Chapter 31: Question 31.9 (page 1242)

Explain why regularly ingesting a large excess of a fat-soluble vitamin can lead to severe health problems, whereas ingesting a large excess of a water-soluble vitamin often causes no major health problems.

Short Answer

Expert verified

Answer

Fat-soluble vitamins are not excreted from the body with water. Hence, ingesting a fat-soluble vitamin can cause severe health problems.

Water-soluble vitamins are easily excreted out from the body with water. Hence, ingesting a water-soluble vitamin does not cause health problems.

Step by step solution

01

Fat-soluble vitamin

Fat-soluble vitamins are consumed using bile salts and fats. These vitamins do not function as co-enzymes. A few examples of fat-soluble vitamins include vitamin A and D.

02

Water-soluble vitamin

Water-soluble vitamins are easily consumed and do not require bile salts and fats. These vitamins function as co-enzymes. Some examples of water-soluble vitamins include vitamin B and C.

03

Reason for fat-soluble vitamin causing health problems as compared to water-soluble vitamins

Vitamins are vital organic compounds required for normal metabolism. They are classed as fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins.

Fat-soluble vitamins are soluble in fat and insoluble in water. Hence, they are not excreted easily from the body. Therefore, ingesting large excess of fat-soluble vitamins can lead to several health problems.

On the other hand, water-soluble vitamins are soluble in water and insoluble in fat. Hence, they are excreted easily from the body. Therefore, ingesting large excess of water-soluble vitamins does not cause several health problems.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Chemistry Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free