The Importance Of Vitamin A

Vitamins play an important role in many bodily functions; making them absolutely essential in a regular diet. There are different types of vitamins that contribute to forming and maintaining good health. Vitamins are used to maintain healthy teeth, bones, soft tissue, skin and mucus membranes. Without vitamins, an individual may experience complications to their health which may lead to fatality. Vitamin A, specifically, plays an important role in vision, growth, development, disease prevention and maintenance of health of other cells. Vitamin A helps with vision by providing function to light-dark vision and sometimes colored vision. Retinal is important in this aspect because it allows certain cells in the eye to adjust regularly from dim

Vitamin A also helps with the functionality of other cells in the body. It helps maintain the health of cells that line the surfaces of vital organs. These cells are called epithelial cells and they help provide protection against bacterial infections. Some epithelial cells produce mucus and without the regulation from vitamin A, these cells will stop producing mucus, causing issues internally and externally. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is absorbed and transported with dietary fat throughout the bloodstream. It is mostly stored in the liver and fatty tissues to ensure that the body has sufficient amounts during depletion. Vitamin A is found in retinoid, carotenoids, and beta-carotene; each having a specific function in the body. Retinoid is found in fish and organ meats, carotenoids are found in plant pigments, and beta-carotene is found in vegetables that have an orange-yellow pigment. Although vitamin A is important for bodily functions, it can also become toxic when overconsumed. For vitamin A to become toxic and cause issues, such as birth defects and liver toxicity, an individual must consume over 3000 micrograms of preformed vitamin A per

Insufficient intake is seen mostly in developing countries primarily affecting young children. During a child’s growing years, it is important for them to get enough nutrients because the demand for it is higher than that of an adult. In developing countries, 4.4 million preschool children have Xerophthalmia (2). At this age, it is important for children to get enough nutrients because of the change in energy and micronutrient demands. There have been different methods for children to get enough vitamin A, such as bio-fortified cassava gari and high dosages of vitamin A