VITAMIN A

VITAMIN A

Vitamin A was the first fat-soluble vitamin to be discovered…big surprise, as it’s named after the first letter of the alphabet! We obtain vitamin A from our diet in two forms: retinoids & carotenoids. Retinoids are the preformed vitamin A, meaning it’s readily active in the body; they’re found in foods of animal origin. On the other hand, carotenoids are the provitamins of vitamin A, meaning that they must be changed by the body into the active form of vitamin A; they’re present in fruits & vegetables which contain green, yellow, orange & red pigments called carotenes. Good sources of vitamin A include liver, cod liver oil, butter, ghee, cheese, egg yolk, milk, ready-to-eat cereals, amaranthus (terere), jews mallow (mrenda), spider plant (saga), black nightshade (managu), spinach, sweet potato, pumpkin, mango, papaya & carrots.

Now let’s talk about the super powers of this vitamin. It’s well understood function is in the normal functioning of the retina in the eye for clear vision in dim light, lack of vitamin A leads to impaired adaption to darkness. It boosts our immunity by regulating antibodies & maintaining mucous membranes, tissues, bones & skin cells which are the first line of defense against infections. A strong immunity is very important in managing sickle cell disease, therefore I consider this as the most important function of vitamin A in managing the condition. When we do not have enough vitamin A in our body, the mucous membrane linings become dry & rough which are easily invaded by micro-organisms that we inhale, ingest or touch; thus increasing susceptibility to infection. Furthermore, it supports reproduction & growth which may be greatly hindered by sickle cell disease. It also supports iron transport & mobilization as well as hematopoiesis (formation & development of blood cells). Lastly, like most of the other vitamins, β-carotene acts as an antioxidant capable of defending the red blood cells from oxidative damage by free radicals.

Eating foods rich in vitamin A can be easily achieved, especially because we are blessed as a nation to have such foods to be indigenous. However, most people make the mistake of losing vitamins in the way they prepare their meals. Vitamin A is lost when exposed to sunlight & upon dehydration of foods. This is why it’s always advisable to store most fruits & vegetables in cool dark areas. Remember that food can also get dehydrated even when there is no heat; avoid storing uncovered food in the refrigerator/ freezer for too long. In addition to this, we need to remember that vitamin A is fat- soluble. It therefore needs fats & oils to move around, so make sure you add healthy oils into your vegetables when cooking. You can always skip using oil when cooking your meats, trust me, they have enough oils of their own.

Supplementation of vitamin A is widely done in hospitals, mainly to those with immune-related illnesses. It is important to note that toxicity of vitamin A can easily occur with a single dose of 500,000IU or long-term intake of 50,000 IU per day. It can have adverse effects in pregnancy such as nausea, irritability, blurred vision, weakness, headaches, hair loss, dry skin & birth defects. To put it in a more realistic term, the common cod liver oil that we get from the pharmacy contains 7,000 IU of vitamin A per dose (10ml daily). Toxicity would mean taking 714ml (2 ½ cups) of cod liver oil daily. I don’t know about you, but I don’t fancy fish breath! It sounds impossible even insane to do this, but one can easily make this mistake when supplementing with capsules. They might be small, but they can be potent! So make sure you are on vitamin A supplementation only after prescription by a health expert. Let’s get our vitals kicking, with healthy eating.

Love life!

Sharlene M. M.