Health Benefits of Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamin A
Vitamin A plays a significant role in maintaining the vision. Without Vitamin A, you can get blind. Keep in mind that Vitamin A is not a single compound; it is a group of fat-soluble compounds called retinoids. However, the most common dietary form of vitamin A is called retinol. The other types are retinoic acid and retinal that are found in the body, but absent or rare in foods.
It is fascinating to know that Vitamin A allows you to get several benefits in the body. It supports several critical aspects of body functions, such as:
- Vision maintenance
Vitamin A is crucial for maintaining the light-sensing cells in the eyes. It is also helpful in the formation of tear fluid. And for the accumulation of tear fluid.
- Immune function
It is essential to know that Vitamin A deficiency impairs immune function by increasing susceptibility to various infections.
- Body growth
Keep in consideration that Vitamin A is crucial for cell growth. However, deficiency slows or prevents growth in children.
- Hair growth
Vitamin A is also essential for healthy hair growth. Deficiency leads to alopecia or hair loss.
- Reproductive function
Keep in mind that Vitamin A maintains fertility and is essential for fetal development.
Vitamin A plays a vital role in tooth development, cell division, gene expression, and immune system regulation. Along with this, the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes of the nose, mouth throat, and lungs depend on vitamin A to remain moist. Vitamin A also acts as an essential antioxidant that plays a role in the prevention of certain cancers.
The deficiency of vitamin A is rare in developed countries. However, people with a vegetarian diet are at risk, as pre-formed vitamin A is only found in animal-sourced foods. As we know that Vitamin A is present in many fruits and vegetables, it is not always efficiently converted into retinol. However, deficiency depends on people’s genetics. Along with this deficiency, it is also widespread in developing countries where food variety is limited.
A common symptom of early deficiency of vitamin a includes night blindness. It may lead to more severe conditions.
Severe deficiency of vitamin A causes xerophthalmia. It is a condition that is characterized explicitly by dry eyes caused by reduced tear fluid formation.
Severe vitamin A deficiency also lead to total blindness, and it is among the most common preventable causes of blindness.
If anyone is vitamin A deficient, that person may lead to starting to lose the hair.
The deficiency of vitamin A leads to a skin condition known as hyperkeratosis.
Inadequate vitamin A deficiency makes people prone to different kinds of infections.
However, overdosing of vitamin A leads to an adverse condition known as hypervitaminosis A. keep in mind that toxicity of this vitamin is rare but has serious health effects. The primary causes of vitamin A toxicity are excessive doses of vitamin A from supplements, liver, or fish liver oil.
The primary symptoms and consequences of toxicity of vitamin A include fatigue, headache, irritability, joint pain, lack of appetite, blurred vision, stomach pain, vomiting, skin problems, and inflammation in the mouth and eyes. Along with this, it may also lead to liver damage, bone loss, and hair loss. People are strictly advised to avoid exceeding the upper limit for vitamin A intake that is said to be 10,000 IU (900 mcg) per day for adults.