The lack of vitamin A in the body is mainly reflected in eye health, which can lead to eye problems such as xerophthalmia or night blindness, as this vitamin is very important for the production of certain visual pigments that allow to see the full spectrum of light..
However, in addition, a lack of vitamin A can also cause skin problems, weakening of the immune system, stunted growth and reproductive problems.their food sources.
Vitamin A deficiency can cause some problems such as
It is a progressive disease in which an increase in the tissue that coats the eye and a dryness of the outer surface of the eye occurs, which can lead to blindness. Major symptoms include eye burns, difficulty seeing in darker environments, and dry eye sensation.
As xerophthalmia progresses, corneal sores and ulcers that develop in small white spots in the eye, called Bitot patches, can also cause blindness if left untreated.Learn more about this complication and how it’s treated.
Night blindness is a complication of xerophthalmia, in which the person has difficulty seeing in low light environments, especially when moving from a very bright place to a darker place, however, people with this problem may have a completely normal vision during the day.
Difficulty caused by night blindness usually occurs when levels of one of the pigments in the retinal receptors, known as rhodopsin, are too low, affecting the eye’s ability to process low-light objects. Rodopsin production is usually regulated by the amount of vitamin A. Learn how to identify night blindness.
Lack of vitamin A can cause follicular hyperkeratosis, that is, when the hair follicles of the skin are covered with keratin plugs, making the skin thicker.This change gives the skin the appearance of a “chicken skin” and is drier, peeler and rougher..
Hyperkeratosis usually begins in the forearms and thighs, but over time it can spread to all parts of the body.
Low vitamin A levels in the body can cause delays in children’s development, as it is an important vitamin for bone growth.In addition, vitamin A deficiency can also cause changes in taste and smell, resulting in a loss of food taste.leading the child to want to eat less, which ultimately hinders his development.
Vitamin A is necessary for reproduction at the male and female level, as well as for the proper development of the baby during pregnancy; in addition, the lack of this vitamin appears to be related to the onset of miscarriages.
The immune system can be weakened when there is a lack of vitamin A in the body, because a lack of this vitamin affects the functioning of T cells, which are important cells in the immune system. Therefore, the lack of vitamin A increases the risk of contracting various bacterial, viral or parasitic infections, especially in the respiratory system.
Vitamin A also acts in the collagen production process and, therefore, its lack in the body can interfere with wound healing, for example.
The main cause of vitamin A deficiency is insufficient intake of foods rich in vitamin A, such as carrots, eggs, broccoli or liver, for example; however, other problems such as fibrosis, excessive alcohol consumption, or liver problems can also increase the risk of vitamin deficiency.
In addition, because vitamin A is fat-soluble, if there is intestinal fat malabsorption, vitamin A may also not be well absorbed by food, this type of cause is more common in people who have undergone bariatric surgery.or who have inflammatory bowel disease.
Vitamin A deficiency is generally suspected in malnourished children and adults or in people with risk factors, but signs and symptoms should always be evaluated by a doctor.
Your doctor may also order a serum retinol blood test, where values below 20 mcg/dL indicate a lack of vitamin A in the body and values below 10 mcg/dL indicate severe deficiency.
Treatment of vitamin A deficiency is based on increased consumption of vitamin A-rich foods, as well as oral supplementation, to reduce the risk of mortality.It is important that, during treatment, the person is followed by a nutritionist to ensure adequate intake of vitamin A for their daily needs.
Thus, treatment includes
Preformed vitamin is found only in animal foods, storage locations, i.e. liver and egg and milk fat.A lot of this vitamin is also found in cod liver oil.
However, there are also plant-based foods that contain carotenoids, which are precursors to vitamin A and are found mainly in dark green vegetables or yellow-orange fruits, such as carrots, spinach, orange juice, sweet potato, among others.See a more complete list of vitamin A-rich foods.
Vitamin A supplementation should be guided by a doctor or nutritionist, as the dose will depend on the age, weight and overall health of the affected person.
In adults, it is common to administer 3 doses of 200,000 IU, while children under 1 year of age should receive half of this dose and infants under 6 months of age should receive only a quarter of the dose.
In some cases, vitamin A supplementation can be done with cod liver oil because, in addition to containing an excellent amount of this vitamin, it also contains vitamin D, omega 3, iodine and phosphorus, important for the development of any child.