{"id":1767,"date":"2020-01-18T19:38:42","date_gmt":"2020-01-18T14:08:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/?p=1767"},"modified":"2022-04-14T08:00:28","modified_gmt":"2022-04-14T08:00:28","slug":"vitamin-a-roles-deficiency-and-sources","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/vitamin-a-roles-deficiency-and-sources\/","title":{"rendered":"Vitamin A: Roles, Deficiency and Sources"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Vitamin A is a <strong>fat-soluble Vitamin<\/strong> and a potent <strong>antioxidant<\/strong>. Our body stores Vitamin A in the liver for later use. Vitamin A is found in different forms in the body \u2013 <strong>Retinol is the active form<\/strong> of Vitamin A, <strong>retinyl ester is the storage form<\/strong> while <strong>beta carotene is the precursor form and is converted to Vitamin A in the body<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on the food source, Vitamin A in our diet is also\nfound in two forms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Retinol or \u2018pre-formed\u2019 Vitamin A is mostly found in animal-based products<\/strong>, like meat and dairy, that can be readily assimilated in our bodies.<br> <\/li><li><strong>Carotenoids or Provitamin A is mostly found in fruits and vegetables<\/strong> and is the dietary precursor of retinol i.e. it is converted to retinol in our bodies after the food has been ingested.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Functions\nof Vitamin A<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vitamin A is\nimportant for maintaining good overall health and <strong>play key roles in vision\nhealth, immunity, reproduction, cell growth and combating free radicals<\/strong>.\nFunctions of Vitamin A include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:20px\"><strong>1. Eye protection<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Arguably, the biggest contribution of Vitamin\nA is in the maintenance of eye health. It forms a component of <strong>rhodopsin<\/strong>,\nthe protein responsible for our in vision in <strong>low-light conditions and colour\nvision<\/strong>. Vitamin A also <strong>reduces eye infections<\/strong> by producing tears and\nkeeping the cornea lubricated. Vitamin A also <strong>decreases the risk of vision\nloss from age related macular degeneration<\/strong>. Studies have shown that Vitamin\nA assists in the effective treatment of eye conditions such as superior limbic\nkeratoconjunctivitis, a condition in which multiple regions of the eye are\ninflamed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:20px\"><strong>2. Anti-inflammatory properties<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vitamin A plays an important role in the <strong>development and maintenance of the immune system<\/strong> owing to its anti-inflammatory properties. As per multiple studies, Vitamin A is found to reduce morbidity and mortality [number of deaths] resulting from measles, malaria, and diarrhoea, among other infantile infectious diseases [1].<br>Vitamin A <strong>supports the immune function<\/strong> by supporting the growth and distribution of T and B cells, a type of white blood cells essential for fighting certain infections [2].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:20px\"><strong>3. Maintenance of skin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vitamin A helps with the <strong>growth of epithelial tissue<\/strong>, including the various tracts within the human body. <strong>It reduces dryness in skin<\/strong> by improving cell turnover, wherein dead skin cells are constantly being replaced by newer, younger cells. Many <strong>skin creams contain retinol or retinoic acid<\/strong> and have been clinically proven to reduce skin-related issues like acne, blemishes, and discoloration. Vitamin A also plays a key role <strong>in maintaining healthy mucous membranes<\/strong> that glaze one\u2019s cheeks and gums. It prevents the mouth from drying out and promotes the production of saliva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:20px\"><strong>4. Maintain reproductive health<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vitamin A is crucial for the reproductive health of both men and women. It is responsible for spermatogenesis, or the <strong>growth of sperm<\/strong>, and the upkeep of the male genital tract. During pregnancy, Vitamin A is instrumental in the <strong>growth and development of the embryo<\/strong> and the <strong>formation of the placenta<\/strong>. <br>Studies have shown that deficiency of Vitamin A can increase the chances of infertility by reducing the formation of sperm, reducing the quality of ovum and influencing implantation in the womb.[3]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>Effects of Vitamin A Deficiency<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A long-term deficiency of this\nVitamin can cause disturbances in<strong> metabolism, immunity, and eye health<\/strong>.\nThe deficiency of Vitamin A can manifest in the following conditions &#8211; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:20px\"><strong>1. Eye related conditions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The deficiency of Vitamin A can lead to multiple eye problems that fall under the umbrella-term \u2018xerophthalmia\u2019; a progressive eye condition characterized by the inability to produce tears. Due to low moisture, <strong>mucous membranes degenerate<\/strong>, leading to severe dryness in the cornea and conjunctiva. Conjunctivitis and corneal ulcers can also occur. Other conditions associated with the deficiency of Vitamin A include <strong>blurry vision<\/strong>, <strong>night blindness<\/strong> (compromised in low-light conditions) and keratomalacia (<strong>softening and clouding of cornea<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:20px\"><strong>2. Skin related conditions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vitamin A deficiency can cause <strong>eruption of patches of dry skin<\/strong> on the elbows, shoulders, and knees with prominent red follicles due to the overproduction of keratin. This is called follicular hyperkeratosis. General dryness, called xerosis, can lead to scales and wrinkles on the skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:20px\"><strong>3. Impaired immunity<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mucous membranes are responsible for trapping small particles and foreign substances in the gastrointestinal, respiratory and genitourinary tracts. They prevent pathogens from entering our bodies, thereby forming an indispensable component of our immune system. <strong>Vitamin A deficiency dries out the mucous membranes<\/strong>, resulting in <strong>impaired immunity against microbes and parasites<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:20px\"><strong>4. Compromised growth of foetus and children under 5y<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vitamin