Why vitamin A is important?

Why Vitamin A is Important to your Body

What is Vitamin A?

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and promotes several functions in the body. It has a significant impact on overall health. It is naturally found in many foods to support health and wellness. There are two types of Vitamin A; preformed vitamin A and provitamin A. Animal products are the main sources of preformed vitamin A. They are usually found in poultry, fish, meat, and dairy products. On the other hand, provitamin A is present in vegetables, fruits, and other plant-based products. Beta-Carotene is the most common type of provitamin A. 

Functions of Vitamin A in the body

Vitamin A keeps the body boosted and enhanced in body functions. There are several functions of vitamins A that strengthen the health of skin, vision, immune system, and cell growth. 

• Skin health and disease

Why vitamin A is important for skin health? The answer to this question is quite clear that Retinoic acid activates the genes to maintain skin health. It provokes the immature cells of the skin to grow into mature cells. It works in the treatment of acne and supports healthy skin by reducing the size and secretion of sebaceous glands. It also helps to decrease the bacteria from the surface of the skin. 

• Vision booster

Normal vision is enhanced by maintaining the normal amount of vitamin A in the body. Visual disturbances happen by the lack of vitamin A in the body. Retinal is the form of vitamin A that is combined in the eyes opsin, which is a protein. This combination gives rhodopsin, a crucial light-absorbing molecule required to see in dim light and important for color vision. 

Xerophthalmia is defined as incapacity to see in low light. It is one of the common conditions that happen due to the deficiency of vitamin A, and it leads to blindness if left untreated. 

• Immune system booster

Vitamin A plays a crucial role in a healthy immune function. Its deficiency shows the impaired and degraded response to the infection. 

• Cell growth

Vitamin A is important for cell growth because retinoic acid, one of the Vitamin A forms, plays a key hormone-like growth factor for many cells types, including epithelial cells in the body.

Effects of Vitamin A on health

• Cancer disease

People who consume vitamin A in a healthy amount have lower chances of cancer, especially prostate or lung cancer. The beta-carotene present in the food reduces the risk of cancer. But taking it too much can trigger, and study shows that high doses of beta-carotene supplements increase the risk of lung cancer. So, it is necessary to take vitamin A in the healthy and required amount.

• Measles symptoms

There are children who suffer from measles due to the deficiency of vitamin A. It has the tendency to become more severe because of vitamin A deficiency. So, they need to take high dosage supplements of vitamin A to decrease diarrhea and fever caused by measles. 

Hence, both vitamin A deficiency and overconsumption are harmful to the body and have adverse effects. People should try to consume an accurate and healthy amount of vitamin A.