed in Rivera’s Mural by the man in the middle who is controlling what seems to be the entire universe. It seems that both of these men understood the ideathat it was time to control themselves. Although Diego was focused on the â€Å"spiritual† liberation of Mexico from its Colonial obsession, the idea of creating and controlling your own ideology and destiny is shared by Rivera’s painting and Vasconcelo’s, The Cosmic Race.

Psychological Measure Essay

Team B examines the aspects of psychological tests and measurements by focusing on the Beck Depression Inventory. Examining the two articles over the Beck Depression Inventory aids Team B in deciding services, servers, and backgrounds of the measure. The psychological testing that has developed and progressed and is used in a wide variety of settings by a wide variety of individuals is called the Beck Depression Inventory. Testing aids in serving professionals in figuring out sickness or deficiency and lending a hand in making one of a kind and individual treatment procedures. The Beck Depression Inventory is an individually administered test with 21 items, calculates personal experiences, and psychological symptoms linked with depression. Team B examined both of the articles concerning Beck Depression Inventory and was skilled in deciding the services, servers, and the background where the Beck Depression Inventory is relevant and how the psychological measure is helpful in psycholo gical regulations. Beck Depression Inventory Articles Beck Depression Inventory Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a set of 21 self-reported questions to measure the intensity, severity, and depth of depressive symptoms in patients aged 13-80 years old. A shorter BDI consists of seven questions for administration by primary care providers. The Beck Depression Inventory detects, assesses, and monitors changes in depressive symptoms among people in a mental health care environment. Aaron T. Beck, a pioneer in cognitive therapy, developed the first BDI in 1961, adapted in 1969, and copyrighted in 1979. In 1996, a second version of the BDI (BDI-II) was developed and published reflecting the revisions in the fourth edition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) (Fundukian & Wilson, 2008). The long version of the BDI consists of 21 questions or items with four possible responses. Each response contains a score from zero to three indicates the severity of the symptom the patient experienced in the previous two weeks. The version used by primary care providers (BDI-PC) consists of seven self-reported items. Fundukian and Wilson (2008) state, â€Å"Individual questions of the BDI assess mood, pessimism, sense of failure, self-dissatisfaction, guilt, punishment, self-dislike, self-accusation, suicidal ideas, crying, irritability, social withdrawal, body image, work difficulties, insomnia, fatigue, appetite, weight loss, body preoccupation, and loss of libido† (para. 6). BDI also detects depressive symptoms in a primary care setting. Completion of a BDI for a psychological or medical evaluation occurs between five to ten minutes (Fundukian & Wilson, 2008). According to Fundukian and Wilson (2008), BDI tests score differently for general population and clinically depressed individuals. The sum of BDI item scores determines the severity of depression. For the general population, a score of 21 or higher indicates depression. Clinically diagnosed individuals contain a variety of scores. Zero to nine scores indicate minimal depressive symptoms, 10 to 16 scores indicate mild depression, 17 to 29 scores indicate moderate depression, and 30 to 63 scores indicate severe depression. The BDI distinguishes between different subtypes of depressive disorder, such as major depression and dysthymia. The BDI contains content validity because of development from a consensus of clinicians about depressive symptoms in psychiatric patients. The BDI contains concurrent validity because at least 35 studies present concurrent validity between BDI and measures of depression, such as the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-D. The BDI contains construct validity because it relates to medical symptoms, anxiety, stress, loneliness, sleep patterns, alcoholism, suicidal behaviors, and youth adjustment. The BDI contains factor analysis because the BDI interprets as one syndrome composed of three factors: negative self-attitudes, performance impairment, and bodily disturbance. The BDI test for reliability, following established standards for psychological  tests and contains internal consistency. The BDI is valid and reliable and higher scores relate to educational attainment (Fundukian & Wilson, 2008). Breast Cancer and Breast Disease In the Kuopio Breast Cancer Study, 115 women with breast cancer symptoms participated in an in-depth interview and completed standardized questionnaires. Study variables were retrieved before completing diagnostic procedures. BDI evaluated the depression of study participants. Eskelinen and Ollonen (2011) reported, â€Å"Clinical examinations and biopsies discovered breast cancer in 34 patients, 53 patients with benign breast disease, and 28 healthy individuals. Healthy women exhibited less sadness (BDI mean score, 0.27) than women with breast cancer (BDI mean score, 0.56) and women with benign breast disease (BDI mean score, 0.49). Healthy women were less pessimistic (BDI mean score, 0.15) than patients in the breast cancer group (BDI mean score, 0.44) and the benign breast disease (BD mean score, 0.42)† (para. 3). The group of healthy women contained less self-accusation than the breast cancer group and breast benign disease group. The group of healthy women reported less work inhibition and weight loss than the breast cancer group and breast benign disease group. The results of the study do not report a specific relation between BDI scores and breast cancer risk, but patients with breast cancer and breast benign disease have an increased risk for depressive symptoms (Eskelinen & Ollonen, 2011). Compare and Contrast Each articles contains specific information about Beck Depression Inventory. The first article focuses on the definition, purpose, precautions, description, and results of the BDI. The second article focuses on a case study relating BDI to women with breast cancer and breast cancer disease. The first article focuses on an overview of BDI, but also includes BDI contains content validity, concurrent validity, construct validity, factor analysis, and reliability. The second article focuses on a specific disease and case study connecting with BDI. Both articles relate because they include BDI scores and depressive bodily symptoms relating to BDI. Analysis of the Beck Depression Inventory Beck Depression Inventory (DBI) is a questionnaire that consists of â€Å"21 items, each describing a behavioral manifestation together with between four and six self – evaluative statements from which the respondent is ask to choose the one that is most applicable† (Colman, 2006, p. 84). The originally developed in 1961and revised in1993 the DBI-II was published in 1996. There are more DBI tests that are designed to measure other conditions such as suicide, anxiety and hopelessness (Colman, 2006, p, 84). This test can be self – administered or oral for people with learning disabilities. Anyone can be trained to administer and score this test however; according to (Beck, Steer, & Brown, 2012, para. 6) it can only be properly interpreted by a psychiatrist. This process begins when the patient first sees their primary care physician and complains of feeling sad, hopelessness, loss of sleep, problems with eating whether eating too little or over eating, or even ache s and pains. â€Å"In Beck’s view, the person who becomes depressed usually has a pattern of negative thoughts† (Robbins, 2003, p. 145, para 11). Some things that might be experienced by the patient are a belief of inadequacy, failure, and they are receiving unfair treatment by life. It is a common practice to have a brief questionnaire in the primary care physician office concerning the signs and symptoms of depression to help identify people with depression. Once the primary care has exhausted their scope of treatment, they will refer the patient to a psychiatrist or psychologist for further evaluation and treatment who will administer a more detailed version of the BDI, BDI-II or the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Settings that the DBI can be used in are a clinic, in or out patients setting, counselor office, cognitive therapist, or by a psychologist. The place would depend on the patient and his or her state of mind and physical condition at the time undergoing the necessary treatment for depression. For instance the person had tried to commit suicide and needed to remain hospitalized a social worker would interview them and refer him or her to a psychologist or psychiatrist for proper treatment. Valid or Invalid The Beck Depression Inventory â€Å"has been used for 35 years to identify and assess depressive symptoms, and has been reported to be highly reliable  regardless of the population. It has a high coefficient alpha, its construct validity has been established, and it is able to differentiate depressed from non-depressed patients† (Beck, Steer; Brown, 2006). â€Å"The BDI-II manual reports correlations with a variety of other tests, arguing for both convergent and discriminant validity. It attempts to show, in the case of discriminant validity, that the test is not primarily a measure of anxiety. A factor analysis suggests that the BDI-II items tap two dimensions, one labeled Somatic-Affective, the other labeled Cognitive† (Hogan, 2007, p. 501). â€Å"The manual presents reliability and validity data based on a sample of 500 outpatients clinically diagnosed according to DSM criteria at four sites, as well as on a sample of 120 students from one Canadian college. The BDI-II manual reports alpha coefficients of .92 for the outpatient sample and .93 for the college sample. Test-retest reliability of .93 is reported for a subsample of 26 cases from the outpatient group, with a retest interval of one week† (Hogan, 2007, p. 502). â€Å"The mean scores of the first and second total scores were comparable with a paired t (25) =1.08, which was not significant† (Beck, Steer; Brown, 2006). According to a research conducted â€Å"The widely used Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) was initially standardized on a sample of Caucasian university students and its use with minorities has only recently been investigated† (Sashidharan, Pawlow; Pettibone, 2012, p. 203). The research called an examination of racial bias in the Beck Depression Inventory-II, intended to examine the possibilities of bias within ethics groups and in more specific the African American race. â€Å"A hierarchical multiple regression compared the scores of the BDI-II with a similar measure of depression that is standardized for use with African Americans† (Sashidharan, Pawlow; Pettibone, 2012, p. 203 ) â€Å"The studied was perform with â€Å"977 students (139 African American students [14.2%] and 838 Caucasian students [85.8%]) was recruited from a medium-sized, public, American midwestern university’s undergraduate psychology participant pool. Data were collected over the course of an academic year, with the goal of obtaining a minimum of 100 African American participants† (Sashidharan, Pawlow; Pettibone, 2012, p. 204). â€Å"There was no evidence of racial bias discovered in the BDI-II in this sample. Implications and future directions of research are discussed.† (Sashidharan, Pawlow; Pettibone, 2012, p. 203). Conclusion The Beck Depression Inventory is helpful in psychological measurements and regulations. Team B decided the services, servers, and backgrounds of the measure while explaining the definition and uses of Beck Depression Inventory. Beck Depression Inventory aids professionals in discovering sicknesses and deficiencies in patients and aids in providing unique, individual treatment procedures. In the conclusion of Team B’s research, the team discovered the Beck Depression Inventory is relevant, helpful, and a complex topic. References Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Brown, G. K. (2012, September 11). BECK DEPRESSION INVENTORY-SECOND EDITION (BDI-II); 1996. Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs,gov/programs/opre/ehs/perf†¦/res_meas_phic.html Beck Depression Inventory. (2008). In L. J. Fundukian & J. Wilson (Eds.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Health (2nd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 123-124). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX2699900051&v=2.1&u=uphoenix&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w Colman, A. M. (2006). OXFORD DICTIONARY OF PSYCHOLOGY (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc. Eskelinen, M. & Ollonen, P. (2011). Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in patients with breast disease and breast cancer: a prospective case-control study. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21282743 Hogan, T. P. (2007). Psychological testing: A practical introduction (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Robbins, P. R. (2003). understanding PSYCHOLOGY (3rd ed.). Portland, ME: Walch Publishing. Sashidharan, T., Pawlow, L. A., & Pettibone, J. C. (2012). An examination of racial bias in the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Cultural Diversity And Ethnic Minority Psychology, 18(2), 203-209. doi:10.1037/a0027689 T. Beck, R. A. Steer, & G. K. Brown (2006). RCMAR Measurement Tools Beck Depression Inventory – 2nd Edition (BDI-II). Retrieved from http://www.musc.edu/dfm/RCMAR/Beck.html

Armageddon & Physics Essay Example for Free

Armageddon & Physics Essay In 2007, the September 1st issue of The New Scientist alleges that the film Armageddon is shown by the management training programs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). A 1998 Jerry Bruckheimer-produced disaster thriller directed by Michael Bay in which deep core drillers attempt to avert an asteroid’s collision with the planet Earth, The New Scientist contends that NASA’s screening of a razzle-dazzle blockbuster claiming ground in science, is purely for entertainment purposes. â€Å"†¦the screenings are just a game for NASA’s space geeks: who can find the highest number of impossible things in the movie? † Regarding the scientific fallaciousness of Armageddon, astronomer Philip Plait has many contentions. Plait notes that the introductory premise of the film, in which an asteroid of the same size which humanity faces was a â€Å"dinosaur killer† that possesses the same destructive capacity of â€Å"10,000 nuclear weapons. † However, he asserts that this is a severe underestimation, for the fictional asteroid would actually release at the very least, eight hundred thousand nuclear weapons, based on conservative estimates. Plait implicitly infers that the writers were going for a dramatic figure, but one whose complete lack of scientific basis leads to a severe underestimate. It is also preposterous for it to be impossible to communicate the drilling experience of an oil rig crew to astronauts or engineers, former engineer turned writer Tom Rogers notes. However, this is how the movie rationalizes the oil rig crew’s participation in Earth’s salvation despite their complete lack of astronautical experience. But even excusing such a premise, Rogers notes that the film stretches credulity when the Mir space station rotates at high velocities to induce artificial gravity. Amazingly enough, it rotates so fast that it can create gravitonic conditions in under half a minute, despite the fact that the Mir station’s mass exceeds a hundred tons. Rogers’ contention in this scenario is that the planetary gravity conditions could not be possibly simulated unless the human’s height is a small percentage of the rotational radius. As such, the astronauts would only experience gravitonic force on both ends of their bodies, which would feel â€Å"disorienting and probably cause [them] to stumble and vomit. † The Jupiter Scientific Organization also asserts that NASA’s plan of inserting a hydrogen bomb eight hundred feet deep into an asteroid that is three hundred miles wide – essentially a Texas-sized asteroid, which is exactly what it is called at one point in the film – does not actually scale very well. The film’s core (all pun intended) premise is actually absurd: attempting to split an asteroid with two pieces by exploding it with a hydrogen from within would be like hypothesizing that a single hydrogen bomb could fracture the state of Texas. It’s â€Å"like a pin-sized hole no deeper than a scratch in a ten-foot rock. † Such a hydrogen bomb â€Å"would roughly be like lighting a match. Can the ignition of such a match split a ten-foot rock? † Rogers also observes that a flaming shuttle crash site contradicts what the astronauts are told earlier about the gravity being about a tenth of that on the planet Earth. Such a low gravity cannot support an atmosphere – which is why they wear space suits in the first place: the asteroid surface does not and could not hold oxygen – yet for some reason, flames burn in the absence of oxygen. Lastly, a successfully halved asteroid would still be disaster, as the gravitonic forces they exert would cause catastrophic tidal changes that would eradicate most of the Earth’s population. â€Å"Sometimes there’s just no way to have a happy ending,† Rogers notes. â€Å"Feedback. † The New Scientist, Issue 2619. 01 September 2007.Plait, Phil. â€Å"The Astronomy of Armageddon. † Phil Plait’s Bad Astronomy. 08 August 2007. Retrieved June 6, 2008 from: http://www. badastronomy. com/bad/movies/armpitageddon. html â€Å"Movie Review of Armageddon (and Deep Impact) from a Scientific Viewpoint. † Jupiter Scientific Information. July 1998. Retrieved June 6, 2008 from: http://www. jupiterscientific. org/sciinfo/armageddon. html Rogers, Tom. Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics: Hollywood’s Best Mistakes, Goofs and Flat-Out Destructions of the Basic Laws of the Universe. Connecticut: Sourcebooks Hysteria, 2007. Armageddon & Physics. (2017, Jan 08).

Augustine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Augustine - Essay Example Original sin is a concept in Christianity which has evolved from the concept of, fall of mankind. Augustine describes the action of Adam and Eve as a foolish act which was guarded by confidence and pride, his emphasis being more on pride. He further elaborates that the stain of this action has affected all human beings and this trait is present in all human beings from their inception and no matter what they do in their entire life, they cannot escape from this taint. According to him when Adam and Eve committed the sin, it resulted in the reproduction of mankind which makes all humans his descendants born with the trait and tendency to commit sins. He states that all humans are born bad and remain so unless they ask for forgiveness and hence they are a denounced crowd. He teaches that all humans are subjected to physical attraction and sexual desire and is this feeling is not fulfilled it results in uneasiness and restlessness. He has stated humans to be sinners who lack the liberty to do well; they are corrupted in nature and possess the tendency to disobey God’s orders until they are granted godly grace. Augustine’s views on original sin contrasted with other philosophers’ notions and hence faced a lot of opposition. (Paul, 25) Works Cited Paul, Rigby. Original Sin in Augustine’s Confessions. University of Ottawa Press. 2000.