A is one of\nthe most essential nutrients to be consumed during pregnancy for the\ndevelopment of the embryo. The importance of Vitamin A cements thereon, going\ninto infancy, through childhood, as it <strong>supports rapid growth<\/strong> and <strong>tackles\ninfections<\/strong>. A child deficient in Vitamin A is more <strong>prone to infantile\ninfectious diseases<\/strong>, like measles, malaria, and night-blindness. Consequently,\nthe growth of such a child can be stunted due to the onset of such illnesses. Vitamin\nA deficiency can cause a severe impact on pregnant women and children under the\nage of 5. Vitamin A deficiency has been found to be the foremost cause of\npreventable blindness in children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"541\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/VitA-Effect-541x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1773\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/VitA-Effect-541x1024.png 541w, https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/VitA-Effect-158x300.png 158w, https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/VitA-Effect.png 700w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 541px) 100vw, 541px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>How to Combat Vitamin A Deficiency<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vitamin A deficiency can be countered using foods. India Council of Medical Research recommends a daily Vitamin A intake of <strong>600 mcg for men and women<\/strong> with a higher requirement of <strong>800 mcg and 950 mcg for pregnant and lactating women<\/strong> respectively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"942\" src=\"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/VitA-RDA.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1779\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/VitA-RDA.png 700w, https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/VitA-RDA-223x300.png 223w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Below are the <strong>top food sources to help boost your Vitamin A levels<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li><strong>Liver<br><\/strong>Be it turkey, lamb, fish or chicken \u2013 liver is an outstanding source of Vitamin A in Retinol form. The liver can pack as much as 300-500% of an adult male\u2019s RDA.<br>Lamb&#8217;s liver provides <strong>7391 mcg<\/strong>, duck liver provides <strong>11984 mcg<\/strong> and chicken liver provides <strong>3290 mcg<\/strong> Retinol per 100 g portion size<\/li><li><strong>Ghee and butter<\/strong><br>Ghee finds its origin in Indian cooking and has been known for its therapeutic properties for ages. Ghee is also known for its healing properties for skin owing to its antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Ghee can provide <strong>900 mcg<\/strong> of Retinal per 100 g. The Vitamin A content of ghee varies with brand and quality.<br>Cheddar cheese provides <strong>341 mcg<\/strong> while butter provides <strong>671 mcg<\/strong> of Retinol per 100 g portion size.<\/li><li><strong>Carrot<\/strong><br>As if we need any more reasons to eat <em>gaajar ka halwa<\/em>, 100 g of carrots contain <strong>10605 mcg<\/strong> of beta-carotene. This beta carotene is then converted into the active form &#8216;Retinol&#8217; in the body.<\/li><li><strong>Sweet potato<\/strong><br>Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A with 100 g providing <strong>8511 mcg<\/strong> of beta carotene.<\/li><li><strong>Green vegetables<\/strong><br>Kale, turnip, spinach and broccoli leaves \u2013 all pack punches with regards to taste and Vitamin A composition. 100 g of Kale provides <strong>9225 mcg<\/strong> of beta carotene, followed by turnip with <strong>6952 mcg<\/strong>, spinach with <strong>1688 mcg<\/strong> and broccoli with <strong>361 mcg<\/strong> of beta carotene per 100 g portion size.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"700\" height=\"916\" src=\"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/VitA-food.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1777\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/VitA-food.png 700w, https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/VitA-food-229x300.png 229w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong>In Conclusion\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vitamin A plays an <strong>instrumental\nrole in our vision, eye health and immunity<\/strong>. A deficiency of Vitamin A can\ncause eye related conditions such as blurry vision, dryness, and vision\nimpairment. The deficiency of Vitamin A is essentially more prominent for\npregnant women and children under the age of 5. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is important for us to address\nVitamin A deficiency and include Vitamin A rich food sources in our daily diet.\nWe can get Vitamin A in the form of retinol from animal sources or\nbeta-carotene from dietary sources. All it takes is Vitamin A rich nutrition,\nawareness and a resolve to build a deficient free India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>#ShareIfYouCare #RepublicofDeficiency<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sources:<\/strong><br>[1] Huang, Zhiyi &amp; Liu, Yu &amp; Qi, Guangying &amp; Brand, David &amp; Zheng, Song. (2018). Role of Vitamin A in the Immune System. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 7. 258. 10.3390\/jcm7090258.<br>[2] https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6162863\/<br>[3] https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3257687\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Vitamin A is a fat-soluble Vitamin and a potent antioxidant. Our body stores Vitamin A in the liver for later use. Vitamin A is found in different forms in the body \u2013 Retinol is the active form of Vitamin A, retinyl ester is the storage form while beta carotene is the precursor form and is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1785,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"categories":[38,12,1,25],"tags":[83,187,188],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/VitA-Thumbnail-1.png","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/VitA-Thumbnail-1.png","author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/author\/admin\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1767"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1767"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1767\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3733,"href":"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1767\/revisions\/3733"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1767"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1767"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.truebasics.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1767"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}