VITAMIN A: ROLE, DEFICIENCY AND TOP SOURCES

      Vitamin A, which is mainly present in golden-colored fruits and dark vegetables, serves many essential roles in the human body including eyesight and immunity.     In this article you will find answers to commonly asked questions, like: What is the role of vitamin A in human body? What are the food sources of vitamin A? What is the daily requirement of vitamin A in children and in adults? What are the deficiency symptoms of vitamin A?

ROLE OF VITAMIN A IN THE BODY

• To enable vision in the dim light by producing a pigment called rhodopsin in the retina

• To maintain the structural integrity of epithelial cells, the cells which cover the skin externally and
respiratory, gastrointestinal and urinary tracts internally, producing adequate body discharges

• To bring about normal sperm growth and fetal development

WHO IS AT THE RISK OF DEVELOPING VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY?

• Children from the age of 6 months to 6 years: mainly occurs in poor and developing countries where nearly 2,50,000 (minimum) children go blind every year and half of those die.

• In the latter half of pregnancy: this also occurs in poor countries with a deficient diet.

• Chronic alcoholics with defective function of the liver, the place where Vitamin A is stored

• Patients with diseases of mucous membrane like coeliac disease, chron's disease, cystic fibrosis etc.

DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS OF VITAMIN A

• Dryness of the eyes called xerosis, softening of the cornea called keratomalacia and eventually night blindness

• Dryness of the skin

• Increased susceptibility to the infections of gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract

• Infertility in males, miscarriage in females and birth defects in foetuses

• Growth retardation in children, decreased likelihood of survival in childhood illnesses

• Increased tendency of stone formation in the urinary tract

• DAILY REQUIREMENTS:
Children: 2500 IU/day
Adults: 5000 IU/day
Pregnancy and Lactation: 10000 IU/day

            Top Ten Sources of Vitamin A

Read More: Vitamin A, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E

 ➢BOOKS YOU SHOULDN'T MISS:

1. Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition by T. Colin Campbell and Howard Jacobson

2. Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future by David Wolfe

3. The Great American Health Hoax: The Surprising Truth About How Modern Medicine Keeps You Sick by Raymond Francis

4. Mayo Clinic A to Z Health Guide by Mayo Clinic (Authors)

5. I've Been Thinking . . .: Reflections, Prayers, and Meditations for a Meaningful Life by Maria Shriver

6. Genetics Isn't Everything: How to Make Your 'G-e-n-e-s' Fit You by Katherine S. Egan

7. How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease by Michael Greger M.D.

References:

1. Book - The Essential Guide to Vitamins, Minerals and Herbal Supplements 

2. Book - Eat Your Vitamins: Your Guide to Using Natural Foods to Get the Vitamins, Minerals, and Nutrients Your Body Needs 

3. Diet in Vitamin A Research - Clinical research  

4. Vitamin A Fact Sheet for Health Professionals - Research findings  

5. Studies of Vitamin A Deficiency in Children - Clinical studies

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