5 minDid you know that vitamin A plays a versatile role in your health? This vitamin does much more than you might think. From maintaining sharp vision to supporting your immune system and ensuring glowing skin, vitamin A plays a crucial role in your daily life. In this comprehensive guide to vitamin A, you will learn everything you need to know: from the different forms and their functions to how you can ensure you always get enough.
In this article, you will learn
- What vitamin A is and how it works in your body.
- The different forms of vitamin A and their sources.
- Why vitamin A is important for your health.
- How to recognise and prevent a vitamin A deficiency.
- The recommended amounts and the risks of an excess.
- When a vitamin A supplement may be necessary.
What is vitamin A
Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is a vitamin produced by the body itself. Your body needs beta-carotene (provitamin A) to make vitamin A. Beta-carotene has an additional benefit: it acts as an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect your body by neutralising harmful substances, free radicals.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. Your body stores this vitamin as a reserve. Any excess is partially stored in your liver; the rest is lost through your bile or urine.
Forms of vitamin A
Vitamin A comes in different forms. Three forms of vitamin A play an important role in the body:
- Animal: retinol. This is the active form of vitamin A that occurs naturally in animal products such as liver, eggs and dairy products. Your body can use retinol directly for various functions, including maintaining healthy vision, forming healthy tooth enamel and promoting healthy skin.
- Plant-based: Carotenoids, including beta-carotene: These are provitamin A forms of vitamin A found in plant-based foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and mangoes. The body can convert beta-carotene into retinol when needed. Carotenoids act as antioxidants and play a role in maintaining healthy skin, the immune system and vision.
- Eigen storage in the liver: Retinyl Palmitate and other retinyl esters. These are forms of vitamin A that your body stores in the liver. When your body needs it, it converts these forms into active vitamin A. They are often added to dietary supplements and skin care products because they are good for your skin and can help reduce signs of ageing.
What is vitamin A good for?
Vitamin A is especially important for the immune system and for the development of cells and tissues. This vitamin A is also known as the anti-infection vitamin. In addition to supporting the immune system, vitamin A also increases natural resistance.
It is also an important vitamin for various processes, namely:
- Vision. Vitamin A supports eye health. It also helps your eyes adjust to the dark.
- Healthy skin and mucous membranes. Vitamin A has a beneficial effect on epithelial cells. These cells not only protect the skin and mucous membranes, but also cover them.
- Maintaining a good iron level in the blood.
- An important role in cell specialisation. This means that a general cell changes into a cell that has a specific task. In this way, it can perform its own task.
- Bone development and normal growth.
Vitamin A in food
The richest sources of vitamin A are foods derived from animals (liver, fish, liver, oil, milk and milk products, butter, eggs). Meat, fish, dairy products and eggs naturally contain vitamin A, but vitamin A is also added to butter, baking and frying products. Plant-based foods also contain vitamin A.Fruits and vegetables such as carrots, spinach, kale, broccoli, apricots, mandarins and mangoes also contain vitamin A.
Vitamin A deficiency
Did you know that vitamin A deficiency is more common in developing countries than in the United Kingdom? And that a prolonged deficiency can even lead to (complete) blindness? However, if you eat a sufficient and varied diet, the chance of a vitamin A deficiency is small.
People with certain diseases such as coeliac disease, liver disease or pancreatic disease are more likely to have a vitamin A deficiency. This is because their bodies are less able to absorb nutrients, putting them at risk of vitamin A deficiency. People with eating disorders, alcohol problems, reduced appetite or certain diets may also develop a deficiency.
You can recognise a vitamin A deficiency by the following symptoms:
- Dry skin or other skin abnormalities
- Dull hair
- Reduced fertility
- Reduced immunity/resistance
- Eye abnormalities, such as night blindness, dry eyes or red eyes
- Abnormalities of the gums, teeth or mucous membranes
Vitamin A excess
A vitamin A excess, also known as hypervitaminosis A, is rare. It would require an unrealistic amount of vitamin A to be consumed. For adults, the maximum amount is 3000 mcg per day. This is also the upper limit for pregnant women. For toddlers (1 to 3 years old), the upper limit is 800 mcg per day.
An excess of vitamin A can lead to chronic or acute poisoning and liver damage. In addition, excessive intake of vitamin A over many years can weaken the bones and contribute to bone fractures and osteoporosis, as it can suppress bone formation and interfere with vitamin D's ability to maintain normal calcium levels.
An excess of vitamin A can result from consuming animal products or excessively high-dose supplements. This mainly concerns liver products. It is recommended that toddlers limit their intake of these products and that pregnant women avoid them altogether. Adults are advised to eat a maximum of two sandwiches with liver products per day.
Recommended amount
Recommended daily amount for adults:
- Adult women: 680 mcg
- Pregnant women: 750 mcg
- Breastfeeding women: 1100 mcg
- Adult men: 800 mcg
Recommended daily intake for babies, toddlers and children:
- From 6 months to 3 years: 300 mcg
- From 4-8 years: 350 mcg
- From 9-13 years: 600 mcg
- From 14-17 years (female): 700 mcg
- From 14-17 years (male): 900 mcg
In addition, the EFSA has set a daily upper limit for vitamin A:
- From 1-3 years: 800 mcg
- From 4-6 years: 1100 mcg
- From 7-10 years: 1500 mcg
- From 11-14 years: 2000 mcg
- From 15-17 years: 2600 mcg
- Adults: 3000 mcg
Need a vitamin A supplement?
Some people need extra vitamin A. This is especially true for people who have an unbalanced diet and therefore do not get enough vitamin A from their food. This includes people who consume too few animal products, such as meat (especially liver) and meat products, dairy products, fish and egg yolk. However, extra vitamin A may also be necessary for people with certain diseases of the intestines, liver or pancreas, or people who drink excessive amounts of alcohol.
Vitamin A and pregnancy
Vitamin A plays an important role during pregnancy. Vitamin A ensures good immunity and proper growth of the baby. The RDA for pregnant women is 750 mcg per day. Pregnant women in particular have an increased need for this vitamin for the formation of bones and capillaries.
Be careful not to exceed this RDA. An excess can be dangerous for the unborn child, especially in the early stages. That is why it is recommended to avoid liver, for example. However, you do not need to be overly cautious with your vitamin A intake, as a deficiency can also have negative consequences for the unborn child.
