Vitamin A's five major functions include supporting vision (especially in low light), boosting the immune system, promoting healthy skin and epithelial linings, essential for growth and development, and crucial for proper reproductive health, helping everything from cell creation to organ function. It works by regulating gene expression and supporting the integrity of bodily surfaces like skin, lungs, and eyes, and is vital for immune cells and reproductive processes, says National Institutes of Health (NIH) | (.gov) and ScienceDirect.com.
Vitamin A is a nutrient the body uses to support growth, vision and cell function. It's also called retinol or retinoic acid. Vitamin A has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are substances that might protect cells against the effects of free radicals.
Vision loss and blindness can occur. Skin issues: A lack of vitamin A can cause dry, scaly and/or itchy skin. Infertility: Vitamin A plays an important role in your reproductive system. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to trouble conceiving and infertility.
Because of the teratogenic effects secondary to excessive vitamin A intake, the WHO recommends as safe during pregnancy a maximum dose of up to 10,000 IU daily or 25,000 IU weekly after the first 60 days of gestation [10,12,38].
What is this medication? VITAMIN A (VAHY tuh min A) prevents and treats low vitamin A levels in your body. Vitamin A plays an important role in maintaining the health of your eyes, skin, immune system, and reproductive system. It is an antioxidant, which helps to protect your cells.
Vitamin D helps control the sleep-wake cycle.
One way or another, we know that vitamin D is involved in parts of the brain that regulate sleep timing — including hormones that control the sleep-wake cycle. “For example, vitamin D seems to affect how much melatonin is made in the body.
Vitamin A promotes good eyesight, especially in low light. It also has a role in healthy pregnancy and breastfeeding. Some research suggests that taking vitamin A may help reduce the risk of measles, but not death from measles, in children in low-income countries who are at high risk for vitamin A deficiency.
Concentrations of preformed vitamin A are highest in liver, fish, eggs, and dairy products [1]. Most dietary provitamin A in the U.S. diet comes from leafy green vegetables, orange and yellow vegetables, tomato products, fruits, and some vegetable oils [1,5,14].
Vitamins to avoid during pregnancy
You should avoid supplements and multivitamins containing vitamin A (retinol), as too much of it can harm your baby's development. Liver and liver products (including fish liver oil) are also high in vitamin A, so you should avoid these too.
Can vitamin A be harmful? Yes, high intakes of some forms of vitamin A can be harmful. Getting too much preformed vitamin A (usually from supplements or certain medicines) can cause severe headache, blurred vision, nausea, dizziness, muscle aches, and problems with coordination.
A lack of Vitamin E can contribute to itchy and irritated skin. Increase your Vitamin E intake by consuming spinach, almonds, sunflower seeds and avocados. Dry and itchy skin can be a sign of eczema. Learn more about the signs of eczema and natural ways to prevent and treat it.
Vitamin A supports functioning of the conjunctival membranes and cornea. 2 mg/day zeaxanthin Lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids, help neutralize oxidative damage as well as filter high-energy blue light reaching the eye, in turn reducing the risk of AMD and cataracts.
Some studies have also linked riboflavin deficiencies to ophthalmological findings such as blurred vision. Most recently a study by Zhao et al, in 2022 reported on the possible association between riboflavin deficiencies and night-time blindness.
Vitamin A plays a key role in reproduction, normal vision, immune system function, and cellular growth and maintenance of the heart, lungs and kidneys. During pregnancy and lactation, vitamin A needs are increased, but most people in the United States get enough of this nutrient from the foods they eat.
In axiomatic set theory, a function f : Ord → Ord is called normal (or a normal function) if it is continuous (with respect to the order topology) and strictly monotonically increasing.
Drawing sufficient vitamin A from within your diet should prevent any symptoms of deficiency, including hair loss, skin problems, dry eyes and an increased risk of infections. With the recommended daily intake for vitamin A set at 750mcg, a serving of two eggs delivers 14% of the advisable amount.
Folic acid is a synthetic version of the vitamin that you can take as a supplement, usually as a tablet or a powder. Folate is especially important in your diet leading up to pregnancy and for the first three months of pregnancy. This is because folate reduces the baby's risk of neural tube defects (spina bifida).
Skin is a major retinoid-responsive tissue and vitamin A metabolites have been in use for decades for the treatment of various skin conditions, including acne vulgaris and photoaging.
You need 10 micrograms of vitamin D each day. It's recommended pregnant and breastfeeding women take a daily supplement containing this amount between September and March. Between the months of September and March the body cannot make sufficient vitamin D from sunlight alone, which is why a supplement is recommended.
The answer to the question, "Which fruit is rich in vitamin A?" is mango. Known as the king of fruits, it is also a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, minerals, and fiber. A medium-sized mango provides nearly 75% of the daily vitamin A requirement. Mango reduces the risk of certain cancers and other diseases.
Symptoms
Studies show that too much vitamin A can contribute to hair loss, as can too much selenium, although more studies are needed to establish the latter relationship. Alopecia areata (AA) occurs when the immune system attacks the hair follicle. Studies have shown a relationship between AA and low vitamin D levels.
Women who have been through the menopause and older men, who are more at risk of osteoporosis, should avoid having more than 1.5mg of vitamin A a day from food and supplements. This means: not eating liver or liver products, such as pâté, more than once a week, or having smaller portions of these.
Vitamin A plays an important role in your vision. To see the full spectrum of light, your eye needs to produce certain pigments for your retina to work properly. Vitamin A deficiency stops the production of these pigments, leading to night blindness.
Vitamin or mineral deficiency: Skin requires nutrients to keep it healthy. If you're not getting enough vitamin D, vitamin A, niacin, zinc, or iron, you can develop excessively dry skin.