Manageing Homeland Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Manageing Homeland Security - Essay Example terrorism provokes deep fear and insecurity -- more than other forms of violence. Terrorists strike innocent civilians, often randomly, and without warning. We think we can protect ourselves against other forms of violence, but we feel defenseless against terrorists. ..Terrorists know this, and they seek to use intimidation to impose their political or other agendas. Killing is only a means to that end. By creating fear and panic, terrorists try to extort concessions or to weaken and discredit governments by showing they are unable to protect their citizens. Thus, emergency management is the coordination of a city-wide cooperative involvement to ensure the entire safety of that community. Such events that could arise that this committee would be called upon would be natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc. and other disasters such as terrorism as has been mentioned prior. As the Emergency As the Emergency Management Coordinator it is my job to activate the necessary mobile force that would generate the appropriate level of action for when these events occur. As such I am in charge of decided a plan of action such as emergency evacuations of houses for when a natural disaster has been proclaimed through the national weather service. I would have to use the aid of the committee and local police force to aid in making sure the entire community is safe and re-located in enough time to prevent injury or death. As the Emergency Management Coordinator it is necessary to wake the entire community aware of evacuation procedures, where to go, where to relocate, and how to get in touch with family members who may have become separated from each other. A post will be set up in the evacuation area, which will usually be in a large arena in the next city in case of a flood, or hurricane and there will be several posts in town where people can go in case of a tornado or earthquake to receive temporary shelter, food, and to locate their family. There is a lot involved in being an Emergency Management Coordinator, but with the cooperation of the community, presenting the facts of where to go when an emergency occurs, the movement of an entire city prior to such a catastrophe should not be too difficult. The temporary shelters will be in locations such as area YMCAs, malls, high schools, and other large buildings that will be commandeered during this time. Food will be provided through such agencies as Red Cross and other donations until such a time as rebuilding and moving back into the area will occur. As the Emergency Management Coordinator it is my job to act as swiftly as possible to ensure the safety of the lives in this community and I will do this job with the utmost of my ability. Question Two For the modern thinkers, the most rational reason behind war is "patriotism".1 Thus, in order to coincide the active and willing participation of the hospitals, the police, and the fire department a mutual understanding of their pulled

Choose one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Choose one - Essay Example – This is the thesis†¦ II. The Progressive Period The Progressive Period in the US approximately started in 1890 to 1920 as a social movement that grew into a political movement, and somewhere in 1900 to 1918, was the training ground for a transformation of the relationship between a democratic government and the people, essentially highlighting Prohibition and woman suffrage (PBS; GWU). This period was also generally referred to as the transition from agrarian to urbanization, a depiction of more advanced transformation of the civilization and high level way of thinking. III. World War II On the other hand, World War II began in 1939 to 1945, and women were considered partners in winning the war due to the following points: there was a changed image of women’s roles, they joined the nurse corps and armed forces, they were encouraged to serve the military, they filled in traditional male jobs particularly in production, and they performed functions both at home and in the community and so on (National Women’s History Museum). The point is that women were started to be viewed as equal with men and that made them essential counterparts in order for the US to successfully win the war. IV. Post-War Expansion Period Right after the World War II is the Post-War Expansion Period. ... After all, Post-War Expansion Period was the economic expansion of the US, by which women had special participation in the process. V. Analysis It is evident, based on the information as stated so far that the transition in the US history of development over the course of time was fueled by social, political and economic factors. However, men and women substantially worked out for this. Therefore, having the thought like this will pave the way for understanding that the involvement of women in particular in the entire scenario of development is not just only a sole controversial issue, but a specific subject that requires fundamental analysis to understand its actual transformation as directly influenced by socio-economic and political factors. What therefore is one of the most important actions to take is to know the varying attitudes to women’s roles in the workforce in each of the three introduced periods. Another important point is to further analyze how these attitudes we re changed. Finally, to understand why these attitudes changed is just another important point to consider. Clearly, women were not considered equal counterparts of men from the beginning and this was due to social understanding linked in particular to a patriarchal society in the US and even in other parts of the world. This dates back to the beginning, but what is much more explicit observation was the aggressive considered nature of men by then, as depicted from their ability to conquer. Such history remains vivid in the minds of the Americans especially supplemented by one of the thoughts like on how Christopher Columbus discovered, subjugated and put the entire native America

Red Light Camera Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Red Light Camera - Speech or Presentation Example They can give you humble time on the roads, or they make your journey appear long. People affected by road accident can be your friends, relatives, acquaintances and even you. Road safety is paramount to each society in regards to the high number of road carnage that results from violation of traffic rules (Phantom 96). To reduce the number of road accidents in our roads and to ensure that the traffic law breakers are identified and prosecuted, a device that gives evidence over the law breakers has been devised Do you know what they are? They are traffic gadgets that at one point or another you have to encounter them while you are driving- the Red Light Cameras. II. Orientation Phase: A. Point: Today, I want to give you some guidelines on the importance of the red light cameras and discuss the advantages of the red light camera in the traffic system. B. Adaptation: A good number of us drive or will drive over our roads at some point in time. Understanding the red light camera and its advantages in the traffic system is not only important for the those driving over the roads but also for the safety of all other road users and a smooth traffic and order in our roads (Cobra 143). The red light camera can be an important component of traffic enhancement that would serve to guide us in observing the traffic. This is possible only if we get the right motive of the red light cameras and understanding how they work. C. Credibility: the red light camera can be a traffic device you come to love and enjoy their functionality as you drive over the roads or they can become your worst traffic devices as they can land you into several traffic offenses if you fail to understand them. The red light cameras are completely computerized devices that avail the necessary evidence to the concerned authorities for justice to be done on the traffic law violators (Phantom 96). When a road user for instance a motorist, speeds through the intersection of the red light,

National Revival in Wales between 1880 and 1914 Essay

National Revival in Wales between 1880 and 1914 - Essay Example 205). Perhaps Keir Hardie's greatest contribution, however, was in the genesis of the Labour Party in Britain. Hardie had been an ardent member of the Liberal Party, but he felt that the policies put in place by William Gladstone fell far short of representing the interests of the working classes. While the Liberal Party would make big promises in exchange for the votes of workers, it would never carry out meaningful policy changes that would help the workers' condition, and so in April 1888, Hardie ran as an independent labour candidate in West Lanark. While he came in last, he was encouraged about the future. In August of that year, the Scottish Labour Party was formed. Hardie won a seat in Parliament in 1892. Interestingly, for his first session, he did not wear the same outfit that other working-class MP's wore; instead, he wore only a plain tweed suit, red tie, and deerstalker hat. He was in favor of such progressive policies as free education, pensions, the abolition of the House of Lords, suffrage for women, and a progressive income tax (Wrigley 2002, p. 203). In 1893, Hardie was one of the founding members of the Independent Labour Party. However, two years later, Hardie found himself out of Parliament. An explosion at a Pontypridd colliery had killed 251 miners, and Hardie asked that a message of condolence be added to a Parliamentary address giving congratulations for the birth of a royal heir (the future King Edward VIII). After this was refused, Hardie made a speech attacking the monarchy and lost his seat in 1895 (Wrigley 2002, p. 205). However, Hardie was not out of politics for long. He spent the next five years making speeches and, in 1900, put together a meeting of trade unions and socialist groups, which agreed to form the Labour Representation Committee, which was the precursor of the Labour Party. In that same year, Hardie was elected as the junior MP for Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare in the South Wales Valleys, and he would represent this region until his death in 1915 (Wrigley 2002, p. 207). The election in which Hardie returned to Parliament became notorious in history for another reason as well. The British military was involved in the Second Boer War, and this war became the primary issue in the 1900 British general election. The Conservative government of Lord Salisbury was reelected, with an enlarged majority over the Liberal Party. There were a couple of reasons for this enlarged majority: not only did the British public want to rally behind its government and support the war effort, but the emergence of the Labour Party created the possibility of vote-splitting among the opposition, as some might vote Liberal and others Labour, which would assist the Conservative cause. Because of this, and because of some funding shortages encountered by the Liberal Party, over 100 races did not have a Liberal Party opposition candidate. The election became known as the "khaki election," because of the new khaki uniforms that the British Army was wearing at war. This became a po pular term in British politics for an election that is decisively influenced by wartime or postwar emotion. Other elections in British

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example This in turn allows the organisations to formulate the marketing plan and strategies accordingly. Owing to increasing globalization and changes in the overall world, customers have now become more aware (Leslie, 1995). This in turn has increased the importance of customers in the process of formulating different strategies. It has become essential for the organisations to understand the attitudes and behaviour of the consumers, in order to ensure that the respective products have high acceptance and demand. Marketing plans and strategies are used by the organisations in order to increase the visibility and demand of the product. If these marketing strategies are integrated with the consumer behaviour and attitudes, the impact of these strategies can be improved (Varadarajan & Menon, 1988). In this report an attempt has been made to understand the influence of these consumer behaviour models and theories on the marketing strategies of the organisations. Different marketing activities of Coca Cola have been used to explain the use of these models and theories in order to influence the process of decision making and consumer choice. For this purpose, it is first important to understand the relationship of marketing strategy and consumer behaviour. Once, understanding of this relationship will be developed it will become easier to comprehend the impact of different consumer behaviour models and theories on the marketing activities of the organisation (Vermeulen & Seegers, 2009). Most of the large organisations are aware of the importance of the understanding of consumer behaviour. Understanding the attitudes and behaviour of consumer enables the organisations to ensure the long term profits and growths associated with the products being offered (Gardner, 1985). First step in the process of formulating effective and efficient marketing strategy in order to survive in competitive industry is understanding and anticipating the consumer behaviour (Hawkins &

Consumer Behaviour (Conduct a literature review on the topic of Essay

Consumer Behaviour (Conduct a literature review on the topic of consumption meaning) - Essay Example Needs can only be identified and prioritized if we apprehend how consumers give meanings to those needs. This document analyzes the meaning that consumers give to consumption by examining various academic literatures. Consumers have a personal domain of knowledge which is nurtured and affected by their native habitat, social environment and culture. Their buying behavior is based on the intuitive knowledge that they possess in their personal repository. This knowledge gives them meaning and value. They ascribe these meanings to marketed products, services, images, ideas and experiences and behave on the basis of these meanings (Arnould, Price & Zinkhan 2004). Meaning can be defined as the extent to which a consumer holds something highly regarded and places a high value on it (Hirschman 1991). To have a better understanding of the term consumption meaning let us turn to semiotics, a branch of cultural anthropology focused on study of signs. A sign is anything that stands for something else (Arnould, Price & Zinkhan 2004). The sign can be communicated through a corporate logo or a brand symbol. â€Å"A brand is a sign for the field of meanings consumers integrate into their personal space to enhance, complement or transform themselves and their world† (Oswald 2003). For instance, a logo of â€Å"Nike† or the brand â€Å"Sony† represents as a sign to the consumers. Consumers perceive these products based on their own experience and are brands or products are given different meanings by different consumers. Semiotics is a three part system and it’s also called as semiotic triangle. It involves a sign, object and an interpretant. For example, Toyota a renowned automobile company would be the object, its logo or brand name would be the sign and â₠¬Å"reliable†, â€Å"comfortable† and â€Å"long lasting† will be the interpretation regarding the brand â€Å"Toyota† made by different consumers. Each semiotic triangle exists within a particular cultural context

Weighted Average Cost of Capital and Wide Hurdle Rate Essay Example for Free

Weighted Average Cost of Capital and Wide Hurdle Rate Essay

Two detective stories Essay Example for Free

Two detective stories Essay I am going to compare and contrast two short stories, written by two different authors but they are both detective stories. The two stories were written in different times by two very different people.  Sara Paretsky, the author of Three-Dot Po, was born in the middle of the twentieth century and is still alive and writing books today. She has a good education; she has a degree in Political science, a PhD in history and has received an MBA from the University of Chicago. She has published 11 novels in several languages, 9 short stories, and 6 essays and has received numerous awards for her writing. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of The Speckled Band, was born in 1859 and died in 1930. He wrote in a very different time and society to the ones that Sara Paretsky writes in. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle qualified as a doctor and practised medicine, he was well educated and respected in his profession, however he preferred to write mystery stories. He was the first writer in the nineteenth century to have the same characters in his stories but different stories each week.  Both writers were/are respected in their fields of work and although they both had different backgrounds they had at least one thing in common, they both wrote murder mysteries that included the same characters but different stories in each edition. Both stories were aimed at the same audience range, however The speckled band may appear slightly more to an adult audience. Both Three-Dot Po and The speckled band are structured in the same way, they are both short stories. Although they both have a different under lying structure. Three-Dot Po is a methodical story and takes you step by step through what the character is going through, whereas The speckled band builds up to a climax and leaves you puzzled and confused up until the end. Each story has a different narrator in Three-Dot Po it is the detective herself, Vic Warshawski. Her character is an ex lawyer turned private detective, this means she has alot of experience in solving crimes. The narrator in the speckled band is Dr Watson, Sherlock Holmess sidekick. The tone in Three-Dot Po is quite relaxed and informal, not as dramatic as the speckled band. The tone of the speckled band is serious, dramatic and is ironic as the detective kills the murderer. The language of each story supports the tone; for example the language in The speckled band is formal, descriptive and old fashioned. Which supports the serious tone of the story. Also the language used in Three-Dot Po is informal, descriptive, modern and in first person. This also supports the informal tone of the story. The story is told, well and with the added use of imagery this helps to portray the meaning and thought behind the story. The use of imagery in Three-Dot Po is very good especially with the description of the scenery snow blowing across in fine pelting particles like a desert storm. The use of imagery is likewise very stereotypical of a methodical story. In each story the crime committed is a murder, but these murders are told in different formats. The murder in Three-Dot Po was a story killing and the murder in the speckled band was a mystery killing. There is another contrast in the murders, in Three-Dot Po it is a human being that killed the victim whereas in the speckled band it is a snake that commits the actual murders. There is yet another contrast in the stories to do with the murders and that is when it comes to the suspects. There is only one real suspect in Three-Dot Po and that is the victims boyfriend, Jonathan Michaels. Whereas in The speckled band there seem to be many suspects which include Dr Roylett, the gypsies and the cheetah and the baboon. There are many clues in each story, in Three-Dot Po there is an empty film tube left by the body, the sighting of the man in the ski mask, the phone call made to the victim shortly before she died and the break in at the flat. However in The speckled band the clues are much more suspicious and thought provoking. There is the fact that The character Helen Stone had to change rooms for a non-existent reason, the strange animals that roam around (the cheetah and baboon), her bad was nailed to the floor, the dummy bell pull, the whistling at night, the safe, milk and lead in the Doctors room, the last words spoken by the victim and the bars on the windows. All of these things are rather bizarre and therefore conclude to a twisted web of deceit. An additional contrast between the two stories is the detectives and sidekicks themselves. The detective in Three-Dot Po is a woman who is friendly, brave and not self disciplined. Whereas the detective in The speckled band is a self disciplined, inquisitive, observant, dedicated, arrogant and very clever man. The sidekicks are equally different; the sidekick in Three-Dot Po is Three-Dot Po, a dog. He is very determined, devoted and brave. He is also a useful warning system, e.g. when the burglar breaks in. However the sidekick in The speckled band is Dr Watson, who is also the narrator, he, unlike Three-Dot Po is a human but he has dog like qualities. He is faithful, respectful, in awe of Holmes and willing to help. The penultimate contrast in these stories is in the ending. Three-Dot Po has a happy ending; the wrong is put right however it isnt a conclusive ending, as we dont find out what happens to the characters after the event. It is also very predictable and quite cheesy. The ending in The speckled band is the opposite, the way in which the story is told makes it so that the ending is totally unpredictable and conclusive. Holmes doesnt seem to care that Dr Roylett is dead and acts with a clean conscience. The final contrast is with the settings of the stories. Three-Dot Po is set in America in Michigan City in the twentieth century and The speckled band is set in a rural part of London, England. This play was written in 1883. The final similarity between these two stories is that both of the stories are relevant to the times in which they were written. For example in 1883 there wouldnt have been motorised transport and this is picked up on when Sherlock refers to the use of a dog-cart. Another example is in Three-Dot Po, the murderer is a Spanish drug dealer, this is typical of the twentieth century. The use of drugs is common and the fact that a drug dealer is involved in a murder is not a great shock to anyone.  These two stories have many contrasts but they also have many similarities, they are both great stories for there times and were written by great-accomplished writers.

