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.
Sharlene
M. M.
