Vitamin A deficiency dates back as far as 1819, during a study with malnourished dogs. During 1912, a biochemist discovered there was an unknown substance present in milk that were not fats, proteins or carbohydrates. In 1917, researchers discovered this substance while researching the role of dietary fats. In 1920, the substance was finally referred to as vitamin A.
Some vitamins are not considered a single compound. What I mean by this is that there are various forms of Vitamin A including retinoids and carotenoids. There are also derivatives from these compounds such as retinyl. Sounds confusing I know. I will try to break it down to better understand the different forms to help choose the best for your needs.
Vitamin A comes from two sources. Carotenoids and retinoids. Carotenoids such as beta carotene, lycopein and lutein are plants based and retinoids such as retinol and retinal come from animal sources.
Beta Carotene, a carotenoid, is the precurser (ProVitamin) for Vitamin A. Beta carotene is a red/orange pigment found in many fresh fruits and vegetables. Once consumed, beta carotene converts to Vitamin A in the intestines and liver. The advantage of beta carotene is that the body only converts as much as it needs when needed.
Retinoid is preformed, readily used Vitamin A and includes retinOL and retinAL. It does not need conversion. The main difference of the two retinoids is the potency and how fast each works. A common retanOL used is prescription strength retinoic acid such as Retin-A.
They couldn’t just make this simple! Still with me?……
Lastly, we have synthetic, man-made version of Vitamin A derivatives known as esters found in supplement forms. These derivatives are also found from remnant retinoids. In other words, retinoids can convert into esters and esters are also found in supplement forms.There are few out there and they are named for the amino acid they are bound to.
Foods
A good way to get your vitamin A is to think about eating in color. Most yellow/orange foods contain Vitamin A. You can get recommended amounts of vitamin A by eating a variety of foods, including the following:
The following are some symptoms of vitamin A deficiency:
Vitamin A deficiency can result from inadequate intake, malabsorption of fat, and/or liver disorders. A prime example is people with Irritable Bowl Disease, Ulcerative Colitis or Crohns Disease. These GI disorders have a hard time absorbing nutrients such as Vitamin A.
The Concern….
Vitamin A toxicity can occur due to high doses of preformed vitamin A retinol and esters found in some supplements. In some personal care products and supplements, vitamin A compounds and derivatives can be harmful.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble, meaning that any amount not immediately needed by the body is absorbed and stored in fat tissue or the liver. If too much is stored, it can become toxic resulting in liver damage. In contrast, preformed vitamin A, beta-carotene is not toxic even at high levels of intake because the body only coverts when it is needed.
What do you use Vitamin A for? Comment below.
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