Case Study of the Jewish Museum, Berlin

Case Study of the Jewish Museum, Berlin The Jewish Museum Berlin incorporates the social and cultural history of the Germany after World War 2 and aspired to correspond to the effects of the Holocaust on Jews in Germany. In his design, Libeskind claimed to combine three main concepts; the incapability to comprehend the historical agendas of Germany without the knowledge of the civilizational, academic and economic contribution that was made by the Jewish people in Berlin. Secondly he wanted to capture the bodily and spiritual journey in correlation to the experience of the Holocaust and its repercussions the society of Jews and finally he wanted to make amends by the acknowledgment, removal and the incorporation of voids, through which Berlin can move but this time with humanitarian existence. When the construction ended in 1999, the Director Michael Blumenthal declared that, the chief aim of the museum will be to bring a sense of the richness of Jewish cultural life in Germany before the Holocaust LIBESKINDS BOOK However, the Holocaust infuses the museum so strongly the museum has been called by reviewers and critics both didactic and pedagogical that the message is one for the present and, more importantly, for the future (BOOK MAKE UP). Because the context of the Holocaust remains such a strong thread in this space, it warrants examination as a unique addition to genres memorializing the Holocaust. Additionally, the museums triumph in its massive turnout rates particularly with young people, over the last decade calls for an analysis of its complexity of design and content to understand how the space performs to change the way we see things.WHY HE WON? For Libeskind, who was worn in Poland, a coupl of hundred Kilemoters from Berlin and whose family devastated during the Holocaust, the project presented a chance to reconnect to his past. Both of his parents were arrested by Soviet officials when the Red Army and upon their return home and have spend some time in concentration camp. Upon their retur n they learned that 85 members of families had died at the hands of the Nazis. These experiences made Libeskind design extremely personal and in a sence biased. In an nterview to Jewish Currents, a Jewish on-line magazine that deals with activism, politics and art Libeskind explains his approach; I would first point out that its not a project that I had to research in a library or study in the archives because it is part of my background, including my immediate background in every sense. My parents were Holocaust survivors and my uncle Nathan was one of the heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. I myself grew up as a Jew in post war Poland under quite anti-Semitic circumstances. And Ive lived in Israel and New York. Certainly that museum is speaking, both backwards and forwards, to many issues that are part of my Jewish sensibility. Jewish Currents Just by observing the form of the structure, already the sense of pragmatic effect is playing a large role. The building is recognisable by its gleaming zinc walls, asymmetrical shape of the zigzag form with daylight penetrating through asymmetric cuts suggestive of the vile stabs on Jewish presence in Germany. Berliners immediately dubbed it blitz or the lighting. For Libeskind this tormented form represents all the brutality, all the ruptures in the history of the Jews in Germany. This could b a case of Libeskinds over-collaboration with the structure, as this lighting, zig-zag this design of the structure is developed from the disjointed Star of David which is only noticable from the air an image only seen by an angel( BOOK BY DANILEl. The building, for example, proposes that the horrified, broken world of the Holocaust is best evoked by shatter, broken space. The entrance to the exhibition is by a descending lobby staircase that leads into a world twisted geometry where floors are off centre and twisted. And instead of feeling something philosophical, you almost anticipate platforms moving as in a luna parks house of terror. The basement of the museum is made of three axes representing three certainties in the history of Jews in Germany. The first is Axis of Continuity and it is the longest one. It joins the Old Building with the central stairway which escorts up to the exhibition levels. To Liberskind is a representation of continuation of Jews in Berlins history and culture. Second, Axis of Emigration guides visitors outside to sunshine of the Garden of Exile. here the walls are to some extent skewed and distorted. A gigantic door must be opened before one can step into the garden. There is not much information about history and once again Libeskind heavily relies on the architecture, our imagination and experiences to construct the history. dead end is at the Axis of the Holocaust which is even more narrower becomes and darker and finishes at the Holocaust Tower. Unlike in Axis of Emigration there is bit more information about the holocaust. On the way glass case, documents and other personal possessi ons are displayed, confirming of a private life of their owners who were murdered. Underground, all three axes traverse, representing the link between the three certainties of Jewish life in Germany. One aspect of the museum that had an effect on me are Libeskind`s so called Voids which symbolise the fundamental structural element of the New Building and its association with the Old Building. Here a staircase guides visitors down to the basement and all the way to the voids of exposed concrete which connects two buildings. These are indeed empty spaces, some of which you can peek into, and theyre supposed to symbolize the voids left by those Jews and Jewish communities that have been wiped out during the Holocaust. While this is certainly a very dark aspect of the buildings intend, it is rather an abstract one and again a pre-acquired knowledge had to exist in order to understand architects intentions. While observing the images of Voids the feeling of bareness, confusion and loss are strong and almost agonizing. Here, an installation by the Israeli sculptor, Menasche Kadishman of over 10,000 circular iron disc faces is spread along the concrete floor. It represents the suffering that could be seen on the faces of Jews murdered in Nazi Germany. Although these discs were left there intentionally as is usually not case with the punctum they are my prick. Ten thousand faces look at you from the cold concrete floor and their wide open mouth appears to be screaming. The fact that visitors are invited to wal k all over those faces seems as it somehow desecrates the installation. Maybe one of those faces was my grandfathers friend. In summation, the motive for the museum can influence the architectural form and become its source of inspiration. However, architecture could never have the specificity of meaning of written or verbal communication. The ways in which a building might thus express its newly anointed role in the framing of history seem partial, and burdened with pitfalls. I very often think that contemporary culture has more style over matter, and it could be argued that the Jewish Museum is a case in point. People expecting to leave building and gain a much better perspective of what life was like for the German Jewish population, will be disappointed, but if they are prepared to let their mind follow Daniel Libeskinds interpretation of events then they`ll leave distressed and puzzled . However, if come with certain acquaintances and their own experiences from the holocaust, they will notice their punctum and leave wounded and tormented.

Euthanasia in the Netherlands Essay -- Euthanasia, Physician Assisted

As most countries abstain from the right to euthanasia, the Lower House of Parliament on November 28, 2000 passed a bill, legalizing euthanasia in the Netherlands. Will this law impact the beliefs and ideals of other countries and cause them to re-evaluate their medical procedures? In â€Å"Why Physicians? Reflections on the Netherlands’ New Euthanasia Law,† Jos V. M. Welie provides a descriptive overview of the history of the Dutch penal code on euthanasia in the Netherlands. In â€Å"Euthanizing Life,† John F. Kavanaugh discusses an anorexic patient who was illegally euthanized and presents Judge Miner’s offered opinion based on equal protection of the law. In â€Å"Why Physicians? Reflections on the Netherlands’ New Euthanasia Law,† Welie introduces the audience to the origin of the law and states his opposition to it. The next few paragraphs describe the history of article 40 of the Dutch penal code and how it excused physicians from euthanizing at a time when it was illegal. â€Å"Article 40 waives the liability to punishment for anyone who commits a crime while compelled to do so by force majeure, that is, by a psychological or moral force so strong that the perpetrator could not resist it† (Welie 42). Many doctors felt liable in not obeying the law, however, they felt morally wrong in prolonging a particular patients’ suffering. Physicians are faced with the dilemma of whether or not relieving a patient’s suffering is worth the risk of being prosecuted and losing their license to practice medicine. How would courts measure this so called â€Å"psychological or moral force† described in Article 40 of the Dutch penal code? Welie states that when confronted with prosecution, physicians would base their defense on â€Å"medical exception... ... resist medical treatment, which may result in death, but are unable to have a doctor do the unfortunate job for us. Welie’s article makes a great transition from describing the history of euthanasia to reflecting upon the present situation. He proposes many of his own thoughts to the issue and makes the reader question the differences in medical law between America and the Netherlands. Kavanaugh, in his article, tells a surprising story that keeps reader intrigued and follows it with an informative viewpoint from a judge. Overall, these articles do a plausible job on describing how euthanasia is practiced in another country.       Works Cited Welie, Jos V. M. â€Å"Why Physicians? Reflections on the Netherlands’ New Euthanasia Law.† The Hastings Center Report Jan/Feb 2002: 42-44 Kavanaugh, John F. â€Å"Euthanizing Life† America May 2001: 28

Healthier Living Practices Essay -- Health, Public Spaces, Walking Env

Research has made it clear that healthier living practices need to be implemented in our daily lives. Health concerns have raised awareness and motivation throughout the world in recent years. An interest in more physically interactive public areas and spaces has been a proposed idea to the matter. The Chicago’s World Fair became a catalyst of sorts to organized, active and functional landscaping. Funding is provided from both state and federal agencies but has recently been an area of less concern. Ignoring potential health benefits from public areas by not constructing them is perhaps worth the extra available budget to some but recent studies show that the populous needs the areas to live healthier lives. Nevertheless, the success of these outdoor areas has left many questioning why their local community or city does not have such a place. More specifically explained by Joachim P Sturmberg, Carmel M. Martin and Di O’Halloran’s Journal, Music in the Park, parks offer â€Å"universal access and equity to be shared by all who want to go there (409).† Public spaces like parks and plazas offer many features that make them positive investments. Lavish open green lawns are a key factor and are the most notable characteristic of a park today. â€Å"The possibility of being physically active is greater among those living in areas with a larger proportion of land dedicated to public parks (1420).† The quote from Eduardo J. Simoes’ article concerning physical activity in public parks suggest that simply having more available recreational areas will influence the public to be active. Setting aside land for public space is done at both state and federal levels but at times get wasted and not used to its upmost potential. An organization out of Fl... ...ivity promotion and parks and recreation, the role of public parks and recreation setting has been acknowledged only recently by public health professions.† An area that has been revolutionized within the last century and only has room to grow, innovate and change the lives of all. â€Å"Despite the increasing recognition of the growing role of parks and recreation, a number of questions remain unanswered about how park and recreation programs are central to physical activity promotion within communities. (1)† Regardless the fact that these public places are positively influencing our communities, children lives, and inevitably paving the way for a healthier tomorrow should be reason enough to support the construction and use of more public spaces. Healthier, happier people are the outcome of these areas, lets embrace these spaces and make an effort to keep them clean.

The Civil Rights Movement :: African-American Civil Rights Movement

The first massive direct action in the civil rights movement came in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955. Under SCLC leadership, the black community boycotted the city’s bus system, which required them to ride at the back of the buses. After many months of boycotting, the U.S Supreme court declared that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional, and the boycott was bought to an end. This was a very significant event for the civil rights movement. It caught the attention of the entire nation. People around the country were made aware of the event because it was launched on such a massive scale and lasted for more than a year. It also set the tone for the civil rights movement, which led to more struggles and protest. There was the school integration in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957, where nine black students were admitted to Little Rock’s Central High School. President Dwight Eisenhower sent federal troops to enforce desegregation. There were public accommodation sit-ins in North Carolina and Georgia in 1960, when four black college students began protesting racial segregation in restaurants by sitting at â€Å"white only† lunch counters and waiting to be served. There were the freedom riders who traveled around the South in buses to test the effectiveness of the 1960 Supreme Court decision of illegal segregation in bus stations. There was also education and voter registration drives in Mississippi in 1961, which organized voter registration campaigns in black counties. Many of these protests where organized by the student affiliate of SCLC, many northern white liberal supporters, and the SNCC which stands for Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. The SNCC was founded in Raleigh, North Carolina in April 1960 to help organize and direct the student sit-in movement. They also concentrated on voter registration, believing that voting was a way to empower blacks so that they could change racist policies in the South. Southern whites counter mobilized by reviving the infamous Ku Klux Klan who used violence or threats against anyone suspected of favoring desegregation or black civil rights. There was also the start of a new organization called White Citizens Councils. There goal was to maintain segregation. One of the last meetings between civil rights demonstrators and southern whites came in Montgomery, Alabama in 1963.

