The Impact of Vitamin A on The Body

by Toluwani Oyesola March 7, 2022

It is the name of a group of fat-soluble retinoids such as retinal, retinol and retinyl esters [1-3]. Vitamin A is found to exist in two forms such as preformed vitamin A and provitamin A.

Sources of Vitamin A

The two types of vitamin A can be found in different products.

Preformed Vitamin A is also known as the active form of vitamin A, and can be used in its natural form by the body. It can be gotten from animal products such as meat, chicken, fish, Beef liver, egg and diary. It also includes compounds such as retinal, retinol and retinoic acid.

Provitamin A is also known as the inactive form of vitamin A and it made up of a group of carotenoids such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and beta-kryptoxanthin. It can be gotten from plant products such as mango, papaya, sweet potato, winter squash, kale and turnip greens, and is converted to the active form of vitamin A in the body.

Recommended Daily Intake

The recommended amount of vitamin A to be consumed daily is:

For Men 900 micrograms,

For Women 700 micrograms,

For Children and Adolescents between 300 and 600 micrograms

Benefits of Vitamin A

It can help with cell growth.

It can help to develop the immune system.

It can reduce the risk of complications from measles.

It can help to improve the health of bones in the body.

It can help to reduce the risk of death in children of 6-59 months of age.

It can help to improve the functioning of the eyes and slow down age-related decline.

It can help to promote overall health of the reproductive system and ensures normal growth of embryos during pregnancy.

It can help to reduce night blindness by 37% in pregnant women. It may work better when taken with zinc.

It can help to slow the progression of diseases that causes damage to the retina of the eye.

It may help to treat the precancerous lesions that develops in the mouth as a result of oral leucoplakia.

It can be used to improve the skin: When applied to the skin, retinol can help to improve the skin's colour, and reduce the signs of aging such as wrinkles and fine lines. It can also help to reduce the risk of having acne.

When applied to the skin topically, it can help to repair wrinkles from sun damage.

Reduced cancer risks: Beta-carotene can help to decrease the risk of having cancers such as Hodgkin's lymphoma, Cervical cancer, Bladder cancer and even Lung cancer. However, this may be restricted to vitamin A derived from plant foods only.

What Happens When You Have Too Much Vitamin A

When there is excess vitamin A in the body, it can result in the development of:

Hypervitaminosis: A condition caused by consuming too much preformed vitamin A through either your diet or from supplements.

Osteoporosis

Fracture of the Hips.

It can also cause additional side effects such as: Changes in the mental health, Stomach discomfort, Headache, Nausea, Mild fever, Anorexia, Fatigue, Sweating excessively and Getting irritated easily.

Signs of Deficiency

Some of the symptoms of Vitamin A deficiency are:

1. Night Blindness (Nyctalopia).

2. Poor bone health.

3. Skin damage.

What Can Cause Deficiency

Vitamin A deficiency can be caused by several factors such as:

Protein Deficiency, Digestive disorders, Over-active thyroid, Cystic Fibrosis, Diabetes, Fever, Liver disease and Abetalipoproteinemia (an inherited disorder).

Vitamin A is a nutrient that can be used both orally and topically with the amazing benefits it gives the body both internally and externally. However it should only be used in reasonable amounts to prevent severe side effects.