Despite not being the most talked about nutrient there, Vitamin A plays an important role in your health, including immune system function. Vitamins have recently gained some attention as a possible way to treat certain infectious diseases like measles, but doctors have emphasized that there is. A lot of misinformation Surrounds this important nutrient. Vitamin A can be obtained from certain foods, but it can also be used in supplement form. However, nutritionists and doctors have warned against replenishing vitamin A on their own, as they can overdo this nutrient. What you need to know about Vitamin A is what you can and can’t do for your health.
What is Vitamin A?
Vitamin A is the name of the group of retinoids. National Institutes of Health (NIH (National Institutes of Health). Like vitamins D, E, K, it is a Fat soluble vitaminsthat is, it dissolves in fat and is stored in the body’s tissues and liver.
“Vitamin A plays a number of important roles in our bodies, starting at the cellular level. Ashley Bobricka nutritionist at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center told Yahoo Life.
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Your body cannot make vitamin A by itself, so you need to resort to the food you eat to get it, Dr. Danby KimRutgers, assistant professor at the New Jersey School of Medicine, told Yahoo Life.
What does Vitamin A do in the body?
“Think of Vitamin A as a multitasking over-achiver in the nutritional world. It’s good for growth of the eyes, skin, immune system and even cells.” Tony YangProfessor and Associate Dean of Health Policy and Population Science at George Washington University’s School of Nursing, told Yahoo Life. “But just like everyone else, too many can cause problems.”
Kim says these are the biggest roles that Vitamin A plays in the body:
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Supports the health of your vision. “It helps to maintain vision, especially in low light,” she says. “The shortage can cause nighttime blindness and increase the risk of vision loss.”
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Boosts immunity. Vitamin A strengthens the immune system by supporting white blood cells and protecting the body from infection, Kim explains.
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It may reduce the risk of cancer. “Some studies suggest vitamin A from plants It may reduce the risk of cancerKim says. However, she also points out that high doses of vitamins can be harmful, especially for smokers.
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Promotes healthy skin. “Vitamin A changes the way skin cells develop from within.” Dr. Ife RodneyFounding Director Eternal Dermatology + Aestheticstell Yahoo Life. “Some of our most popular skin care products change the way skin cells evolve and help with acne, thin lines and discoloration of the skin.”
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Supports reproductive health. Nutrients “are essential for fertility and the development of a healthy fetus, but excessive intake during pregnancy can be harmful,” says Kim.
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Strengthen bones and teeth. Vitamin A helps in bone growth, but too much can increase the risk of fractures and osteoporosis, Kim says.
Overall, Vitamin A plays a role in the “very important” of the body, Yang says.
What can Vitamin A do?
Most of the confusion surrounding Vitamin A is linked to infections, particularly measles. Vitamin A is sometimes used to treat measles when someone is already infected, but in reality it cannot prevent people from getting sick like a vaccine. Dr. Thomas Russo, The professor and chief of infectious diseases at Buffalo University in New York told Yahoo Life. However, even using vitamin A as a treatment for measles is a bit complicated.
2010 Scientific analysis Six randomized controlled trials found that there was “no significant reduction” in people dying from measles after taking vitamin A treatment. However, when researchers broke things with doses, they found that having at least two doses of vitamin A reduces the risk of dying from measles by 62%.
But here are some important contexts. “The main studies conducted on the benefits of measles treatment, particularly those of severe measles, were conducted in developing countries where children are often malnourished and do not have vitamin A in the first place.” Dr. William Schaffner, Infectious disease expert and professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine told Yahoo Life. In such cases, certain doses of vitamin A, administered as soon as possible in infected children, may reduce the risk of measles complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis (brain inflammation), explains Schaffner.
“But it’s a developing country,” he says. Vitamin A deficiency in the US It’s rareAccording to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
“Severe measles in children with vitamin A deficiency is very different from having enough vitamin A level for the diet that most Americans have,” says Russo. “It’s rare for American children to have vitamin A deficiency.”
Nevertheless, American Academy of Pediatrics“Position means that children with measles who are sick enough to be hospitalized need to receive two doses of vitamin A supplement to prevent eye damage and blindness. (Measles are most likely to cause blindness.) People who have not been vaccinated According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the disease. ) World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children and adults with measles receive two doses of Vitamin A from a health care provider 24 hours apart.
For American children, “the potential benefits are likely to be moderate,” Russo says. “Even so, a few Vitamin A is unlikely to be harmful,” he added.
However, Schaffner emphasizes that vitamin A does not prevent you from obtaining measles in the first place. “Full stop: Vitamin A does not interfere with measles,” he says. “It should not be considered an alternative to measles vaccination” – MMR vaccine – “And there’s a lot of confusion about it.”
The role of vitamin A in cancer prevention is even online, NIH points out The data is mixed“Evidence from several clinical trials suggests that supplementary vitamin A may reduce the risk of certain cancers, but may increase the risk of other forms of cancer, cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality, and all-cause mortality.” As a result, it is not recommended for anyone to take vitamin A for cancer prevention.
How much vitamins do you need?
Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) of Vitamin A are administered as retinol-active equivalents (RAEs) and describe the various types of vitamin A. This is converted to retinol by the body. NIH (US National Institutes of Health).
Recommendations vary by age and gender, but it is usually suggested that children under the age of 13 should acquire 300-600 mcg Rae, while those over the age of 14 should aim for 700-900 mcg Rae.
Vitamin A can be overdose
This is a major concern about vitamin A and the main reason why experts do not recommend taking vitamin A supplements without consulting their healthcare provider first. “Unlike the water-soluble vitamins that you peek out when you take too many, excess vitamin A can be stored in the body and can lead to toxicity over time,” explains Yang.
Its toxicity can lead to many health complications, including liver problems and other organ damage. National Medical Library.
“Overing vitamin A is not beautiful. It can lead to nausea, dizziness, headaches, liver damage and, in extreme cases, birth defects,” Yang says.
Best Food Sources of Vitamin A
Vitamin A can be found in animal and plant products, Bobrick said. Notable: It is unlikely that you will get an overdose of vitamin A with food alone, Russo points out.
Bobrick says these are the greatest sources of vitamin A:
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Oil-based fish like salmon, cod liver, and mackerel
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Dark lush greenery like spinach and kale
What should I do if I’m considering a vitamin A supplement?
Vitamin A appears in some multivitamins, and Kim says it’s OK to take them. However, adding additional vitamin A supplements on top of it is dangerous and can be at risk of toxicity.
“Make sure to check with your healthcare provider first. No more is always good,” Yang says. “If your diet is balanced, it’s probably enough.”