Ann Taylor

Table of Contents |Executive Summary |2 | |Company background & Current Marketing Situation |3-7 | |Marketing Objectives |7-8 | |Opportunity & Issue Analysis |8-13 | |Marketing Strategy & Actions taken |13-16 | |Appendix 1 & 2 |17-20 | |Bibliography |21 | Contributions (write ups only)Executive Summary, Company background & Marketing Strategy- Priyanka Chigurupati Marketing Objectives& Marketing Strategy- Maira Braga Opportunity & Issue Analysis- Judy Seng & Yui Yasuda Executive Summary Ann Taylor Stores Corp. has been one of the largest apparel and accessories firms in the fashion industry for a long time. It has four divisions; Ann Taylor, LOFT, Ann Taylor Factory and LOFT Outlet each of which caters the same category of apparel and accessories, i. e. work related clothing to different markets.The introduction of Dan Taylor; our challenge has been positive and we feel that this division for men’s clothing would reap benefits for the company primarily because the men’s market is a growing one. Also, Dan Taylor can capitalize on Ann Taylor’s reputation of being amongst the top few brands customers pick for work related, casual yet chic clothing. Our product line will follow along the path of LOFT; catered to men instead of women. Although there are several threats the company might face, we strongly believe that the opportunities will outweigh the risks.Dan Taylor will use promotional tools that Ann Taylor never used but in terms of overall advertising, Dan Taylor will follow Ann Taylor’s path. The company’s overall goal is to improve the bottom line growth of both the divisions (Ann Taylor & Dan Taylor). If successful, Ann Taylor Store Corp. will be one of the highest grossing companies in the United States. COMPANY BACKGROUND & CURRENT MARKETING SITUATION Ann Taylor Stores Corp. has been one of the most popular women’s clothing company in the United States for the past few decades.Founded in 1954 by Richard Liebeskind , the company was named â€Å"Ann Taylor,† because â€Å"Ann,† was considered a very New England name and â€Å"Taylor,† evoked an image of tailored clothing. Ann Taylor has four divisions; Ann Taylor, LOFT, Ann Taylor Factory and LOFT Outlet. Ann Taylor caters to working women with classic clothing that is polished, refined and versatile. The fashions offered at Ann Taylor stores are for affluent career women. With price points between $40 (for a basic top) and $430, Ann Taylor falls in the â€Å"better,† category.LOFT was established in the late 90’s and offers more casual and relaxed fashions for relatively younger customers. Priced anywhere between $20- $90 and $200 for suits (two separates), it falls under the â€Å"upper moderate,† category. Ann Taylor Factory and the LOFT outlet are extensions of the brand (Ann Taylor and LOFT) in the outlet division. Ann Taylor Stores Corp. ’s product line (width) includes â€Å"Apparel,† that includes tops and blouses, sweaters and knits, dresses, pants, skirts, suits, jackets and coats, denim and accessories among all four divisions (based on different price points).The depth of the accessories includes shoes, jewelry, handbags, belts, scarves and shape wear. Ann Taylor has an exclusive line of Bridal wear that is an one stop shop for all wedding needs for women including wedding dresses, bridesmaids dresses, shoes and accessories at an affordable range of $38 (accessories) to $495 (wedding dress). LOFT, being the more casual between the two has an exclusive line of lounge wear ranging between $20 and $60. The extensive product line is available for Ann Taylor and LOFT in brick and mortar stores, on the internet (ecommerce) and in catalogues.Ann Taylor’s strengths lie in the fact that it caters to a strong and growing market, i. e. primarily to the working sector of people. Ann Taylor’s target market primarily comprises of ages between 30 years and 60 years to whom, the company offers a plethora of work related apparel and accessories. LOFT’s target market comprises of 18 to 34 year olds who have a wide variety of casual work related (can be used for other purposes) apparel and accessories. Although the two divisions cater to different target markets, their primary purpose is to provide to the ‘working customer. Ann Taylor’s expansion into value based divisions (LOFT and its clearance centers) has captured the value market. The pricing at LOFT is about 30% lower than its sister concept, Ann Taylor. The outlets too, have captured the market that comprises of consumers seeking deeper value over traditional pricing and stores. The corporation added more value to these â€Å"clearance centers,† by creating private labels for the outlet centers. All the three divisions have proven to be a success among consumers. A third strength of the company would be its marketing strategies through celebrity associat ions.Some of the biggest celebrities like Heidi Klum, Milla Jovovich, Rachel Bilson are the faces of the company. The brand equity of the company, i. e. the image of the company in the minds of the consumers is enhanced because of positive perceptions. To further enhance this, the company is specifically targeting different markets by using different celebrities for each type of market. For example: Christina Hendricks, known for her curves is a face of the company. Although not directly done this speaks to the relatively more curvy women, a huge upcoming market.Also, since Ann Taylor has been associated with ‘luxury products,’ its reputation has trickled down to its LOFT brand and customers have started to consider LOFT as affordably luxurious. One of the biggest weaknesses of the company (in disguise) is also a blessing for the company, i. e. its LOFT division. The LOFT brand has been growing rampantly with 506 LOFT stores as compared to 291 Ann Taylor stores in 2009. The reason for this growth has been the demand for value oriented ‘luxury,’ products offered by LOFT.When LOFT was set up in the late 90’s, it was oriented towards casual clothing. Today, with the shift towards more casual clothing even in the working environment (casual Friday), LOFT unwittingly turned into Ann Taylor’s direct competitor with a better value proposition. Ever since the economy has been in the throes of a recession, Ann Taylor’s performance like that of most other companies has spiraled downwards. Since 2008, the company has been spiraling downwards with net sales of $2. 4 billion in fiscal 2008, $2. 2 billion in fiscal 2009 and $1. 8 billion in fiscal 2010.The net loss went down considerably from $333,906,000 in fiscal 2009 to $18,208,000 in fiscal 2010. The company has been facing tough competition from its major competitors like White House Black Market, Chico’s, Anne Klein, Talbots, Banana Republic, J Crew and Cold Water Creek for Ann Taylor and The Gap, AK Anne Klein, New York & Co. and INC International Concepts (Private Label at Macy’s), a few among others. In terms of advertising, Ann Taylor promotes it products mainly through catalogs, television and magazine ads. It uses a combination of Institutional advertising, i. e. dvertising done to promote the company’s image and Promotional advertising, i. e. advertising that highlights an item or a category of items to get an immediate response. [pic] [pic] Institutional Advertising Promotional Advertising In 2009, Ann Taylor partnered with Proctor & Gamble due to the economic downturn, and handed out free samples of detergent and coupons to customers who buy machine washable clothes. In addition, Ann Taylor created an eight-page magazine, available for free in stores that provided tips on how to keep clothes looking fresh.Of course, due to the partnership, they require Tide or Downy Total Care, which are both Proctor & Gamble products, but this was one of the many successful promotional strategies implemented by Ann Taylor. In an effort to utilize maximum amounts of different media in order to integrate the customer with the promotion strategies, Ann Taylor partnered with CFDA/ Vogue fashion fund in which the selected stylists were asked to put together a full look for Ann Taylor that would suit today’s working woman. This brought out not only increased exposure but also offers a fashionable, vivacious look to the brand.MARKETING OBJECTIVES Given the current market situation, Ann Taylor should be looking to expand and conquer any new potential clientele to drive profits up. Sale trends still place the retailer amongst the top two competitors of its US Top Women’s Apparel Division, giving the brand a leadership position within its industry. Although product offerings are fairly uniform amongst such brands, very few of Ann Taylor’s direct competitors are currently in the Men’s clothes div ision (primarily department store private labels).Furthermore, as was once predicted of Contemporary and Young Designer fashions, Menswear is the next â€Å"white space† of the industry, offering high rates of growth and return for early entrants. This provides Ann Taylor a high incentive towards accepting the risk of being an early-mover and adding a menswear line to its current offerings. Ann Taylor’s previously existent mill and factory relationships will also conduce towards seamless integration of the production of a menswear line for select stores. Furthermore, despite harsh economic times, Ann Taylor shows clear signs of recovery, having started to post profits of $18. million in the second quarter of 2010, over $260 million to finance expansive efforts. Another trend that has been identified within a more general Apparel market is that women make up to 80% of all of all shopping for a family. This would indicate that for a large portion of the male population, it is in fact their female counterparts that are making the calls in regards to many purchasing decision. Large portions of these women are wives of family households as well as long-term partners. Nationally, nearly 50% percent of the entire population is comprised of married couples – a broad base for a core target audience.This buying behavior creates an untapped potential market for the Ann Taylor brand. Since women would already be in the store, this is a process of adding on to their current purchases, adding not only profit, but value to the Ann Taylor brand by having the client associate stores with convenience and multi-level shopping. This was already proven successful with strategic integration of home furnishings and accessories to select flagship stores. The target male consumer for these groups was a relatively simple process of reexamining our current demographics under a different lens.Most evidently, the targeted age group would be a similar 18-34. This age g roup makes up 23. 5% of the American consumer base as a whole, with over 23 million potential male customers. The ideal â€Å"Dan Taylor† is a middle classed, working male aged 18-34 either with, or thinking about a family who makes $75-99,000 a year, and is looking for workable, affordable, well-constructed clothes that speak to a tailored, New England look. Nationally, this corresponds to 12% of American households with a corresponding range of disposable income, with slight variations across regions of the country.Furthermore, in a more generic view, 78. 6% of the population consists of private wage and salary workers who would maintain the targeted aesthetic of the Dan Taylor line. Considering the harsh economic times, many higher income group clients would also be looking towards lower end options for their everyday work wear. This comprises an additional 31. 7% of the population that would be well within means to shop at Ann Taylor. With further research into specific r egional demographics, initial expansion of the Dan Taylor line would be limited to the Northeast area.As will be detailed, this capitalizes on maximum saturation of target market as well as core following of brand lifestyle and traditional aesthetic. The Northeast region shows the highest rate of educated males with a bachelor’s degree or higher educational attainment at 32. 5%. This figure is well above any other regions and is a full 4 points higher than the national average at 28. 4%. The Northeast also has to the second highest percentage of private wage and salary workers at 79. 5% or workforce, only behind the Midwest at 81. 1%. This category corresponds to the key lifestyle psychographics of the Dan Taylor customer.The area also corresponds to the second highest percentage of households within the targeted $75-$99,000 income level with 12. 6% and leads in terms of households making above $75,000 dollars, at 37. 6%, a full six points above the national level. Another co mpelling factor in terms of income is the Northeast’s mean male yearly earnings is a full $10,000 above the national level and is by far the highest of all regions. This higher income level means this population has a greater willingness to spend from discretionary income, particularly during harder economic times.Another great value in early investment in the Northeast of the United States is the historical association of the Ann Taylor brand with the region. As previously mentioned, the brand’s name is already associated with the area. The label’s look, comprising fashionable day and work wear for the active woman is also in key target with the ambiance and feel of the Northeast region. Color stories of Ann Taylor lines are also frequently associated with this area; pastels, khakis and navy are proven a timeless classic to locals of the area.This mix of ideal target market as well as a value-conscious higher income customer that is not only accustomed, but a f ollower of the Ann Taylor aesthetic creates an ideal marketing position for the Dan Taylor line. If success is seen within the Northeast sector, analyzed demographics then suggest the Western region of the United States as being the best to serve, followed by the Midwest and finally the South. OPPORTUNITY AND ISSUE ANALYSIS Opportunities 1. Growing Menswear Industry Men nowadays have become more aware of their appearance, and therefore, their spending on apparels also increased.According to Data Monitor (Table 1 & Figure 1- Appendix 1), from year 2004 to year 2008, the market value of the menswear market has a steady growth rate from around 3% to 5 %, its market value has also grown from $82. 6 billion in 2004 to $98. 2 billion in 2008. Data Monitor also forecasted that by 2013, the market value would grow to $118. 3 million dollars, an increase of 20. 4% since 2008. If we take a look at Table 3, our target customers who are among the age group of less than 25 years old and 25 †“ 34 years old, have a total of 27,919 thousand (7875 + 20,044) customers.Their added annual expenditure will be $76,413. Compared to women, men spend less on apparel. This may seem to be a discouraging data, however; it also proves that the menswear market is still catching up, and that Ann Taylor can utilize its edge of having the existing loyal female customers to expand to the menswear market. By introducing Dan Taylor in the Loft store, it is expected that our female customers would purchase menswear merchandise for their male friends and husbands.Some of the men may not like to spend too much too much time shopping around and may leave the styling job to their girlfriends or wives. This becomes a strong edge for the launch of Dan Taylor because this approach helps Loft to reach to a new group of male customers through our existing female customers. It is certain that the menswear market is still growing, and therefore Dan Taylor will seize this growing market to obtain some market share in the menswear industry for more profits in the future.By making the first move, Dan Taylor will have the first mover’s advantage. 2. Product line and Price Points The chart below includes the product lines of each of our competitors and their price points. Department private labels such as Alfani, INC and Izod have a narrow product line and a relatively lower price point. They place their focus on business clothing with items such as t-shirts, polo, shirts (casual and formal), sweaters, and trousers. However, for each assortment, they only offer a few styles. Compared to competitors, such asGap and Express, Dan Taylor positions itself as more for the same; we provide better quality but offer the same price points. This positioning allows us to fit in the white space between low to medium priced and medium priced specialty stores. Although our quality is comparatively lower than what medium priced brands such as Kenneth Cole and J. Crew offer; our price points a re much lower and therefore, Dan Taylor provides better value. In addition to the demographics qualities, we are also targeting customers that look for consistent qualities and values.Our goal is to establish a long-lasting relationship with our customers by offering great quality, details, and a wide variety of products with affordable price. We believe in values, and so do our customers. It is expected that customers from our competitors will be drawn to our store because of our promising value and quality. 