Vitamins supply what the body needs in order to successfully maintain optimal operation. Since the human body cannot create vitamins on its own, people obtain vitamins through their food or through supplements.
Notably, vision, immune system and skin specifically require sufficient vitamin A levels in order to operate at their best. When the body encounters microorganisms which it perceives to be dangerous, it responds by releasing antibodies to block their progress. Vitamin A keeps this blocking from going too far. This activity is especially important with regards to food allergies. Vitamin A keeps the body’s reactions in check, thereby preventing allergic reactions.
Vitamin A plays an important role in helping the skin cells mature. Vitamin A is central to dermatological health. Additionally, while the exact reasons are not yet known, retinoid (a form of Vitamin A) has been found to be helpful as an anti-acne agent.
Retinal, a vitamin A compound, helps the eye to synthesize rhodopsin, enabling visual excitation when light strikes the retinal rods, which is the foundation of sight. Another vitamin A compound known as rhodopsin allows the rod cells in the human retina to adapt to low light conditions, thus enabling people to see at night.
Retinoid, the vitamin A nutrient found in animal-originating foods include Retinol, Retinal, Retinoic acid and Retinyl Esters. Carotenoids are vitamin A nutrients found in plant foods. They include alpha- carotene, beta-carotene, Astaxanthin, and Beta-cryptoxanthin. After carotenoids have been consumed, the body sometimes converts them into retinoid form for use by the system.
Vitamin-A Deficiency
Studies indicate that approximately one in three children worldwide suffers from vitamin A deficiency. Over five hundred thousand children under the age of five die annually due to health issues directly traceable to the lack of vitamin A. Insufficient vitamin A intake also compounds to other common illnesses, such as diarrhea.
Two types of vitamin A deficiency exist. The first, primary deficiency happens when a person does not consume enough vitamin A through plant, animal, or supplemental sources. Secondary deficiency is caused by outside factors which inhibit the absorption of vitamin A by the body. Causes of secondary deficiency include alcoholism, inhalation of cigarette smoke, or impaired bodily bile production. Additionally, due to the way the body processes vitamin A, secondary deficiency can also be caused by a zinc deficiency or a severely low-fat diet.