Vitamins & Minerals Quiz

Question 1

Which vitamin is produced by the skin when exposed to sunlight, and deficiency in it is extremely common worldwide?

Accepted Answer

Vitamin D

Answer

Vitamin A

Answer

Vitamin B12

Answer

Vitamin C

Question 2

Scurvy is caused by deficiency of which vitamin?

Accepted Answer

Vitamin C

Answer

Vitamin A

Answer

Vitamin E

Answer

Vitamin K

Question 3

Which mineral is the most abundant in the human body and is essential for strong bones and teeth?

Accepted Answer

Calcium

Answer

Iron

Answer

Potassium

Answer

Phosphorus

Question 4

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide. What condition does it cause?

Accepted Answer

Iron-deficiency anaemia

Answer

Rickets

Answer

Pellagra

Answer

Beri-beri

Question 5

Which B vitamin deficiency during pregnancy is strongly linked to neural tube defects like spina bifida in babies?

Accepted Answer

Vitamin B9 (folate/folic acid)

Answer

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)

Answer

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin)

Answer

Vitamin B1 (thiamine)

Question 6

Vitamin B12 deficiency is particularly common in which group of people?

Accepted Answer

Strict vegans and vegetarians

Answer

Athletes who overtrain

Answer

Children under the age of 10

Answer

People who eat too much red meat

Question 7

Which fat-soluble vitamin is essential for blood clotting and is found in leafy green vegetables?

Accepted Answer

Vitamin K

Answer

Vitamin A

Answer

Vitamin D

Answer

Vitamin E

Question 8

Which mineral is essential for thyroid hormone production, and which common food has been fortified with it to prevent deficiency?

Accepted Answer

Iodine — fortified in table salt (iodised salt)

Answer

Selenium — fortified in breakfast cereals

Answer

Zinc — fortified in milk

Answer

Magnesium — fortified in orange juice

Question 9

Vitamin A is essential for vision, especially in low light. What condition results from severe vitamin A deficiency?

Accepted Answer

Night blindness and ultimately total blindness

Answer

Macular degeneration

Answer

Cataracts

Answer

Colour blindness

Question 10

Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. Which of the following is NOT a known role of magnesium?

Accepted Answer

Directly building haemoglobin in red blood cells

Answer

Energy production (ATP synthesis)

Answer

Muscle and nerve function

Answer

Blood sugar regulation

Question 11

The fat-soluble vitamins are stored in body fat and can build up to toxic levels if taken in excess. Which group are they?

Accepted Answer

A, D, E, K

Answer

A, B, C, D

Answer

C, D, E, K

Answer

B6, B12, D, E

Question 12

Zinc is an important trace mineral. Which function is zinc most known for supporting?

Accepted Answer

Immune function, wound healing, and protein synthesis

Answer

Oxygen transport in the blood

Answer

Maintaining fluid balance in cells

Answer

Carrying fat-soluble vitamins through the bloodstream

Question 13

Which vitamin is found almost exclusively in citrus fruits, berries, peppers, and broccoli, and acts as an antioxidant?

Accepted Answer

Vitamin C

Answer

Vitamin A

Answer

Vitamin B6

Answer

Vitamin E

Question 14

Pellagra is a disease caused by deficiency of which B vitamin?

Accepted Answer

B3 (niacin)

Answer

B1 (thiamine)

Answer

B2 (riboflavin)

Answer

B5 (pantothenic acid)

Question 15

Potassium is an essential electrolyte. What is its primary role in the body?

Accepted Answer

Maintaining fluid balance inside cells and supporting nerve and muscle function, including heart rhythm

Answer

Forming the hard mineral matrix of bones and teeth

Answer

Carrying oxygen in red blood cells

Answer

Producing stomach acid for digestion

Question 16

Which vitamin is unique in that it can be synthesised by bacteria in the human gut in small amounts, though dietary sources are still essential?

Accepted Answer

Vitamin K

Answer

Vitamin B7 (biotin)

Answer

Vitamin B9 (folate)

Answer

Vitamin D

Question 17

What does 'fortified' mean on a food label, and why is it done?

Accepted Answer

Nutrients (vitamins or minerals) have been added to the food that were not originally present or were depleted during processing

Answer

The food has been processed to remove harmful substances

Answer

The food has been grown organically without pesticides

Answer

The food has been enhanced with extra protein or fibre

Question 18

Which mineral works closely with vitamin D to maintain bone density and prevent osteoporosis?

Accepted Answer

Calcium

Answer

Iron

Answer

Zinc

Answer

Selenium

Question 19

Antioxidant vitamins are thought to protect cells from oxidative damage. Which of the following vitamins are considered the main dietary antioxidants?

Accepted Answer

C, E, and beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A)

Answer

A, B6, and B12

Answer

D, K, and B2

Answer

B3, B9, and K

Question 20

Selenium is an essential trace mineral that functions primarily as what?

Accepted Answer

A component of antioxidant enzymes (selenoproteins) that protect cells from oxidative damage

Answer

A structural component of bones and teeth

Answer

An electrolyte that regulates fluid balance

Answer

A cofactor for haemoglobin production in red blood cells