3. Strong Brand Image Ann Taylor Loft has been in the women specialty retail market since 1983. Currently, we have around 900 stores in the United States, including the labels Ann Taylor, Loft, Ann Taylor Factory, as well as Loft outlet stores.Within these 900 stores, there are 509 LOFT stores because Loft has outperformed Ann Taylor by using a more moderate pricing strategy. Loft targets to a slightly younger group who has a more relaxed lifestyles at work and at home. Our cus tomers are value-conscious and are loyal; this allows us to introduce Dan Taylor (which will have LOFT’s price points and quality) which targets to a similar group of men. Our approach is to first introduce the menswear to our existing Loft customers. It is common that women will buy gifts for their boyfriends or husbands during special occasion such as holiday seasons or birthdays.Therefore, it will be a great opportunity to launch Dan Taylor since our well-known values and quality will draw our existing customers to purchase our menswear’s’ products as gifts for their spouses. This approach allows us to reach our potential male customers and provide them exploration to our products. 4. Online Opportunities The online U. S retail market is growing tremendously in the recent years. According to industry reports by Data monitor, ‘the US online retail market grew by 16. 6% in 2008 to reach a value of $186. 7 billion. in 2013, he US online retail market is fo recast to have a value of $325. 2 billion, an increase of 74. 2% since 2008†. This trend leads many of the retailers setting up their own websites, providing customers an easy access to their newest campaigns and other information related to the company. This approach helps the customers to have a better knowledge of the company. Some of these companies also set up an online store where customers can purchase directly online. Images, measurements and other details are shown to give customers a better visual idea of the merchandise.Today, with such busy lifestyles, people who do not have enough time to shop at the virtual store can now have the option to shop online. Therefore, Ann Taylor should keep focusing on the online sales channel to drive margins because e-commerce is the fastest growing and high margin segments which currently representing nearly a 25% of the company’s revenue base. 5. Collaborations with designer labels and international markets Today, the trend of retail stores collaborating with high-fashion brand labels is more popular than ever.Some of these examples would be H&M and Lanvin, as well as Uniqlo and Jil Sander. Regardless of it the partnership being short term or long term, this approach has always been successful. Long queues are found lining up outside the store on the launch date, and most of the limited merchandises in the collaboration collections are gone in less than a few hours. This not only creates instant buzz about the company but the other customers who come to shop the designer collections might end up looking at the other merchandize as well.Aside from advertising purpose, the limited merchandise brings in some differentiation and freshness to the company and attracts a new group of customers. A further opportunity derived from these collaborations is the recognition in the international markets. While Ann Taylor High-end designer labels now mainly focus on the domestic U. S market, the collaboration with d esigner labels can help promoting Ann Taylor Loft and Dan Taylor throughout the world. Getting the name out to the global market will be a stepping-stone for the company to launch new stores in new markets.Threats/ Issues 1: Effects of recessionary environment will continue impacting consumers spending habits The economic condition might be one of the most serious threats for Ann Taylor. We haven’t come out of the recession yet, and consumers in the US are suffering high unemployment and lower disposable income. Consumers are reluctant to pay for anything that is not on sale or with some sort of down pricing. Rising unemployment further reduces consumers’ ability to spend, which might be a threat to Dan Taylor although the economy is slowly recovering from the recession.Rising unemployment also means less people are at work – the precise demographic of the Ann Taylor and Dan Taylor aesthetics. Increased pursuit of everyday/ lounge wear from high unemployment tre nds could show significant damage to Dan Taylor’s future success. 2: Increased regulations on cards issued by the retailers will affect the appeal of these cards adversely A new act called the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 was passed which enforces several restrictions for retailers while issuing the credit cards.Several norms that originally contributed to the rising popularity of the retailer cards, have been identified as the reasons that later left the consumer with high debt. The new set of rules will benefit the customers, but will nevertheless restrict retailers and the earlier growth in retailer credit cards. Additionally, retailers rely on offering loyalty programs through these cards. The decline in the card base will negatively impact the success of these promotions. Ann Taylor issues its own branded and co-branded charge card for its customers.This will expose the company to high risk of default, higher regulations and compl iances. The new act further imposes higher restrictions and this might lead to less popularity of the cards impacting the cards business adversely. The new regulations might also make it more difficult for the company to issue new cards to the customers. 3: Rising of private label has affected the sales of national brands seriously Due to the recession, customers care now about price more than they did before. As customers became more price-oriented, large retailers filled that gap with lower priced private labels.Their close ties with factories allow these clothes to sit at a very low price point while still offering profit to the retailer. As a result, Macys, which is one of the largest department stores in the world and other companies have begun to focus on their private brands (Alfani, INC and IZOD for Macy’s, Aqua for Bloomingdales) and launched various types of clothes with reasonable prices for men and women of all ages. In addition, many discounted supermarkets such as Wal-mart and Target collaborated with designers and launched fashionable collections with reasonable prices as well.The popularities and sales of these brands increased rapidly. This might be another potential threat to the moderately priced Dan Taylor. 4: Rising apparel costs and labor costs in China are pressurizing margins Dan Taylor’s major production will be in China where the costs are estimated to inflate in the near future. This will increase costs for the company and pressurize margins. The prices of cotton, which typically comprise 40-45% of the price of a garment, were up 25% year in one year. Higher energy costs and rising labor costs in China will contribute to the increase in import cost of the apparel as well.The relative cost of manufacturing in China will almost certainly rise as the labor costs rise. Wage increases, coupled with higher costs for cotton, oil and freight will also push up prices. This cost increase is particularly troubling when taking into consideration the rise of private labels and increased competition within the industry to keep prices down. 5: A men’s brand in a women’s store might inhibit men from walking in Ann Taylor, being the feminine store it is might often prevent men from walking into the store.A large portion of men, even while shopping with their partner, prefer to wait outside or visit a different store, rather than shopping alongside the woman. This moderate level of interest shows a threat to the Dan Taylor line, however, it is also provides room for growth. By changing promotional efforts in-store, management can captivate the attention of such idle shoppers and transform their boredom into profits. MARKETING STRATEGY & ACTIONS TAKEN Ann Taylor’s primary advertising strategies will be â€Å"combination advertising,† including both Institutional and Promotional advertising.The promotion strategies will be divided into two phases. Stage 1 will involve bringing the companyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s name out to the public and creating loyalty from Ann Taylor’s female consumers thereby exposing their partners to the line in a passive manner. Stage 2 will be dependent upon the first stage’s success and will encompass the creation of the actual ‘Dan Taylor,’ stores and shifting shopping responsibilities from the woman to the man. Product line |Tops |Bottoms |Jackets & Coats Accessories | |T shirts |Pants/ Trousers |Suit Blazers |Ties | |- Polos |- Flat front |- Suit jackets |-Boleros | |- Henley |- Pleated |- Sports blazers |-Neckties | |- Sleeveless | | |-Bow ties | | | | |-Ascots | |Sweaters |Denim | |Cufflinks | |-Vests |- Relaxed | |- Double faced | |-Crew neck |- Straight leg | |- Chain | |- Full sleeved |- Skinny | |- Snap on | |- Boat neck |- Boot cut | |Belts | |- V neck | | |- Casual | | | | |- Formal | |Shirts |Shorts | |Socks | |- Dress shirts |- Cargo | |- Ankle length | |- Cufflink shirts |- Chino | |- Low cut | | |- Bermuda | |- Mi d calf | Stage 1: At this stage, Dan Taylor’s promotional efforts will be limited to news papers, magazines, in store promotions and social media. Given the economic difficulties of the Ann Taylor stores at the moment and the high-risk nature of adding a menswear line, these forms of advertising were chosen due to their maximum exposure to both men and women. Although newspaper advertising is a slowly dying medium, it still has the maximum exposure at minimum cost.This is an efficient medium to get the â€Å"Dan Taylor,† name out there to people who read newspapers that are not fashion related. In addition, trade publications like Women’s Wear Daily and other national and local magazines in the North East Region will feature advertisements for both Ann Taylor and Dan Taylor with both male and female models. Social Media, a highly upcoming medium for advertising will be taken advantage of as well. Dan Taylor will feature on facebook and twitter. These social netw orks will be constantly updated with new arrivals, sales and other promotions. These are excellent tools for reaching out to a mass audience that is specifically interested in the brand.Particular focus will be placed on these tools before the launch of the first Dan Taylor line to reach a wide audience and create massive hype. By using such a medium the brand can create an interaction and communication with the fan base, sponsoring loyalty and a following before the label is even launched. To introduce line on a grand scale, the company will have a launch party for the Dan Taylor line. Social media will be heavily used to publicize and to create excitement over the brand before said opening. Much emphasis will be placed in public relations and in creating hype for the launch. One such effort will be a competition on the Dan Taylor website (which is a part of the Ann Taylor website). Links to the website will be available on the facebook and twitter pages.The competition will involv e men dressing their girlfriends or wives in Ann Taylor clothing and accessories and then submitting their entries. Visitors of the website will get a chance to vote for their favorite outfit and the top three couples will win free flight tickets, hotel accommodations and be featured at the launch party of the Dan Taylor brand. At the party, the winners, along with three celebrity couples will be highlighted as the event’s main feature. Each couple will be given an exclusive look into the Dan Taylor line and the woman will be given the opportunity to style their man. At the party, both the contest winners as well as the celebrity males will be asked to walk down a runway. Outfits will later be featured in editorials in a major fashion magazine.The celebrity couples will be chosen directly from previously existent Ann Taylor spoke models including Rachel Bilson, Heidi Klum and Christina Hendricks. Fortunately, all three women have famous actors as their boyfriend or husbands, which would translate seamlessly with raising awareness of the brand in a fun, star studded manner. Once the line is in store, promotional efforts will be rampant. Campaigns will appear primarily in newspapers and magazines. Adverts will always feature both a man and a woman, posing together in some manner to suggest a relationship. Emphasis will be placed on the novelty of the line as well as on how shopping the line makes the female reader a better wife or girlfriend.Ads will play on the idea that one uses gifts to demonstrate their love, adding that now woman can shop for men – while they shop for themselves! This activity will be depicted as pleasurable and an enjoyable addition to a woman’s afternoon shopping trip. The Dan Taylor line will be available in all Ann Taylor Loft outlets within the Northeast region. As previously detailed, this region shows highest rates of employment and of brand loyalty. It will be a perfect smaller test market to see whether the lin e has potential for future success. Loft stores were chosen due to their history of higher sales and lower price point. By limiting distribution of the product, we will also create a greater sense of demand and urgency for the label when stage two moves distribution nationwide.Stage 2: At this point, there will already be some sort of general awareness within the market of the Dan Taylor brand. Depending on the success of the first stage we will move directly into constructing brick and mortar Dan Taylor retail outlets. These will most likely be connected to Ann Taylor stores, much in the vain of Gap’s strategy. In addition to the print campaign, television ads will start being used specifically for the Dan Taylor line. Also, Dan Taylor print campaigns will no longer always feature a both a woman and a man. Campaigns should have similar feelings as Tod’s campaigns, with very manly, dark colors and a restrained sense of humor. We want a sleek sophistication in our ads t o go in line with the product.We will increase product offerings to match the larger retail space, with products no longer being exhibited simply in racks within already existent Ann Taylor Loft outlets. A large launch party will be offered for both the Ann and Dan Taylor lines. The ultimate goal is to have both men and women’s wear lines have equal stature within the corporate structure. We will have created a one-stop shop for the power couple family unit, creating a comfortable environment for both the man and the woman. Conclusion The company’s overall goal is to improve the bottom line growth of both the divisions (Ann Taylor & Dan Taylor). If successful, Ann Taylor Store Corp. ill be one of the highest grossing companies in the United States.Appendix 1 [pic] [pic][pic][pic] Appendix 2: [pic][pic] [pic][pic][pic][pic] [pic][pic][pic][pic] [pic][pic][pic] Bibliography †¢ Karr, Arnol J. â€Å"Ann Taylor Update Leads Retail Rally. † Women's Wear Daily 3 F eb. 2010,199th ed. , sec. 23: 14. Print. †¢ Moin, David. â€Å"Ann Taylor Moves to Profit in 2nd Qtr. † Women's Wear Daily 23 Aug. 2010, 2000th ed. , sec. 39: 10. Print. †¢ Moin, David. â€Å"Ann Taylor Swings to Pofit in 4th Qtr. † Women's Wear Daily 15 Mar. 2010, 199th ed. , sec. 56: 2. Print. †¢ Romano, Anthony M. â€Å"How Ann Taylor Put Strategic Sourcing on the Management. † Supply Chain Management Review October (2006): 32-40. Print. U. S.Censs Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey †¢ Datamonitor | the Home of Business Information. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. http://www. datamonitor. com/ †¢ EBSCOhost – Worldaâ‚ ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Foremost Premium Research Database Service. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Macy's| Department Store, Dept Store , Department Stores, Clothing, Apparel, Accessories. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ J. Crew – Cashmere, Sweaters, Women's Clothing ; Dresses, Men's Clothing, Children's Clothing ; Kids Clothes. Web . 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. . †¢ Web. 22 Nov. 2010. .

