Adding Vitamin A to Your Diet Improves Your Vision

• Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin derived from retinoids and can be found in animals sources that contain cartenoids
• Vitamin A is more difficult to get rid of the excess than with vitamin C
• Vitamin A toxicity symptoms include nausea and irritability
• Vitamin A insufficiencies can lead to difficulties with vision including night blindness. It also is an ingredient in skin treatments including treatements for acne

Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin and has an important function in your ability to see, cellular growth and the growth of your bones. It is derived from molecules known as retinoids, and can be found in animal sources, although some fruits and vegetables contain cartenoids. Once cartenoids have been digested, they can be converted by your system into vitamin A. Cartenoids are present in foods such as pineapples, citrus fruits, peaches, nectarines, tomatoes, papaya, apricots, carrots, watermelons, pumpkins, winter squash, summer squash, and sweet potatoes. Cartenoids give those fruits and vegetables their red, orange or yellow color. Other good sources include kale, peas, spinach and broccoli. Sources of vitamin A that is preformed include liver, milk, butter and eggs.

Because vitamin A is fat soluble and not water soluble, the body finds it much more difficult to get rid of any excess than with water soluble vitamins such as vitamin C. If vitamin A is taken in too great a quantity, it can be toxic. Vitamin A toxicity symptoms can include feelings of nausea and irritability, poor vision, vomiting, abdominal pain, headaches and drowsiness. On top of these symptoms, in chronic cases of toxicity, a person might experience hair loss, fever, the drying of the mucous membranes, tiredness, insomnia, weight loss, bone fractures, diarrhea and anemia.

Vitamin A plays a role in a variety of functions throughout the body, such as vision. If the intake of vitamin A is insufficient, difficulties with vision can result, included difficulty seeing in dimmer light, known as night blindness. It also plays an important role in the health of your skin. Retinoids are a common ingredient in skin treatments, including treatments for acne and some anti-aging creams.

A deficiency in vitamin A can be caused when a person does not eat enough yellow and green vegetables, fruits and animal sources such as liver and eggs. The body’s absorption of vitamin A can also be affected if there is a lack of zinc in your system. One of the first signs of a deficiency is poor vision, particularly night blindness.

A proper intake of vitamin A is particularly important for pregnant and breastfeeding women, because a deficiency cannot be corrected with supplements once the baby is born. The recommended daily allowance for pregnant or breastfeeding women are therefore higher.

U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for are: 900 micrograms per day (3,000 IU) for men and 700 micrograms per day (2,300 IU) for women. For pregnant women 19 years and older, 770 micrograms per day (2,600 IU) is recommended. For lactating women 19 years and older, 1,300 micrograms per day (4,300 IU) is recommended.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.