Difference between revisions of "Get More Vitamin A"

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for health: we get carotenoids and beta carotene from plants, and retinol from meat. Because it's fat-soluble, it is important to not overdo the amount of vitamin A you ingest, as excess vitamin A stockpiles in the body and can interfere with vitamin D and bone health (especially the retinol form of vitamin A).<ref name="rf1">http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Nutrition/vitamin_a.asp</ref><ref name="rf2">http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-a/</ref> Learning which foods contain vitamin A can help you ensure that you're getting the right amount of this crucial vitamin.

#Learn about the role of vitamin A. Vitamin A plays a crucial role in numerous bodily functions and processes: it helps maintain healthy skin, ensures better night vision, promotes strong teeth and bone formation, keeps tissue and mucous membranes working properly (to prevent infections), and is also needed for digestive health, respiratory functions, reproduction and breastfeeding.<ref name="rf3">http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002400.htm</ref><ref name="rf4">http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/misc_topics/vitamina.html</ref>

#Recognize the symptoms of a vitamin A deficiency. The most common symptom of late-term vitamin A deficiency is night blindness, or ''xerophthalmia'': difficulty or inability to see at night.<ref name="rf5">http://jn.nutrition.org/content/138/10/1835.long</ref> Patients with vitamin A deficiencies may also experience ulcerations of the cornea and keratomalacia, the desiccation and "clouding" of the cornea.<ref name="rf6">https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/eye-disorders/corneal-disorders/keratomalacia</ref>

#* Ulcerations of the cornea are open sores that form in the outer layer of the tissue at the front of your eye.<ref name="rf7">http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001032.htm</ref>

#* Clouding of the cornea is a loss of visibility through the front of the eye. This part of the eye is normally clear, and clouding can make objects in your sight of vision blurry or completely unobservable.<ref name="rf8">http://umm.edu/health/medical/ency/articles/cloudy-cornea</ref>

#* Night blindness first manifests itself through oval- or triangle-shaped patches in the temporal portion of the eyes - that is, the region closest to the outsides of the human face. It is usually present in both eyes and may be accompanied by Bitot's spots (a "foamy" buildup of keratin).<ref name="rf9">http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/vad_consequences.pdf</ref>

#*Night blindness may also manifest as "starburst" effects when you look at bright lights in a dark environment.<ref name="rf10">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8019121</ref>

#* Antibiotics may be prescribed to treat an infection, but it is important to see a doctor to help you change your diet and add supplements as needed.<ref name="rf6" />

#Have your blood tested. If you're concerned about your vitamin A levels, you can ask your doctor to perform a simple retinol blood test to determine whether you have a vitamin A deficiency. The normal range of vitamin A in the blood for healthy individuals is between 50-200 micrograms per deciliter of blood.<ref name="rf11">http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003570.htm</ref>

#*You will likely need to refrain from eating or drinking anything up to 24 hours before the test. Check with your doctor for the requirements.<ref name="rf12">https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003570.htm</ref>

#Have your child tested. Children are most likely to be affected by vitamin A deficiency, and may also show signs of slowed growth and increased susceptibility to infection.<ref name="rf13">http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/nutritional-disorders/vitamin-deficiency-dependency-and-toxicity/vitamin-a</ref>

#* Children may develop deficiencies from not getting enough vitamin A through milk, or from losing excessive amounts of vitamin A through chronic diarrhea.<ref name="rf14">http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/#h5</ref>

#Take precautions if you're pregnant. Vitamin A deficiencies can happen to expecting mothers during the third trimester, as this portion of the pregnancy puts the highest demand on nutrients and vitamins in both mother and fetus.<ref name="rf15">http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/vad/en/</ref>

#Eat a variety of vegetables. Vegetables are an important source of vitamin A by providing you with carotenoids like beta-carotene. Most orange/yellow/red vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, and pumpkin, contain vitamin A. Dark green veggies like kale, spinach, and lettuce are also wonderful sources of vitamin A.<ref name="rf4" />

#Eat fruit. Some fruits, such as mangoes, apricots and cantaloupe, have high levels of vitamin A.<ref name="rf16">http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Vitamins/Food-Sources-of-Vitamin-A.aspx</ref>

#*One whole mango has about 672 micrograms per serving, or about 45% of the daily recommended intake.<ref name="rf17">https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/#h2</ref>