Sci 241 Week 5

( ©Reinhard/Age Fotostock America, Inc. ) CHAPTER 8 CONCEPTS I I I I I I I I I Thiamin, ribo? avin, niacin, biotin, and pantothenic acid are B vitamins needed to produce ATP from carbohydrate, fat, and protein. Vitamin B6 is important for amino acid metabolism as well as energy production. Folate is a coenzyme that is needed for cell division. Vitamin B12, only found in animal foods, is needed for nerve function and to activate folate. Vitamin C is needed to form connective tissue and acts as a watersoluble antioxidant. Vitamin A is essential for vision, and it regulates cell differentiation and growth. Vitamin D is necessary for bone health. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant. Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting. u s t A Ta s t e J Do vitamins give you extra energy? Should everyone take folate supplements? Does eating carrots improve your vision? Can vitamin E protect you from heart disease? The Vitamins Vitamins Are Vital to Your Health Vitamins Provide Many Different Functions in the Body Vitamins Are Found in Almost Everything You Eat We Need Enough but Not Too Much of Each Vitamin Some Vitamins Are Soluble in Water and Others Are Soluble in Fat Many B Vitamins Are Essential for Energy Production Thiamin: Important for Nerve Function Ribo? vin: A Bright Yellow Vitamin Niacin: De? ciency Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness Biotin: Eggs Contain It but Can Block Its Use Pantothenic Acid: Widely Distributed in Food and Widely Used in the Body Vitamin B6 Is Important for Protein Metabolism Vitamin B6 Is Needed to Synthesize and Break Down Amino Acids Both Animal and Plant Foods Are Good Sources of Vitamin B6 Too Much Vitamin B6 Is Toxic Folate and Vitamin B12 Are Needed for Cell Division Folate: Important for Rapidly Dividing Cells Vitamin B12: Absorption Requires Intrinsic Factor Vitamin C Saved Sailors from Scurvy Vitamin C Is Needed to Maintain Connective Tissue Vitamin C Is a Water-Soluble Antioxidant Citrus Fruit Is One of the Best Sources of Vitamin C Vitamin C Is the Most Common Vitamin Supplement Choline: Is It a Vitamin? Vitamin A Is Needed for Healthy Eyes Vitamin A Comes in Preformed and Precursor Forms Vitamin A Requires Fat for Absorption and Protein for Transport Vitamin A Is Necessary for Vision Vitamin A Regulates Gene Expression -Carotene Is a Vitamin A Precursor and an Antioxidant Vitamin A Needs Can Be Met with Plant and Animal Sources Vitamin A De? iency Is a World Health Problem Preformed Vitamin A Can Be Toxic Vitamin D Can Be Made in the Skin Vitamin D Is Needed to Maintain Normal Calcium Levels Vitamin D De? ciency Causes Weak Bones Only a Few Foods Are Natural Sources of Vitamin D Too Much Vitamin D Causes Calcium to Deposit in the Wrong Tissues Vitamin E Protects Membranes Vitamin E Is a Fat-Soluble Antioxidant Vitamin E De? ciency Damages Membranes Most of the Vitamin E in Our Diets Comes fr om Plant Oils Vitamin E Is Relatively Nontoxic Vitamin K Is Needed for Blood Clotting Vitamin K De? iency Causes Bleeding Drugs That Inhibit Vitamin K Prevent Fatal Blood Clots The Requirement for Vitamin K Is Met by Bacterial Synthesis and Food Sources 8 INTRODUCTION Vitamin D Concerns on the Rise By Karen Collins, R. D. Dec. 5, 2003—A lack of vitamin D—thought to be a problem of a bygone era—is showing up in growing numbers of women, children, and the elderly, increasing the risk of bone disease and possibly other health problems. Exposing only the face, hands, and forearms to sunlight for 10 to 30 minutes, just two or three days a week, can usually produce all the vitamin D we need. Longer exposure doesn’t produce more of this vitamin. Yet today, many people’s lifestyles and locations do not allow them to produce enough, making dietary sources vital. For more information on vitamin D concerns go to www. msnbc. msn. com/id/3660416. A ren’t vitamin de? ciency diseases a thing of the past? After all, the vitamins have been identi? ed, characterized, and puri? ed. We get them from foods that are natural sources and they are added to our breakfast cereal and sold in pill form. For over 100 years scientists have been experimenting with how much of which ones we need to stay healthy and public health of? ials have been providing us with guidelines as to how best to get enough from our diets. How can anyone have a de? ciency? Despite advances in vitamin research over the last century, millions of people around the globe still suffer from vitamin de? ciency diseases. In the United States, the plentiful and 235 236 Chapter 8 The Vitamins varied food s upply make severe vitamin de? ciencies unlikely but this doesn’t mean everyone gets enough of everything all the time. Marginal de? ciencies often go unnoticed and can be mistaken for other conditions. Vitamins Are Vital to Your Health L Vitamins Organic compounds needed * in the diet in small amounts to promote and regulate the chemical reactions and processes needed for growth, reproduction, and the maintenance of health. Vitamins are essential to your health. You only need very small quantities but if you don’t get enough your body cannot function optimally. Severe de? ciencies cause debilitating diseases but even marginal intakes can cause subtle changes that affect your health today and your risk of chronic disease tomorrow. An organic substance is classi? ed as a vitamin if lack of it in the diet causes symptoms that are relieved by adding it back to the diet. The fact that the vitamins we eat in food are essential to health seems simple and obvious, but it was not always so. For centuries, people knew that some diseases could be cured by certain foods. But it was a long time before we understood why particular foods relieved speci? c ailments. Cures attributed to foods seemed like nothing short of a miracle. People too weak to rise from their beds, those with bleeding wounds that would not heal, those too mentally disturbed to function in society, and those with other serious ailments were cured with changes in diet. Even before the chemistry of these substances was unraveled, the civilized world was enchanted with the magic of vitamins. They brought hope that incurable diseases could be remedied by simple dietary additions. Today we understand what vitamins do and why they cure de? ciency diseases, but we still hold out hope for more miracles from these small molecules. And we might get a few. Scientists continue to discover important links between vitamins and the risk of developing illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and high blood pressure. What is being uncovered is far subtler than the miracle cures of the 19thcentury de? iency diseases, but people cling to the belief that taking more vitamins will cure what ails them. As a result of this â€Å"more is always better† attitude vitamin toxicities have become a concern. A toxic reaction can be as devastating as a de? ciency. Trying to get the right amount of each of the vitamins may sound analogous to walking a tightr ope between not enough and too much. In reality it is not that hard to get enough of most vitamins from a well-planned diet and most toxicities are not caused by foods but rather by excessive use of supplements. Vitamins provide many different functions in the body To date, 13 substances have been identi? ed as vitamins essential in the diet (Table 8. 1). They were named alphabetically in approximately the order in which they were identi? ed: A, B, C, D, and E. The B vitamins were ? rst thought to be one chemical substance but were later found to be many different substances, so the alphabetical name was broken down by numbers. Vitamins B6 and B12 are the only ones that are still commonly referred to by their numbers. Thiamin, ribo? avin, and niacin were originally referred to as vitamin B1, B2, and B3, respectively, but today they are not typically called by these names. Vitamins each have a unique role in the body. For instance, vitamin A is needed for vision, vitamin K is needed for blood clotting, and vitamin C is needed to synthesize connective tissue. Many body processes require the presence of more than one vitamin. For example the B vitamins thiamin, ribo? avin, niacin, biotin, and pantothenic acid are all needed to produce ATP from carbohydrate, fat, and protein. In some cases adequate amounts of one vitamin depend on the presence of another. For example, vitamin B12 is needed to provide the form of folate needed for cell division and vitamin C helps restore vitamin E to its active form. Vitamins Are Vital to Your Health 237 TABLE 8. 1 Where Does Each Vitamin Fit? Water-Soluble Vitamins B Vitamins †¢ Thiamin (B1) †¢ Ribo? avin (B2) †¢ Niacin (B3) †¢ Biotin †¢ Pantothenic acid †¢ Vitamin B6 †¢ Folate †¢ Vitamin B12 Vitamin C Fat-Soluble Vitamins Vitamin A Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K Vitamins are found in almost everything you eat Almost all foods contain some vitamins (Figure 8. 1). Grain products are good sources of the B vitamins thiamin, niacin, ribo? avin, pantothenic acid, and vitamin B6. Meats, such as beef, pork, and chicken, and ? sh are good sources of all of the B vitamins. Milk provides ribo? avin and vitamins A and D; leafy greens, such as spinach and kale, provide folate, vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin K; citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit provide vitamin C; and vegetable oils, such as corn and saf? ower oil, are high in vitamin E. FIGURE 8. 1 All the food groups contain choices that are good sources of vitamins. ( © Topic Photo Agency) (PhotoDisc, Inc. /Getty Images) Processing affects vitamin content The amount of a vitamin in a food depends on the amount naturally found in that food as well as how the food is cooked, stored, and processed. The vitamins naturally found in foods can be washed away during preparation, destroyed by cooking, or damaged by exposure to light or oxygen. Thus, processing steps such as canning vegetables, re? ning grains, and drying fruits can cause nutrient losses. However, other processing steps such as forti? cation and enrichment add nutrients to foods. Some nutrients are added to foods to prevent vitamin or mineral de? ciencies and promote health in the population (see Chapter 10). For example, milk is forti? ed with vitamin D to promote bone health, and grains are forti? ed with folic acid to reduce the incidence of birth defects. Some foods are also forti? ed with nutrients to help increase product sales. Dietary supplements can boost vitamin intake We also get vitamins in dietary supplements. Currently about half of adult Americans take some form of dietary supplement on a daily basis and 80% take them occasionally. 1 While supplements provide speci? c nutrients, they do not provide all the bene? ts of foods. A pill that meets vitamin needs does not provide the energy, protein, minerals, ? ber, or phytochemicals that would have been supplied by food sources of these vitamins (see Chapter 10). Not all of what you eat can be used by the body The vitamins that we consume in our diets are needed in the cells and ? uids of our body. In order to provide their essential functions, vitamins must get to the target tissues. The amount of a nutrient consumed that can be used by the body is referred to as its bioavailability. Bioavailability is affected by the composition of individual foods, the diet as a whole, and conditions in the body. For example, the thiamin in certain individual foods such as blueberries and red cabbage cannot be used by the body because these foods contain antithiamin factors that destroy the thiamin. An example of how L Forti? cation A term used generally to * describe the addition of nutrients to foods, such as the addition of vitamin D to milk. L Enrichment The addition of speci? c * nutrients to a food to restore those lost in processing to a level equal to or higher than originally present. L Dietary supplement A product * intended for ingestion in the diet that contains one or more of the following: vitamins, minerals, plant-derived substances, amino acids, or concentrates or extracts. L Bioavailability A general term that * refers to how well a nutrient can be absorbed and used by the body. 38 Chapter 8 The Vitamins Chewing helps break apart fiber and release vitamins Bile produced by the liver helps to absorb fat-soluble vitamins Digestion in the stomach releases vitamins from food Some niacin absorption Liver Stomach Digestive enzymes released by pancreas help to further release vitamins Fat-soluble vitamins absorbed from micelles along with dietary fat Pancreas Water-sol uble vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, biotin, pantothenic acid) absorbed by simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and active transport Vitamin C absorbed in later portion (ileum) of small intestine Small Intestine Vitamin B12 absorbed in later portion (ileum) of small intestine Large Intestine Absorption of small amounts of vitamin K, biotin, and pantothenic acid made by bacteria in the large intestine FIGURE 8. 2 An overview of vitamins in the digestive tract. diet composition affects vitamin bioavailability is dietary fat and the absorption of fatsoluble vitamins. Because fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed along with dietary fat, diets very low in fat reduce absorption (Figure 8. 2). Conditions in the body affect bioavailability in several ways. Some vitamins require speci? c molecules in order to be absorbed. If these aren’t available, the vitamin cannot be absorbed in suf? cient amounts. For example, vitamin B12 must be bound to a protein produced in the stomach before it can be absorbed in the intestine. If this protein is not available, adequate amounts of vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed. Other vitamins require transport molecules to travel in the blood to the tissues that need them. Vitamin A is stored in the liver, but it must be bound to a speci? transport protein to travel in the blood to other tissues; therefore, the amount delivered to the tissues depends on the availability of the transport protein. We need enough but not too much of each vitamin The right amounts and combinations of vitamins and other nutrients are essential to health. Despite our knowledge of what vitamins do and how much of each we need, we don’t all consume the right amounts. In developing countries, vitamin de? ciencies remain a major public health problem. In industrialized countries, a more varied food supply, along with forti? ation, has almost eliminated vitamin-de? ciency diseases in the majority of the population. Concern in these countries now focuses on meeting the needs of high-risk groups such as children and pregnant women, determining the effects of marginal de? ciencies such as the effect of low B vitamin intake on heart disease risk, and evaluating the risk of consuming large amounts. The RDAs and AIs of the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) recommend amounts that provide enough of Vitamins Are Vital to Your Health 239 each of the vitamins to prevent a de? ciency and promote health (see Chapter 2). Because more is not always better when it comes to nutrient intake, the DRIs have also established Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs) as a guide to amounts that are high enough to pose a risk of toxicity (see inside cover). Some vitamins are soluble in water and others are soluble in fat We group vitamins based on their solubility in water or fat, a characteristic that affects how they are absorbed, transported, excreted, and stored in the body. The watersoluble vitamins include the B vitamins and vitamin C. The fat-soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E, and K (see Table 8. 1) With he exception of vitamin B12, the water-soluble vitamins are easily excreted from the body in the urine. Because they are not stored to any great extent, supplies of most water-soluble vitamins are rapidly depleted and they must be consumed regularly in the diet. Nevertheless, it takes more than a few days to develop de? ciency symptoms, even when these vitamins are completely eliminated from the diet. Fatsoluble vitamins, on the other hand, are stored in the liver and fatty tissues and cannot be excreted in the urine. In general, because they are stored to a larger extent, it takes longer to develop a de? iency of fat-soluble vitamins when they are no longer provided by the diet. In this chapter the water-soluble vitamins are presented ? rst because many play an important role in the reactions that produce energy from carbohydrate, fat, and protein that have been addressed in Chapters 4 through 7 (Table 8. 2). L Water-soluble vitamins Vitamins that * dissolve in water. L Fat-soluble vitamins Vitamins that * dissolve in fat. TABLE 8. 2 A Quick Guide to the Water-Soluble Vitamins Food Sources Pork, whole and enriched grains, seeds, nuts, legumes Recommended Intake for Adults 1. –1. 2 mg/day Major Functions Coenzyme in glucose metabolism, needed for neurotransmitter synthesis and normal nerve function Coenzyme needed in energy metabolism De? ciency Symptoms Berberi: weakness , apathy, irritability, nerve tingling, poor coordination, paralysis, heart changes In? ammation of mouth and tongue, cracks at corners of the mouth Pellagra: diarrhea, dermatitis on areas exposed to sun, dementia Groups at Risk of De? ciency Alcoholics, those living in poverty Toxicity and UL None reported. No UL Vitamin Thiamin (vitamin B1, thiamin mononitrate) Ribo? vin (vitamin B2) Dairy products, 1. 1–1. 3 mg/day whole and enriched grains, leafy green vegetables, meats Beef, chicken, ? sh, peanuts, legumes, whole and enriched grains. Can be made from tryptophan 14–16 mg NE/day None None reported. No UL Niacin (nicotinamide, nicotinic acid, vitamin B3) Coenzyme needed in energy metabolism and lipid synthesis and breakdown Those consuming a limited diet based on corn, alcoholics Flushing, nausea, rash, tingling extremities. UL is 35 mg from forti? ed foods and supplements (Continued) 240 Chapter 8 The Vitamins TABLE 8. 2 (Continued ) Food Sources Liver, egg yolks, synthesized in the gut Recommended Intake for Adults 30 g/day Major Functions De? ciency Symptoms Groups at Risk of De? ciency Those consuming large amounts of raw egg whites, alcoholics None Toxicity and UL None reported. No UL Vitamin Biotin Coenzyme in Dermatitis, glucose production nausea, and lipid synthesis depression, hallucinations Pantothenic acid (calcium pantothenate) Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, pyridoxamine) Meat, legumes, whole grains, widespread in foods Meat, ? sh, poultry, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds Leafy green vegetables, legumes, seeds, enriched grains 5 mg/day Coenzyme in Fatigue, rash energy metabolism and lipid synthesis and breakdown Coenzyme in protein metabolism, neurotransmitter and hemoglobin synthesis Coenzyme in DNA synthesis and amino acid metabolism Headache, numbness, tingling, convulsions, nausea, poor growth, anemia Macrocytic anemia, in? ammation of tongue, diarrhea, poor growth, neural tube defects Pernicious anemia, macrocytic anemia, nerve damage Scurvy: poor wound healing, bleeding gums, loose teeth, bone fragility, joint pain, pinpoint hemorrhages Liver dysfunction None reported. No UL Numbness, nerve damage. UL is 100 mg 1. 3–1. 7 mg/day Women, alcoholics Folate (folic acid, folacin, pteroyglutamic acid) 400 g DFE/day Pregnant women, alcoholics Masks B12 de? ciency. UL is 1000 g from forti? ed food and supplements None reported. No UL Animal products 2. 4 g/day Vitamin B12 (cobalamin, cyanocobalamin) Coenzyme in folate metabolism, nerve function Vegans, women, those with stomach or intestinal disease Alcoholics, elderly men Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, ascorbate) Citrus fruit, broccoli, strawberries, greens, peppers 75–90 mg/day Collagen (connective tissue) synthesis; hormone and neurotransmitter synthesis, antioxidant Synthesis of cell membranes and neurotransmitters GI distress, diarrhea. UL is 2000 mg Choline* Egg yolks, organ meats, leafy greens, nuts, body synthesis 425–550 mg/day None Sweating low blood pressure, liver damage. UL is 3500 mg UL, Tolerable Upper Intake Level; NE, niacin equivalent; DFE, dietary folate equivalent. *Choline is technically not a vitamin but recommendations have been made for its intake. Many B Vitamins Are Essential for Energy Production 241 Many B Vitamins Are Essential for Energy Production For many people the term vitamin is synonymous with energy. But vitamins do not actually contain any energy at all. We get energy from the carbohydrate, fat, and protein in our diet, but we can’t use the energy contained in these nutrients without the help of vitamins. The B vitamins thiamin, ribo? avin, niacin, pantothenic acid, and biotin are directly involved in converting the energy in carbohydrate, fat, and protein into ATP—the form of energy that is used to run the body (Figure 8. 3). Each of these vitamins acts as a coenzyme in one or more of the chemical reactions necessary to generate usable energy from these nutrients (Figure 8. 