Health Benefits of Vitamin A

Do you know about vitamins? what are they? What are their functions? How many types of vitamins are there? What are their sources? what are their benefits? how many vitamins should we consume every day? what happens when we have a deficiency of vitamins? If you are interested in knowing about Vitamins then this article is for you. Here in this article, I will Specifically explain all about Vitamin A.

WHAT IS VITAMIN A AND ITS FUNCTIONS:

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. Another name of Vitamin A is Retinol as it makes the pigments in the retina of the eye. Vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy teeth, mucus membranes, skeletal and soft tissue. It plays a vital role in vision, growth, and development it is also essential for reproduction, immune function, and maintenance of bones. It also saves your body from various infections. It also helps in breastfeeding and healthy pregnancy. There are mainly two types of Vitamin A. They are:-

1. Preformed vitamin A (retinol)

Preformed Vitamin A is found in animal-based products such as poultry, fish, meat, egg yolks, beef liver, liverwurst, butter, cod liver oil, chicken liver, salmon, liver sausage, cheddar cheese, king mackerel, trout, and dairy foods

2. Provitamin A(carotenes)

Provitamin A is found in plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, pumpkin, red peppers, swiss chard, collard greens, parsley, dandelion greens, cabbage, butternut squash

Sources of vitamin A.

Vitamin A is found in red, yellow, and green (Leafy) vegetables such as sweet potatoes, spinach, carrots, and red peppers .and yellow fruits such as papaya, apricots and mango, oranges

Eggs, oily fish, cheese, milk and yogurt,, cantaloupe, broccoli, tuna, Grapes are all good sources of vitamin A.

Deficiency of vitamin A:

Lack of vitamin A in your diet can lead to night blindness and xeropthalmia is a disease in which eyes fail to make tears and causes dry eye syndrome

On the other hand, getting enough vitamin A from your diet can prevent the symptoms of deficiency, which include dry eyes, night blindness, skin problems, hair loss and it prevents you from increased sensitivity to infections.

Benefits of vitamin A:

1. Low risk of cancer: Vitamin A may protect you from certain types of cancer due to its antioxidant properties. Cancer happens when abnormal cells start to grow or divide in an uncontrolled way.As Vitamin A plays a vital role in the growth and development of your cells, its impact on the risk of cancer, and its role in cancer prevention is of interest to scientists. In observational studies, eating high amounts of vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene has been linked to a lower risk of developing certain types of cancer such as bladder, lung, and cervical cancer. Although high intakes of vitamin A from plant foods are related to a reduced risk of cancer, Animal foods that contain active forms of the vitamin are not linked in the same way. In the same way, vitamin A supplements haven’t shown the same beneficial effects. thus the relationship between cancer and vitamin A Is not fully understood.

2. Supports a healthy immune system: Vitamin A supports immune function by supporting the growth and distribution of T- cells, a type of white blood cell that protects your body from infection. this means that a deficiency of vitamin A can increase Your Sensitivity to infections and delay your recovery when you get sick. In reality, in countries where infections like malaria and measles are common, correcting vitamin A deficiency in children has been shown to decrease the risk of dying from these diseases.

3. Healthy skin and hair: Vitamin A helps skin glands in the production of sebum, the oil that helps maintain levels of moisture in the hair and skin. Vitamin A plays a vital role in growth and development it also encourages healthy skin cell production. retinoic acid, retinol, and retinal are vital to cell growth and production. It also stimulates fibroblasts –the cells responsible for developing tissue that keeps skin healthy and firm in the deep layers of your skin All cells need vitamin A for growth. This includes hair the fastest growing tissue in the human body. Lack of vitamin A in the diet can result in hair loss.

4. Protects your eyes from night blindness and age-related macular degeneration: Vitamin A plays a vital role in vision by maintaining a clear cornea, which is the outside covering of your eye. This vitamin is also a component of rhodopsin, A protein in your eyes that allows you to see in low light conditions. Vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness. Eating enough vitamins prevents the development of night blindness and may help slow age-related macular degeneration.

5. Promotes healthy growth and reproduction: Vitamin A helps is necessary for both female and male reproduction as it plays a role in egg and sperm development.it also helps in breastfeeding and healthy pregnancy. The deficiency of vitamins may lead to some fertility issues and delayed growth in children. In pregnant women, Vitamin A is also involved in the growth and development of many major organs and structures of the unborn child, including the nervous system, heart, kidneys, eyes, skeleton, lungs, and pancreas.

6. Potent antioxidant: Provitamin A Carotenoids such as alpha-carotene,beta-cryptoxanthin, beta carotene are precursors of vitamin A and have antioxidant properties. Carotenoids fight free radicals- highly reactive molecules that can harm your body by creating oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been linked to various chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and cognitive decline. Diets high in carotenoids are associated with a lower risk of many of these conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and lung cancer.