Key Facts about Vitamin A

About Vitamin A:

• It is a fat-soluble vitamin primarily stored in the liver.
• Although vitamin A is often considered a single nutrient, it is actually a group of fat-soluble compounds, including retinol, retinal, and retinyl esters.
• There are two types of vitamin A that are found in the diet.
  • Preformed vitamin A is found in animal products such as meat, fish, poultry, and dairy foods.
  • Precursors to vitamin A, also known as provitamin A, are found in plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables. The most common type of provitamin A is beta-carotene.
• In order to use these two types of vitamin A, the body must convert them into the active forms of the vitamin, retinal and retinoic acid.
• Foods with the highest levels of vitamin A include:
  • Beef liver and other organ meats
  • Some types of fish such as herring and salmon and cod fish oil
  • Eggs
  • Dairy products such as cheese and fortified milk
  • Fortified breakfast cereals
  • Orange and yellow vegetables and fruits, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, mangos, and cantaloupe
  • Broccoli, spinach, and most dark green, leafy vegetables.
• Function:
  • It supports cell growth, immune function, fetal development, and vision.
  • One of the best-known functions of vitamin A is its role in vision and eye health.
  • It is also known as retinol because it produces the pigments in the retina of the eye.
  • Vitamin A promotes good eyesight, especially in low light.
  • Vitamin A helps protect surface tissues such as the skin, intestines, lungs, bladder, and inner ear.
  • It supports immune function by promoting the growth and distribution of T cells, a type of white blood cell that protects the body from infection.
  • Vitamin A supports male and female reproductive health and fetal development.
• Vitamin A deficiency can lead to:
  • Reversible night blindness
  • Non-reversible corneal damage known as xerophthalmia
  • Hyperkeratosis or dry, scaly skin.