Vitamin A : In News
Higher levels of vitamin A were significantly associated with better lung function in children and adults with asthma.
- Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin primarily stored in the liver.
- Although vitamin A is often considered a single nutrient, it is actually a group of fat-soluble compounds, including retinol, retinal, and retinyl esters.
- There are two types of vitamin A that are found in the diet.
- Preformed vitamin A is found in animal products such as meat, fish, poultry, and dairy foods.
- Precursors to vitamin A, also known as provitamin A, are found in plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables. The most common type of provitamin A is beta-carotene.
- In order to use these two types of vitamin A, the body must convert them into the active forms of the vitamin, retinal and retinoic acid.
- Foods with the highest levels of vitamin A include:
- Beef liver and other organ meats
- Some types of fish such as herring and salmon and cod fish oil
- Eggs
- Dairy products such as cheese and fortified milk
- Fortified breakfast cereals
- Orange and yellow vegetables and fruits, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, mangos, and cantaloupe
- Broccoli, spinach, and most dark green, leafy vegetables.
- It supports cell growth, immune function, fetal development, and vision.
- One of the best-known functions of vitamin A is its role in vision and eye health.
- It is also known as retinol because it produces the pigments in the retina of the eye.
- Vitamin A promotes good eyesight, especially in low light.
- Vitamin A helps protect surface tissues such as the skin, intestines, lungs, bladder, and inner ear.
- It supports immune function by promoting the growth and distribution of T cells, a type of white blood cell that protects the body from infection.
- Vitamin A supports male and female reproductive health and fetal development.
- Vitamin A deficiency can lead to:
- Reversible night blindness
- Non-reversible corneal damage known as xerophthalmia
- Hyperkeratosis or dry, scaly skin.