4). Thiamin: important for nerve function Thiamin is needed for nerve cells to obtain energy and to synthesize an important neurotransmitter. A de? ciency of thiamin causes beriberi, a condition that has been known for over 1000 years in East Asian countries. In Sri Lanka, the word beriberi literally means â€Å"I cannot†; this phrase refers to the extreme weakness that is the earliest symptom of the condition. Beriberi came to the attention of Western medicine in colonial Asia in the 19th century. It became such a problem that the Dutch East India Company sent a team of scientists to ? nd its cause. What they were expecting to ? d was a germ like those that caused cholera and rabies. What they found for a long time was nothing. For over 10 years, a young physician named Christian Eijkman worked C C C C C C Although people often take B vitamins to get more energy these vitamins do not actually provide energy. They are however necessary for the body to produce energy from other nutrients. L Coenzymes Small nonprotein o rganic * molecules that act as carriers of electrons or atoms in metabolic reactions and are necessary for the proper functioning of many enzymes. L Beriberi The disease resulting from a * de? iency of thiamin. O C C O C C C C C OH C C Glucose Fatty acid Amino acids Niacin Biotin Niacin Riboflavin Biotin Pantothenic acid Niacin Riboflavin Biotin Pantothenic acid O2 Thiamin Riboflavin Niacin Pantothenic acid C C Thiamin Riboflavin Pantothenic acid C C C Niacin Riboflavin H2O CO2 ATP FIGURE 8. 3 Thiamin, ribo? avin, niacin, biotin, and pantothenic acid are needed in the reactions that produce energy from carbohydrate, fat, and protein. If one of these is missing, energy production is disrupted. 242 Chapter 8 The Vitamins Coenzyme Incomplete enzyme Active enzyme A B A B Enzyme reaction FIGURE 8. 4 The B vitamins serve as coenzymes. This ? gure shows that the coenzyme must bind to form an active enzyme. The enzyme in this example can then join A and B to form a new molecule, shown here as AB. AB to ? nd the cause of beriberi. His success came as a twist of fate. He ran out of food for his experimental chickens and instead of the usual brown rice, he fed them white rice. Shortly thereafter, the chickens came down with beriberi-like symptoms. When he fed them brown rice again, they got well. What did this mean? To Eijkman it provided evidence that the cause of beriberi was not a poison or a microorganism, but rather something missing from the chicken feed. The incidence of beriberi in East Asia increased dramatically the 1800s due to the rising popularity of polished rice. Polished or white rice is produced by polishing off the bran layer of brown rice creating a more uniform product. However, polishing off the bran also removes the vitamin-rich portion of the grain (Figure 8. 5). Therefore, in populations where white rice was the staple of the diet, beriberi, became a common health problem. FIGURE 8. 5 Unenriched white rice is a poor source of thiamin. (Charles D. Winters) L Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome A form * of thiamin de? ciency associated with alcohol abuse that is characterized by mental confusion, disorientation, loss of memory, and a staggering gait. Thiamin is needed to produce energy from glucose The reason thiamin is needed for nerve cells to obtain energy is because it is a coenzyme for some of the important energy-yielding reactions in the body. One of these is essential for the production of energy from glucose, the energy source for nerve cells. In addition to its role in energy production it is needed for neurotransmitter synthesis and is also essential for the metabolism of other sugars and certain amino acids, and for the synthesis of ribose, a sugar that is part of the structure of RNA (ribonucleic acid). Thiamin de? ciency affects the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Without thiamin, glucose, which is the primary fuel for the brain and nerve cells, cannot be used normally and nerve impulses cannot be transmitted normally. This leads to weakness and depression, which are the ? st symptoms of beriberi; other neurological symptoms include poor coordination, tingling sensations, and paralysis. The reason de? ciency affects the cardiovascular system is not well understood, but symptoms include rapid heartbeat and enlargement of the heart. Overt beriberi is rare in North America today, but a form of thiamin de? ciency called Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome does occur in alcoholics. People with this condition experience mental confusion, psychosis, memory disturbances, and eventually coma. They are particularly vulnerable because thiamin absorption is decreased due to the effect of alcohol on the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, thiamin intake is low because alcohol contributes calories to the alcoholic’s diet but brings with it almost no nutrients. Many B Vitamins Are Essential for Energy Production RDA Sunflower seeds (1/4 c) Walnuts (1/4 c) Peanuts (1/4 c) Lentils (1 c) Pork (3 oz) Beef (3 oz) Trout (3 oz) Chicken (3 oz) 2% Milk (1 c) Cheddar cheese (1. 5 oz) Orange juice (1 c) Kiwi (2 med) Apple (1 med) Corn (1/2 c) Asparagus (1/2 c) Spinach, raw (1 c) Oatmeal (1 c) Spaghetti (1 c) Brown rice (1 c) White bread (2 sl) Whole-wheat bread (2 sl) 0 0. 2 0. 4 0. 6 0. 8 Thiamin (mg) 1. 0 1. 2 243 FIGURE 8. 6 Thiamin content of selections from each group of the Food Guide Pyramid. The dashed line represents the RDA for adult men. Pork is a better source of thiamin than other meats. (Randy Mayor/Foodpix/PictureArts Corp. ) The recommended intake for thiamin can be met by eating a varied diet You can meet your needs for thiamin by snacking on sun? ower seeds and having a serving of roast pork for dinner. These foods are exceptionally good sources of thiamin. Together 3 ounces of pork and a quarter cup of sun? ower seeds provide 1. 5 mg of thiamin, well above the RDA, which is 1. mg per day for adult men age 19 and older and 1. 1 mg per day for adult women 19 and older. 2 But even a diet that doesn’t include these foods can meet your thiamin needs as long as you make nutritious choices such as those recommended by the Food Guide Pyramid (Figure 8. 6). Legumes, nuts, and seeds are good sources. Grains are also good sources; thiamin is found in the bran of whole grains and i t is added to enriched re? ned grains. A large proportion of the thiamin consumed in the United States comes from enriched grains used in foods such as baked goods. Some breakfast cereals are forti? d with so much additional thiamin that a single bowlful contains more than the RDA. Although it is easy to meet thiamin needs some of the thiamin in foods may be destroyed during cooking or storage because it is sensitive to heat, oxygen, and low-acid conditions. Thiamin availability is also affected by the presence of antithiamin factors that destroy the vitamin. There are enzymes in raw shell? sh and freshwater ? sh that degrade thiamin during food storage and preparation and during passage through the gastrointestinal tract. These enzymes are destroyed by cooking so they are only a concern in foods consumed raw. Other antithiamin factors that are not inactivated by cooking are found in tea, coffee, betel nuts, blueberries, and red cabbage. Habitual consumption of foods containing antithiamin factors increases the risk of thiamin de? ciency. 2 Despite the fact that intakes of thiamin above the RDA have not been shown to be bene? cial, many supplements contain up to 50 mg of thiamin and promise that they will provide â€Å"more energy. † Although thiamin is needed to produce energy, unless it is de? cient, increasing thiamin intake does not increase the ability to produce energy. There is no UL for thiamin since no toxicity has been reported when excess is consumed from either food or supplements. 2 Enriched grains have thiamin as well as ribo? avin, niacin, and iron added to them (see Chapter 4). * Remember 244 Chapter 8 The Vitamins Ribo? avin: a bright yellow vitamin Ribo? avin is a water-soluble vitamin that provides a visible indicator when you consume too much of it. Excess is excreted in your urine—turning it a bright ? uorescent yellow. The color may surprise you but it is harmless. No adverse effects have been reported from high doses of ribo? vin from foods or supplements. FIGURE 8. 7 Milk is packaged in opaque or cloudy containers to protect its ribo? avin from destruction by light. (Charles D. Winters) Milk is the best source of ribo? avin in the North American diet Ever wonder why milk comes in opaque cardboard or cloudy plastic containers? The reason is that it is one of the best sources of ribo? avin in our diet and ribo? avin is destroy ed by light. If your milk was in a clear glass bottle and sat in a lighted grocery store display case for several days much of the ribo? avin would be destroyed. The most ribo? vin-friendly milk containers are opaque so the ribo? avin is fully protected from light (Figure 8. 7). Other major dietary sources of ribo? avin include other dairy products, liver, red meat, poultry, ? sh, whole grains, and enriched breads and cereals. Vegetable sources include asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, and leafy green vegetables such as spinach. The RDA for ribo? avin for adult men age 19 and older is 1. 3 mg per day and for adult women 19 and older, 1. 1 mg per day. 3 Two cups of milk provide about half the amount of ribo? avin recommended for a typical adult. If you do not include milk in your diet you can meet your ribo? avin needs by including two to three servings of meat and four to ? ve servings of enriched grain products and high-ribo? avin vegetables such as spinach (Figure 8. 8). Ribo? avin is needed to produce energy from carbohydrate, fat, and protein Ribo? avin has two active coenzyme forms that function in producing energy from carbohydrate, fat, and protein. Ribo? avin is also involved directly or indirectly in converting a number of other vitamins, including folate, niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin K, into their active forms. When ribo? vin is de? cient, injuries heal poorly because new cells cannot grow to replace the damaged ones. Tissues that grow most rapidly, such as the skin and the lin- RDA Sunflower seeds (1/4 c) Walnuts (1/4 c) Peanuts (1/4 c) Lentils (1 c) Pork (3 oz) Beef (3 oz) Trout (3 oz) Chicken (3 oz) 2% Milk (1 c) Cheddar cheese (1. 5 oz) Orange juice (1 c) Kiwi (2 med) Apple (1 med) Corn (1/2 c) Asparagus (1 /2 c) Spinach, raw (1 c) FIGURE 8. 8 Ribo? avin content of selections from each group of the Food Guide Pyramid. The dashed line represents the RDA for adult men. Milk is an exceptionally good source of ribo? avin. Corbis Images) Oatmeal (1 c) Spaghetti (1 c) Brown rice (1 c) White bread (2 sl) Whole-wheat bread (2 sl) 0 0. 4 0. 8 Riboflavin (mg) 1. 2 Many B Vitamins Are Essential for Energy Production 245 ings of the eyes, mouth, and tongue, are the ? rst to be affected. This causes symptoms such as cracking of the lips and at the corners of the mouth; increased sensitivity to light; burning, tearing, and itching of the eyes; and ? aking of the skin around the nose, eyebrows, and earlobes. A de? ciency of ribo? avin rarely occurs alone; it usually occurs in conjunction with de? ciencies of other B vitamins. This is because the same foods provide many of the B vitamins. Because ribo? avin is needed to convert other vitamins into their active forms, some of the symptoms seen with ribo? avin de? ciency re? ect de? ciencies of these other nutrients. Niacin: de? ciency caused an epidemic of mental illness In the early 1900’s psychiatric hospitals in the southeastern United States were ? lled with patients with the niacin-de? ciency disease pellagra. At the time, no one knew what caused it but the prime suspects were toxins or microorganisms. The mystery of pellagra was ? nally unraveled by Dr. Joseph Goldberger, who was sent by the U. S. Public Health Service to investigate the pellagra epidemic. He observed that individuals in institutions such as hospitals, orphanages, and prisons suffered from pellagra, but the staff did not. If pellagra were an infectious disease, both populations would be equally affected. Dr. Goldberger proposed that pellagra was due to a de? ciency in the diet. To test his hypothesis, he added nutritious foods such as fresh meats, milk, and eggs to the diet of children in orphanages. The symptoms of pellagra disappeared, supporting his hypothesis that pellagra is due to a de? ciency of something in the diet. In another experiment he was able to induce pellagra in healthy prison inmates by feeding them an unhealthy diet. The missing dietary component was later identi? ed as the water-soluble B vitamin niacin. L Pellagra The disease resulting from a * de? ciency of niacin. A niacin de? ciency causes dermatitis, diarrhea, and dementia The need for niacin is so widespread in metabolism that a de? ciency causes major changes throughout the body. The early symptoms of pellagra include fatigue, decreased appetite, and indigestion. These are followed by symptoms that can be remembered as the three D’s: dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia. If left untreated, niacin de? ciency results in a fourth D—death. Niacin coenzymes function in glucose metabolism and in reactions that synthesize fatty acids and cholesterol (see Figure 8. 3). There are two forms of niacin: nicotinic acid and nicotinamide. Either form can be used by the body to make the active coenzyme forms. Niacin is found in meats, legumes, and grains Meat and ? sh are good sources of niacin (Figure 8. 9). Other sources include legumes, wheat bran, and peanuts. Niacin added to enriched grains provides much of the usable niacin in the North American diet. Niacin can also be synthesized in the body from the essential amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan, however, is only used to make niacin if enough is available to ? rst meet the needs of protein synthesis. When the diet is low in tryptophan, it is not used to synthesize niacin. The reason pellagra was prevalent in the South in the early 1900’s is because the local diet among the poor consisted of corn meal, molasses, and fatback or salt pork— all poor sources of both niacin and protein. Corn is low in tryptophan and the niacin found naturally in corn is bound to other molecules and therefore not well absorbed. Molasses contains essentially no protein or niacin and salt pork is almost pure fat, so it does not contain enough protein to both meet protein needs and synthesize niacin. Although corn-based diets such as this one are historically associated with the appearance of niacin de? ciency it has not been a problem in Mexico and Central American countries. One reason may be because the treatment of corn with lime water, as is done during the making of tortillas, enhances the availability of niacin (Figure 8. 10). The diet in these regions also includes legumes, which provide both niacin and a source of tryptophan for the synthesis of niacin. In searching for the cause of pellagra, Dr. Goldberger and his coworkers ingested blood, nasal secretions, feces, and urine from patients with the disease—none of them developed pellagra. This helped to disprove the hypothesis that pellagra was an infectious disease. 246 Chapter 8 The Vitamins RDA Sunflower seeds (1/4 c) Walnuts (1/4 c) Peanuts (1/4 c) Lentils (1 c) Pork (3 oz) Beef (3 oz) Trout (3 oz) Chicken (3 oz) 2% Milk (1 c) Cheddar cheese (1. 5 oz) Orange juice (1 c) Kiwi (2 med) Apple (1 med) Corn (1/2 c) Asparagus (1/2 c) Spinach, raw (1 c) FIGURE 8. 9 Niacin content of selections from each group of the Food Guide Pyramid. The dashed line represents the RDA for adult men. Meat, legumes, and grains are good sources of the vitamin. (PhotoDisc, Inc. /Getty Images) Oatmeal (1 c) Spaghetti (1 c) Brown rice (1 c) White bread (2 sl) Whole-wheat bread (2 sl) 0 2 4 6 8 10 Niacin (mg) 12 14 16 L Niacin equivalents (NEs) The * measure used to express the amount of niacin present in food, including that which can be made from its precursor, tryptophan. One NE is equal to 1 mg of niacin or 60 mg of tryptophan. Today, as a result of the enrichment of grains, including corn meal, with niacin, thiamin, ribo? vin, and iron, pellagra is rare in the United States but it remains common in India and parts of China and Africa. Efforts to eradicate this de? ciency include the development of new varieties of corn that provide more available niacin and more tryptophan than traditional varieties. Because some of the requirement for niacin can be met by the synthesis of niacin from tryptophan, the RDA is expressed as niacin equi valents (NEs). One NE is equal to 1 mg of niacin or 60 mg of tryptophan, the amount needed to make 1 mg of niacin. 3 To estimate the niacin contributed by high-protein foods, protein is considered to be about 1% tryptophan. The RDA for adult men and women of all ages is 16 and 14 mg NE per day, respectively. A medium chicken breast and a cup of steamed asparagus provide this amount. FIGURE 8. 10 Tortillas, eaten in Mexico and other Latin American countries, provide niacin because the corn is treated with lime water, making the niacin available for absorption. (Jeff Greenberg/Photo Researchers) Many B Vitamins Are Essential for Energy Production 247 High-dose niacin supplements can be toxic There is no evidence of any adverse effects from consumption of niacin naturally occurring in foods, but supplements can be toxic. The adverse effects of high intakes of niacin include ? ushing of the skin, a tingling sensation in the hands and feet, a red skin rash, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, high blood sugar levels, abnormalities in liver function, and blurred vision. The UL for adults is 35 mg, but high-dose supplements of one form of niacin (50 mg or greater) are used under medical supervision to treat elevated blood cholesterol (see Chapter 5). Another form is under investigation for its bene? ts in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. When vitamins are taken in large doses to treat diseases that are not due to vitamin de? iencies, they are really being used as drugs rather than vitamins. Biotin: eggs contain it but can block its use You probably know that you shouldn’t eat raw eggs because they can contain harmful bacteria, but did you know that eating raw eggs could cause a biotin de? ciency? Raw egg whites contain a protein called avidin that tightly binds biotin and prevents its absorption. Biotin was discovered when rats fed protein derived from raw egg whites developed a syndrome of hair loss, dermatitis, and neuromuscular dysfunction. Thoroughly cooking eggs kills bacteria and denatures avidin so that it cannot bind biotin (Figure 8. 1). FIGURE 8. 11 Raw eggs are often used to make high-protein health drinks. This is not recommended because raw eggs may contain bacteria that can make you sick, and egg whites contain a protein that makes biotin unavailable. (Charles D. Winters) Biotin is important in energy production and glucose synthesis Biotin is a coenzyme for a group of enzymes that add an acid group to molecules. It functions in energy production and in glucose synthesis. It is also important in the metabolism of fatty acids and amino acids (see Figure 8. 3). Although biotin de? iency is uncommon, it has been observed in those frequently consuming raw egg whites as well as people with malabsorption or protein-energy malnutrition, those receiving intravenous fe edings lacking biotin, and those taking certain anticonvulsant drugs for long periods. 3 Biotin de? ciency in humans causes nausea, thinning hair, loss of hair color, a red skin rash, depression, lethargy, hallucinations, and tingling of the extremities. Biotin is consumed in the diet and made by bacteria in the gut Good sources of biotin in the diet include cooked eggs, liver, yogurt, and nuts. Fruit and meat are poor sources. Biotin is also synthesized by bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. Some of this is absorbed into the body and contributes to our biotin needs. An AI of 30 mg per day has been established for adults based on the amount of biotin found in a typical North American diet. High doses of biotin have not resulted in toxicity symptoms; there is no UL for biotin. Pantothenic acid: widely distributed in food and widely used in the body Pantothenic acid, which gets its name from the Greek word pantos (meaning â€Å"from everywhere†), is widely distributed in foods. It is particularly abundant in meat, eggs, whole grains, and legumes. It is found in lesser amounts in milk, vegetables, and fruits. In addition to being â€Å"from everywhere† in the diet, pantothenic acid seems to be needed everywhere in the body. It is part of a key coenzyme needed for the breakdown of carbohydrates, fatty acids, and amino acids as well as the modi? cation of proteins and the synthesis of neurotransmitters, steroid hormones, and hemoglobin. Pantothenic acid is also part of a coenzyme essential for the synthesis of cholesterol and fatty acids (see Figure 8. 3). The wide distribution of pantothenic acid in foods makes de? ciency rare in humans. It may occur as part of a multiple B vitamin de? iency resulting from malnutrition or chronic alcoholism. The AI is 5 mg per day for adults. Pantothenic acid is relatively nontoxic and there are not suf? cient data to establish a UL. 3 248 Chapter 8 The Vitamins Vitamin B6 Is Important in Protein Metabolism Vitamin B6 is one of only two B vitamins that we still know by its number. The ch emical name for vitamin B6 is pyridoxine but we rarely hear it called this. The important role of vitamin B6 in amino acid metabolism distinguishes it from the other B vitamins. Vitamin B6 is needed to synthesize and break down amino acids Vitamin B6 has three forms—pyridoxal, pyridoxine, and pyridoxamine. These can be converted into the active coenzyme form, pyridoxal phosphate, which is needed for the activity of more than 100 enzymes involved in the metabolism of carbohydrate, fat, and protein. It is particularly important in amino acid synthesis and breakdown; without vitamin B6 the non-essential amino acids cannot be made in the body (Figure 8. 