#* Dried apricots are an excellent source of vitamin A: one cup yields 764 micrograms of vitamin A. Canned apricots are slightly lower in vitamin A, measuring 338 micrograms per cup.<ref name="rf16" />

#* Raw cantaloupe is another good source of vitamin A, with one cup of raw melon yielding 286 micrograms.<ref name="rf16" />

#* Some medical experts recommend pregnant women should increase their plant-based vitamin A intake by 40% overall during pregnancy and by 90% overall during breastfeeding.<ref name="rf18">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17665093</ref>

#Add animal food sources to your diet. Foods of animal origin provide the "retinol" form of vitamin A, which is what your body transforms carotenoids (plant-based vitamin A) into once you've digested them.<ref name="rf19">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3530430</ref> Retinol-rich foods include liver, eggs, and fatty fish.<ref name="rf20">http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/bone/bone_health/nutrition/vitamin_a.asp</ref>

#* Because it is absorbed quickly and excreted very slowly, retinol is the form of vitamin A that can be overdosed on, so sourcing vitamin A from such foods needs to be done with care. Look for nausea or vomiting, headaches, loss of appetite, dizziness, and excessive fatigue as signs of acute toxicity.<ref name="rf21">http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/vitamin-a/safety/hrb-20060201</ref>

#* Acute vitamin A toxicity is relatively rare. Chronic toxicity, which is accrued over time, is somewhat more common. Still, an average adult would need to ingest more than 7,500 micrograms (7.5 milligrams) every day for over six years to reach toxic levels, but there is a wide range of variability from person to person. It's best to be cautious and not overdo it on retinol.<ref name="rf22">http://www.nutri-facts.org/eng/vitamins/vitamin-a-retinol/safety/</ref>

#Add dairy to your diet. Milk, yogurt, and cheese can also provide you with vitamin A.<ref name="rf23">http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/vitamins-minerals/Pages/Vitamin-A.aspx</ref>

#* One cup of milk provides between 10-14% of the daily recommended value of vitamin A.<ref name="rf24">http://www.healthyeating.org/Milk-Dairy/Nutrients-in-Milk-Cheese-Yogurt/Nutrients-in-Milk.aspx</ref> One ounce of cheese typically provides between 1-6% of the recommended daily value of vitamin A.<ref name="rf25">http://www.healthyeating.org/Milk-Dairy/Nutrients-in-Milk-Cheese-Yogurt/Nutrients-in-Cheese.aspx</ref>

#* Your doctor may have a specific dietitian/nutritionist to recommend to you. If not, you can find one by contacting your local hospital or other general practitioner's medical offices and asking for recommendations, or searching online.<ref name="rf26">http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/find-a-registered-dietitian-or-nutritionist.aspx?CategoryID=51&SubCategoryID=168</ref>

#*If you live in the U.S., you can find a registered dietitian/nutritionist by searching at Eatright.org, the website of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.<ref name="rf27">http://www.eatright.org/find-an-expert</ref>

#* For children 14-18 years old, the RDA 700 micrograms (0.7 milligrams) for girls and 900 micrograms (0.9 milligrams) for boys.<ref name="rf28">http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/vitamin-a-retinol</ref>

#* For breastfeeding women 19 years old and up, the RDA for vitamin A is 1,300 micrograms (1.3 milligrams).<ref name="rf28" />

#* Adults 19 years and up should not exceed 3,000 micrograms (3 milligrams) of vitamin A daily.<ref name="rf29">http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/</ref>

* If you consume too much beta-carotene your skin may tint orange. This is a harmless reaction, most often seen in children and in vegetarians. If this happens, leave off those veggies for a few days to return back to normal.<ref name="rf30">http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1104368-overview</ref>

*Too much Vitamin A can cause loss of appetite, dizziness, headaches, dry and itchy skin, hair loss, blurred vision and reduced bone mineral density. In severe cases, liver damage can occur with Vitamin A overdose. In the case of a fetus, too much vitamin A can cause severe birth defects; pregnant women should not exceed 5,000 IU daily of supplemental vitamin A. In fact, it's recommended that pregnant women avoid vitamin A supplements altogether.<ref name="rf31">http://www.who.int/elena/titles/vitamina_pregnancy/en/</ref>