Vitamin A is one of the important micronutrients in the body. Other names for this vitamin is Retinol, Retinoic Acid, Retinal and Carotene. Vitamin A is one of the fat-soluble vitamins, along with vitamins D, E and K. This vitamin is stored in the body’s fat tissues and can stay there for days to months. It is also not advisable to take too much of this vitamin as this can also lead to possible health problems. For men 19-years old and older, the daily recommended dosage of vitamin A is 900 μg. For women 19-years old and older, the daily recommended dosage is 700 μg.

The Role of Vitamin A in the Body

Vitamin A is very important for vision, most especially for night vision. Like vitamin C, vitamin A is known to be an antioxidant. It also helps in the repair of bones and tissues. This vitamin is also an important contributor for healthy fetal development and is an important vitamin for the reproductive system. Vitamin A also helps strengthen the body’s immune system as it helps against the occurrence of infections caused by viruses and bacteria.

Good Food Sources of Vitamin A

Milk products, whole eggs and beef liver are very good sources of vitamin A. For those people who try to avoid fat in their food, there are also non-fat or low-fat dairy foods that have been fortified with vitamin A. Other good sources of this vitamin include fruits, as well as vegetables (the dark green, orange and rich yellow ones) like carrots, sweet potatoes and cantaloupes.

A Deficiency in Vitamin A

A deficiency in vitamin A is said to be common in third world countries. However, this is not the case for countries which are developed and progressive. Proof of this vitamin deficiency in developing countries is the increased number of blindness in people, specifically night blindness. Another sign that a country has deficiency in vitamin A is the number of maternal mortalities, as well as poor results in lactation and pregnancy.

A number of health conditions can occur due to a deficiency in vitamin A. As has been previously stated, night blindness is a result of this deficiency. Aside from blindness and maternal mortality, this also results in a weakened immunity to infections and other diseases. In countries with a deficiency in vitamin A, children who were not given immunization shots have a higher rate of fatality when they are hit by infections like measles.

Still other effects of not having enough vitamin A in the body include respiratory infections and slow development of bones.