Vitamin A was the first discovered vitamin, so it was named by the first letter of the Latin alphabet. This vitamin is particularly important for maintaining good vision, good condition of the bones, skin, hair, teeth and gums. Without enough vitamin A, the body is more inclined to infections. For more Vitamin A health benefits and why we need it, you can read in this post here.
Vitamin A Health Benefits and Uses
This vitamin is one of the most active antioxidants which helps in protection of the skin from harmful sun rays. It is especially important in the treatment of acne and fine wrinkles. It has been proven that Vitamin A acts preventive in some types of cancer, it helps to reduce levels of bad cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease.
Symptoms of Vitamin A Deficiency
Fortunately, most people get enough vitamin A through food. Although, the lack of this vitamin is rare but it appears among some people . Especially at risk are people with cancer, tuberculosis, pneumonia, chronic kidney disease or prostate disease. Some of the symptoms that occur when there is vitamin A deficiency are:
- Tendency to viral infections;
- Night blindness;
- Hair loss;
- Loss of appetite;
- Bone problems.
How Much Vitamin A is too Much?
When we talk about vitamin A, we must mention more about this vitamin overdose. An overdose of vitamin A it is called hypervitaminosis A and means that your body has stored more vitamin A than is necessary for proper operation.
The mostly overdose of vitamin A is produced by excessive consumption of vitamin A as a dietary supplement. Hypervitaminosis A can cause problems during labor, abnormalities and liver problems, or problems with the central nervous system.
Signs and Symptoms of Hypervitaminosis A
Some of the symptoms that occur during intoxication with Vitamin A are the loss of appetite, irritation, fatigue, brittle nails, headache, vision problems, depression, and anemia.
Receiving large amounts of vitamin A during pregnancy can cause miscarriage or defects in the newborn. Therefore, pregnant women should not receive vitamin A as a supplement, unless recommended by a doctor.
Recommended Daily Needs of Vitamin A
The recommended daily requirement of vitamin A vary, depending on the gender and age of the person are:
- Children (3 years and less) – 300μg
- Children (4-8 years) – 400μg
- Children (9-13 years) – 600μg
- Teens (14-18 years) – 900μg
- Adults (19 years and up) – 900μg
- Pregnant women (18 years and below) – 750μg
- Pregnant women (18 years and above) – 770μg
- Nursing women (18 years and below) – 1 200μg
- Nursing women (18 and above) – 1 300μg
Food Rich in Vitamin A
Vitamin A is present in fish oils, liver, eggs, milk and dairy products, tuna, green and yellow vegetables, carrots, melon and potato.
Eat vitamin A rich food but be cautious. We hope that this vitamin A health benefits post was helpful to you, and you learned a lot from it.