Understanding the Importance of Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble nutrient, vital for maintaining the health of your eyesight, reproductive organs, and bone health. This vitamin is crucial for the body to carry out important functions. In order to understand the importance of Vitamin A, let us understand its types first.

Vitamin A Types

Two kinds of vitamin A naturally exist in food and can also be consumed through supplements in case of deficiency. The types of vitamin A are 

1. Preformed Vitamin A [Retinyl esters and retinol]
2. Provitamin A carotenoids [Beta-carotene that are converted to retinol]

Vitamin supplements, fortified foods have Preformed vitamin A. This is naturally found in animal food sources such as:

1. Egg yolks
2. Liverwurst
3. Cod liver oil
4. Butter
5. Chicken liver
6. Salmon
7. King mackerel
8. Cheddar cheese
9. Trout

Foods rich in pro-vitamin A carotenoid include:

1. Spinach
2. Kale
3. Carrots
4. Pumpkin
5. Sweet potatoes
6. Papaya
7. Red peppers
8. Winter squash

Although vitamin A is more commonly found in vegetables, some vitamin A fruits are as follows:

1. Mango
2. Watermelon
3. Red or pink grapefruit
4. Papaya
5. Guava
6. Passion fruit
7. Apricot

Now that we have listed the various sources of vitamin A, let us now discuss the importance of vitamin A

6 Benefits of Vitamin A

Here are different ways in which Vitamin A benefits our health:

1. Protects the Eyes

Vitamin A is essential when it comes to protecting the eyes from night blindness as well as age-related macular degeneration. Vitamin A converts the lights entering the eye into electrical signals that can be read by the brain. One of the telling signs of vitamin A deficiency is night blindness. This is a condition in which people are unable to see in poor light or have poor vision at night. Vitamin A is a major component found in the pigment rhodopsin. Rhodopsin can be found in the retina and is  highly sensitive to light.

Vitamin A is also quite essential to delay the onset of age-related blindness or reduced vision. Once people hit the age of 50, they suffer from eyesight decline. Consuming foods high in vitamin A can provide you with clearer vision.

2. Helps Ensure Healthy Immunity

Consuming vitamin A rich food builds up immunity by sharpening your body’s natural defences with respect to the mucus barriers in the gut, genitals, lungs, and the eyes. This helps to ward off fungal and bacterial infections. Vitamin A is also a key component for the function and production of white blood cells which trap and remove pathogens from the bloodstream.

Vitamin A thus can increase your body’s ability to tackle infections and speed up the recovery process when someone falls ill.

3. Lowers Risk of Cancers

Cancers take root when abnormal cells start to multiply and start spreading uncontrollably and erratically, affecting surrounding organs. Vitamin A is instrumental in the development and growth of cells which has a direct correlation with cancer prevention. Eating vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables reduces the risk and lowers the chance of developing cancer such as lung, bladder, and cervical cancer and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Saying this, directly consuming food sources rich in vitamin A usually have a better effect on the body in terms of cancer prevention rather than taking supplements.

4. Reduces Skin Inflammation

Acne is a type of skin inflammatory disorder which is chronic. Those who suffer from acne develop blackheads and spots on the back, face, and chest. When the sebaceous gland becomes clogged with oil and dead skin cells, it leads to the appearance of spots. These glands manufacture sebum and are found within hair follicles on the skin  and . Sebum is a waxy substance that keeps the skin lubricated and waterproof.

Not consuming vitamin A rich food causes keratin overproduction which puts you at a greater propensity to developing acne. Protein overproduction leads to greater blockages as it becomes difficult for the dead skin cells to be removed.

5. Promotes Bone Health

Although vitamin D is most commonly consumed for the development of healthy bones, one cannot ignore the benefits of vitamin A when it comes to promoting bone health. Ample studies have revealed that those with vitamin A deficiency are at greater risk of developing fractures easily.

6. Supports Overall Growth and Reproduction

Vitamin A is key to supporting a healthy reproductive system in both women and men. Additionally, it ensures that the embryo is developing at a normal growth level at the time of pregnancy.

Vitamin A deficiency in men will hinder the development of sperm cells which impacts fertility. Similarly, vitamin A deficiency will also affect the quality of eggs and the process of egg implantation within the embryo.

Conclusion

When making conscious choices to incorporate vitamin A rich foods in your daily diet, make sure not to consume in excess as it can lead to toxicity. Hypervitaminosis A will cause symptoms of headaches, dizziness, nausea, and pain. Therefore, it is important that you draw up a well-balanced diet chart daily. If it helps, then you can plan your meals a day or two ensuring that vitamin A fruits and vegetables are properly distributed throughout the day in controlled portions.