VITAMIN A

Vitamins are crucial for building, repairing and maintaining healthy tissues and cells. Vitamin ‘A’ is particularly important for vision, skin and bones.

Also known as retinol (because it produces the pigments in the retina of the eye), vitamin ‘A’ is a fat-soluble nutrient. This means it’s absorbed into the body with dietary fat, and then stored in body tissue for later use. 

Taking big doses of vitamin ‘A’ can be poisonous, but your body only converts as much as it needs. You can get vitamin ‘A’ naturally from foods or take it in supplement form. It has several functions, from helping the body’s immune system to fight against illness and infection, to supporting healthy vision, teeth, skin and skeletal and soft tissue.

Good sources of vitamin ‘A’ include cheese, eggs, oily fish, milk, yogurt and liver (although you should avoid liver if pregnant). You can also get vitamin A by consuming plant sources of beta-carotene – found in leafy veg and yellow fruit such as mango, papaya and apricots – as the body can convert this into retinol.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFIT OF VITAMIN ‘A’

Vitamin ‘A’ is important for helping maintain the immune system, supporting your vision (particularly your vision in dull light) and keeping skin healthy. 

“Vitamin ‘A’ is an antioxidant, which means it protects the body from damage caused by free radicals,” he explains. “Free radicals are destructive molecules, which cause oxidative damage and can adversely affect proteins and DNA in our body. This can result in inflammation, cancer and heart disease.”

OTHER BENEFITS OF VITAMIN ‘A’ INCLUDE:

Reduced risk of blindness 

An age-related eye disease study by the National Eye Institute found that taking high levels of antioxidants, such as vitamin ‘A’, along with zinc, might reduce the risk of developing advanced age-related macular degeneration by as much as 25%. Age-related macular degeneration is the most common cause of loss of vision in the older population

Reduced acne and sun damage

Vitamin ‘A’ helps to promote and maintain a healthy dermis and epidermis – the top two layers of the skin. When applied topically, there’s evidence that retinoids (a class of compounds derived from vitamin A) can be used to treat acne and certain signs of sun damage, known as photo aging.

However, a commonly experienced side effect of topical application of retinoids is ‘retinoid dermatitis’, which can lead to skin irritation and scarring, but adjusting the dose can reduce adverse skin reactions. 

Stronger teeth and bones

Vitamin A helps your body absorb calcium so it’s important for oral and bone health. It strengthens tooth enamel and promotes the healthy mucous in the mouth that coats cheeks and gums, making it less susceptible to infection and disease.

It’s also important for healthy bones. Both osteoblasts (bone building cells) and osteoclasts (bone breaking down cells) need vitamin A, but clinical research(opens in new tab) has found that higher vitamin A levels are linked to lower bone density and fractures. 

Protection from free radical damage

As we’ve heard, Vitamin ‘A’ is an antioxidant, protecting cells from free radical damage that can cause illness and aging. Although there is some evidence that antioxidants prevent cancer, taking vitamin A supplements is not effective in prevention, according to the National Cancer Institute.

But taking all-natural beta carotene from foods could help, according to an international study in peer reviewed journal Antioxidants.

SIGN OF VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY

• Poor nighttime vision
• Dry eyes, hair and mouth
• Dry and itchy skin
• Bbrittle nails
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue and more frequent infections

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU TAKE TOO MUCH VITAMIN ‘A’

“Our bodies are clever, meaning you’ll only convert as much beta-carotene into retinol as you need,” says Denby. “Not only this, but your body is able to store any vitamin A that it doesn’t need right away for later use, because vitamin ‘A’ is fat soluble. However, it’s still important not to go absolutely crazy.

“Even though your body can store vitamin ‘A’, prolonged periods of excess vitamin ‘A’ can have adverse effects on bone health, and increase the risk of osteoporosis.”

Other signs of excessive vitamin ‘A’ intake include nausea, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision and fatigue.

“Long-term high intakes of beta-carotene may lead to your skin gaining a yellow-orange tint. This can easily be reversed by reducing your beta-carotene intake,” adds Denby.

If you’re pregnant, large amounts of vitamin ‘A’ can harm your unborn baby so it’s best to avoid eating liver or liver products such as pate, as they are very high in the vitamin.  “Vitamin ‘A’ is teratogenic,” explains Denby, “This means excessive intakes increase the risk of birth defects. Speak to your midwife or health professional if you’re concerned.”

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, vitamin A plays a central role in the regulation of both B-cell and T-cell function acting through gene activation by stimulating transcriptional activity.