12). Pyridoxal phosphate is needed to synthesize hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells, and is important for the immune system because it is needed to form white blood cells. It is also needed for the conversion of tryptophan to niacin, the release of glucose from the carbohydrate storage molecule glycogen, the synthesis of certain neurotransmitters, and the synthesis of the lipids that are part of the myelin coating on nerves, which is essential for normal transmission of nerve signals. Vitamin B6 de? ciency causes numbness and tingling Vitamin B6 de? ciency causes neurological symptoms including numbness and tingling in the hands and feet as well as depression, headaches, confusion, and seizures. These symptoms may be related to the role of vitamin B6 in neurotransmitter synthesis and myelin formation. Anemia also occurs in vitamin B6 de? ciency, because without B6 hemoglobin cannot be synthesized normally. Other de? ciency symptoms such as poor growth, skin lesions, and decreased antibody formation may occur because of the central role vitamin B6 plays in protein and energy metabolism. Since vitamin B6 is needed for amino acid metabolism, the onset of a de? ciency can be hastened by a diet that is low in vitamin B6 but high in protein. H H2N C C O OH Amino acids NH2 C O OH B6 Energy production and glucose synthesis B6 B6 FIGURE 8. 12 Vitamin B6 is essential for many different types of reactions involving amino acids. It is needed to remove the acid group so neurotransmitters can be synthesized, to remove the amino group so what remains can be used to produce energy or synthesize glucose, and to transfer an amino group to make a new amino acid. Neurotransmitter synthesis NH2 Synthesis of nonessential amino acids Vitamin B6 Is Important in Protein Metabolism Folic acid from food and supplements 249 DNA synthesis Active folate Vitamin B12 Inactive folate Methionine High levels in the FIGURE 8. 13 blood increase cardiovascular The accumulation of homocysteine in the blood is associated with an disease risk Homocysteine Vitamin B6 increased risk of heart disease. Vitamins B6, B12, and folate, are needed to keep homocysteine levels in the normal range. Vitamin B6 is needed to break down homocysteine. Vitamin B12 and folate are needed to convert homocysteine to methionine. Vitamin B6 status is related to heart disease risk Vitamin B6 is needed to break down the amino acid homocysteine. If B6 levels are low, homocysteine can’t be broken down and levels rise. Even a mild elevation in blood homocysteine levels has been shown to be a risk factor for heart disease (Figure 8. 13). Two other B vitamins, folate and vitamin B12 are also involved in homocysteine metabolism. These are needed to convert homocysteine to the amino acid methionine. If they are unavailable, homocysteine levels will increase. A study that examined the effect of folate and vitamin B6 intake in women found that those with the highest levels in their diets had about half the risk of coronary heart disease as women wit h the lowest levels. 5 Both animal and plant foods are good sources of vitamin B6 Animal sources of vitamin B6 include chicken, ? sh, pork, and organ meats. Good plant sources include whole wheat products, brown rice, soybeans, sun? ower seeds, and some fruits and vegetables such as bananas, broccoli, and spinach (Figure 8. 14). Re? ned grains, like white rice and white bread, are not good sources of vitamin B6, because the vitamin is lost in re? ning whole grains but is not added back in enrichment. It is added to many forti? ed breakfast cereals; these make an important contribution to vitamin B6 intake. 6 It is destroyed by heat and light, so it can easily be lost in processing. The RDA for vitamin B6 is 1. 3 mg per day for both adult men and women 19 to 50 years of age. A 3-ounce (85-g) serving of chicken, ? sh, or pork, or half a baked potato, provides about one-fourth of the RDA for an average adult; a banana provides about one-third. Too much vitamin B6 is toxic For years people assumed that because water-soluble vitamins were excreted in the urine they could not cause toxic reactions. However, reports in the 1980’s of seve re nerve impairment in individuals taking 2 to 6 g of pyridoxine per day showed these assumptions to be false. 7 The reactions of some supplement users were so severe that they were unable to walk; symptoms improved when the pyridoxine supplements were stopped. The UL for adults is set at 100 mg per day from food and supplements. 3 Despite the potential for toxicity, high-dose supplements of vitamin B6 containing 100 mg per dose (5000% of the Daily Value) are available over the counter, making it easy to obtain a dose that exceeds the UL. These supplements are taken to reduce the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), treat carpal tunnel syndrome, and strengthen immune function. Although studies have not found a relationship between carpal tunnel syndrome and vitamin B6 status, some studies report that low-dose supplements of vitamin B6 may reduce symptoms of PMS and improve immune function. Individuals with an inherited disease called homocysteinuria have extremely high levels of homocysteine in their blood and may have heart attacks and strokes by the age of 2. 250 Chapter 8 The Vitamins RDA Sunflower seeds (1/4 c) Walnuts (1/4 c) Peanuts (1/4 c) Lentils (1 c) Pork (3 oz) Beef (3 oz) Trout (3 oz) Chicken (3 oz) 2% Milk (1 c) Cheddar che ese (1. 5 oz) Orange juice (1 c) Kiwi (2 med) Apple (1 med) Corn (1/2 c) Asparagus (1/2 c) Spinach, raw (1 c) Oatmeal (1 c) Spaghetti (1 c) Brown rice (1 c) White bread (2 sl) Whole-wheat bread (2 sl) 0 0. 0. 8 Vitamin B6 (mg) 1. 2 FIGURE 8. 14 Vitamin B6 content of selections from each group of the Food Guide Pyramid. The dashed line represents the RDA for men and women up to 50 years of age. The best sources are meats, legumes, and whole grains. (David Bishop/Foodpix/PictureArts Corp. ) PMS causes mood swings, food cravings, bloating, tension, depression, headaches, acne, breast tenderness, anxiety, temper outbursts, and over 100 other symptoms. Because vitamin B6 is needed for the synthesis of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, insuf? ient vitamin B6 has been suggested to cause the anxiety, irritability, and depression associated with PMS by reducing levels of these neurotransmitters. Trials on the effect of vitamin B6 supplements on PMS have had con? icting resultsâ⠂¬â€ in some cases low-dose supplements appear to be effective in reducing symptoms. 9 Vitamin B6 supplements have been found to improve immune function in older adults, but the reason for the improvement is unclear. 10 Immune function can be impaired by a de? ciency of any nutrient that hinders cell growth and division. Therefore, one of the most common claims for vitamin supplements in general is that they improve immune function. Vitamin B6 is no exception. Since the elderly frequently have low intakes of vitamin B6, it is unclear whether the bene? cial effects of supplements are due to an improvement in vitamin B6 status or immune system stimulation. Folate and Vitamin B12 Are Needed for Cell Division Inside the nucleus of every cell is the DNA that holds the genetic code. Before a cell can divide it must make a copy of its DNA. The B vitamin folate is needed for the synthesis of DNA and vitamin B12 is needed to keep folate active. Therefore if either B12 or folate is missing, DNA cannot be copied and new cells cannot be made correctly. As a result of this interdependency, many of the same symptoms are seen when either vitamin B12 or folate are de? cient. Folate: important for rapidly dividing cells A number of different forms of folate are needed for the synthesis of DNA and the metabolism of some amino acids. Because folate is needed for cells to replicate, it is particularly important in tissues where cells are dividing rapidly such the bone marrow, where red blood cells are made, and the developing tissues of an unborn baby. Folate and Vitamin B12 Are Needed for Cell Division 251 folate adequate folate deficient Normal cell division Red blood cells Red blood cell precursor FIGURE 8. 15 Cells are unable to divide (megaloblast) Macrocyte Megaloblastic or macrocytic anemia occurs when developing blood cells are unable to divide, leaving large immature red blood cells (megaloblasts) and large mature red blood cells (macrocytes). Folate de? ciency results in anemia One of the most notable symptoms of folate de? ciency is anemia. Without folate, developing red blood cells cannot divide. Instead, they just grow bigger (Figure 8. 15). Fewer mature red cells are produced so the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is reduced. This condition is called megaloblastic or macrocytic anemia. Other symptoms of folate de? ciency include poor growth, problems in nerve development and function, diarrhea, and in? ammation of the tongue. Groups most at risk of a folate de? ciency include pregnant women and premature infants because of their rapid rate of cell division and growth; the elderly because of their limited intake of foods high in folate; alcoholics because alcohol inhibits folate absorption; and tobacco smokers because smoke inactivates folate in the cells lining the lungs. Folate intake is related to neural tube defects A low folate intake increases the risk of birth defects that affect the brain and spinal cord called neural tube defects (Figure 8. 16). The exact role of folate in neural tube development is not known, but it is necessary for a critical step called neural tube closure. Neural tube closure occurs ve ry early in pregnancy—only 28 days after conception—when most women may not yet even know they are pregnant. Therefore to reduce the risk of these defects, folate status must be adequate before a pregnancy begins and during the early critical days of pregnancy (see Chapter 12). However, folate is not the only factor contributing to neural tube defects. Not every pregnant woman with low folate levels gives birth to a child with a neural tube defect. Instead, these birth defects are probably due to a combination of factors that are aggravated by low folate levels. Folate status may affect heart disease and cancer risk Low folate intake may increase the risk of heart disease because of its relation to homocysteine levels (see Figure 8. 13). Low folate status may also increase the risk of developing cancer L Megaloblastic or macrocytic anemia * A condition in which there are abnormally large immature and mature red blood cells and a reduction in the total number of red blood cells and the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. L Neural tube defects Irregularities in * the formation of the portion of the embryo that develops into the brain and spinal cord. These occur early in development and result in brain and spinal cord abnormalities. Vertebrae Spinal cord Vertebrae Spinal cord FIGURE 8. 16 Early in pregnancy, the neural tube develops into the brain and spinal cord. If folate is inadequate during neural tube closure, neural tube defects such as spina bi? da, shown here, occur more frequently. In spina bi? da the bones that make up the back do not completely surround the spinal cord, allowing membranes, ? uid, and, in severe cases, the nerves of the spinal cord to bulge out where they are unprotected. Normal spine Spine with spina bifida 252 Chapter 8 The Vitamins For more information on folic acid and birth defects, go to the Spina Bifida Association of America at www. sbaa. org of the uterus, cervix, lungs, stomach, esophagus, and colon. Although folate de? iency does not cause cancer, it has been hypothesized that low folate intake enhances an underlying predisposition to cancer. The relation between folate and cancer is strongest for colon cancer. Alcohol consumption greatly increases the cancer risk associated with a low folate diet. 11 L Dietary folate equivalent (DFE) A unit * used to express the amount of folate available to the body that accounts for the higher bioavailability of folic acid in supplements and enriched foods compared to folate found naturally in foods. One DFE is equivalent to 1 g of folate naturally occurring in food, 0. 6 g of synthetic folic acid from forti? d food or supplements consumed with food, or 0. 5 g of synthetic folic acid consumed on an empty stomach. Vegetables, legumes, oranges, and grains are good sources of folate Asparagus, oranges, legumes, liver, and yeast are excellent food sources of folate. Fair sources include grains, corn, snap beans, mustard greens, and broccoli, as well as some nuts. Small amounts are found in meats, cheese, milk, fruits, and other vegetables (Figure 8. 17). Folic acid is added to enriched grain products, including enriched breads, ? ours, corn meal, pasta, grits, and rice. If you look at the label on a bag of enriched ? ur you will see that it is forti? ed with folic acid. Folic acid is a stable form of folate that rarely occurs naturally in food but is used in supplements and forti? ed foods; it is more easily absorbed than natural folate. In the 3-year period after the forti? cation of grain products with folic acid, the incidence of neural tube defects decreased by 25%. 12 Women of childbearing age need extra folate The RDA for folate is set at 400 g dietary folate equivalents (DFEs) per day for adult men and women. Expressing needs in DFEs allows one unit to be used for all the forms of folate; one DFE is equal to 1 g of food folate, 0. g of synthetic folic acid from forti? ed food or supplements consumed with food, or 0. 5 g of synthetic folic acid consumed on an empty stomach. Because supplementing folic acid early in pregnancy has been shown to reduce neural tube defects, a special recommendation is made for women capable of becoming pregnant; 400 g of synthetic folic acid from forti? ed foods and/or supplements is recommended in addition to the food folate consumed in RDA Sunflower seeds (1/4 c) Walnuts (1/4 c) Peanuts (1/4 c) Lentils (1 c) Pork (3 oz) Beef (3 oz) Trout (3 oz) Chicken (3 oz) 2% Milk (1 c) Cheddar cheese (1. oz) Orange juice (1 c) Kiwi (2 med) Apple (1 med) Corn (1/2 c) Asparagus (1/2 c) Spinach, raw (1 c) Oatmeal (1 c) Spaghetti (1 c) Brown rice (1 c) White bread (2 sl) Whole-wheat bread (2 sl) 0 100 200 Folate ( µg DFE) 300 400 FIGURE 8. 17 Folate content of selections from each group of the Food Guide Pyramid. The dashed line represents the RDA for adults. Legumes, forti? ed foods, and some fruits and vegetables are good sources. (George Semple) Folate and Vitamin B12 Are Needed for Cell Division 253 PIECE IT TOGETHER Is It Hard to Meet Folate Recommendations? Marcia would like to have a baby but before she tries to conceive, she wants to be sure she is in the best condition possible. She consults her physician who gives her a clean bill of health but suggests she make sure she is getting enough folate. women who are capable of becoming pregnant should consume 400 g of folic acid from forti? ed foods or supplements each day in addition to the folate found in a varied diet. Folic acid is added to enriched grains, so it can be found in any food that contains enriched grains; you can check the ingredient list to see if the food you have chosen contains added folic acid. The percent Daily Value includes both the natural folate and added folic acid. W HY IS FOLATE A CONCERN FOR WOMEN CAPABLE OF BECOMING PREGNANT ? M Research shows that consuming extra folic acid can reduce the risk of a type of birth defect called a neural tube defect that affects an unborn child’s brain or spinal cord. For the extra folic acid to be bene? cial, it must be consumed for at least a month before conception and continued for a month after. Since many pregnancies are not planned, it is recommended that all women of childbearing age consume 400 g of folic acid from forti? d foods or supplements. Marcia records her food intake for 1 day to determine her folate intake: Food Breakfast Oatmeal, regular Milk Banana Orange juice Coffee Lunch Hamburger Hamburger bun French fries Coke Apple Dinner Chicken Refried beans White rice Tortilla Salad Salad dressing Milk Cake Total Servings 1 cup 1 cup 1 medium 8 ounces 1 cup 1 1 20 pieces 12 ounces 1 medium 3 ounces 1/2 cup 1 cup 1 1 cup 1 Tbsp 1 cup 1 piece Total Folate ( g) 2 12 22 75 0 11 32 24 0 4 4 106 80 60 64 1 12 32 541 g FOLATE INTAKE MEET THE W HICH FOODS IN M ARCIA’ S DIET ARE HIGHEST IN FOLATE ? O F THESE , WHICH DO YOU THINK HAVE BEEN FORTIFIED WITH FOLIC ACID ? M Food Rice Orange juice Your answers: Amount 80 g 75 g Natural Forti? ed W HY IS THE OATMEAL LOW IN FOLATE BUT THE OTHER GRAIN PRODUCTS ARE GOOD FOLATE SOURCES ? M Oatmeal is a whole grain, so it has not been forti? ed with folic acid. The other grain products in her diet, such as the white rice, tortilla, and hamburger bun, are re? ned so they contain added folic acid. Even though Marcia is trying to increase her intake of the folic acid form of this vitamin she should not pass up whole grains—they are good sources of most B vitamins, minerals, and ? er. L IST SOME MODIFICATIONS M ARCIA COULD MAKE IN HER DIET TO PROVIDE THE RECOMMENDED AMOUNTS AND FORMS OF FOLATE ? M Your answer: W OULD YOU RECOMMEND M ARCIA TAKE A FOLATE SUPPLEMENT ? D OES M ARCIA’ S RDA? Your answer: M Yes. Marica consumes 541 g of folate, which is greater than the RDA of 400 g DFE, but her doctor told her that M 254 Chapter 8 The Vitamins Not everyone needs a folate supplement. If you are male or a female who is too young or too old to have a baby, the amount of folate you get from a healthy diet will meet your needs. Even women of childbearing age can get enough folic acid without a supplement if they eat enough folic acid forti? ed foods. a varied diet. The folic acid form is recommended because it is the form that has been shown to reduce birth defects. This recommendation is made for all women of childbearing age because folate is needed very early in a pregnancy—before most women are aware that they are pregnant. To get 400 g of folic acid, you would need to eat 4 to 6 servings of forti? ed grain products each day or take a supplement containing folic acid. Excess folate can mask anemia caused by vitamin B12 de? ciency Although extra folate is recommended for pregnant women, too much is a concern for some groups. There is no known folate toxicity, but a high intake may mask the early symptoms of vitamin B12 de? ciency, allowing it to go untreated so irreversible nerve damage can occur. The UL for adults is set at 1000 g per day of folate from supplements and/or forti? ed foods. This value was determined based on the progression of neurological symptoms seen in patients who are de? cient in vitamin B12 and taking folate supplements. L Pernicious anemia An anemia * resulting from vitamin B de? ciency that 12 Vitamin B12: absorption requires intrinsic factor If you lived in the early 1900’s and developed a condition called pernicious anemia, it was a death sentence. There was no cure. In the 1920’s researchers George Minot and William Murphy pursued their belief that pernicious anemia could be cured by something in the diet. Their experiments were able to restore good health to patients by feeding them about 4 to 8 ounces of slightly cooked liver at every meal. Today we know that liver contains high levels of vitamin B12. We also know that pernicious anemia is not actually caused by a lack of the vitamin in the diet, but rather an inability to absorb the vitamin. Vitamin B12 absorption requires a protein called intrinsic factor that is produced by cells in the stomach lining. With the help of stomach acid, intrinsic factor binds to vitamin B12 and this vitamin B12-intrinsic factor complex is then absorbed in the small intestine. When very large amounts of the vitamin are consumed, some can be absorbed without intrinsic factor. This is why Minot and Murphy were able to cure pernicious anemia with extremely high dietary doses of the vitamin. Today, pernicious anemia is treated with injections of vitamin B12 rather than plates full of liver. occurs due to a lack of a protein called intrinsic factor needed to absorb dietary vitamin B12. L Intrinsic factor A protein produced * in the stomach that is needed for the absorption of adequate amounts of vitamin B12. L Cobalamin The chemical term for * vitamin B . 12 Vitamin B12 is needed for nerve function Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin, is necessary for the maintenance of myelin, which is the coating that insulates nerves and is essential for nerve transmission. Vitamin B12 is also needed for the production of energy from certain fatty acids and to convert homocysteine to methionine (see Figure 8. 13). This reaction also converts folate from an inactive form to a form that functions in DNA synthesis. Because of the need for vitamin B12 in folate metabolism, a de? ciency can cause a secondary folate de? ciency and, consequently, macrocytic anemia. Symptoms of vitamin B12 de? ciency include an increase in blood homocysteine levels and anemia that is indistinguishable from that seen in folate de? ciency. Other symptoms include numbness and tingling, bnormalities in gait, memory loss, and disorientation due to degeneration of the myelin that coats the nerves, spinal cord, and brain. If not treated, this eventually causes paralysis and death. Consuming extra folate can mask a vitamin B12 de? ciency When the diet is de? cient in vitamin B12, consuming extra folate can mask the vitamin B12 de? ciency by preventing the appearance of anemia. If the d e? ciency is not treated, the other symptoms of B12 de? ciency, such as nerve damage, progress and can be irreversible. This connection between folate and vitamin B12 has raised concerns that our folate-forti? d food supply may allow B12 de? ciencies to go unnoticed. So far, this