Vitamin A Toxicity May Cause Birth Defects

Vitamin A is a vitamin that is essential for gene transcription, and maintain healthy skin and vision. Vitamin A is found in two main forms, retinol and carotene. Retinol is a vitamin A preformed which can be found in animal food sources. Our bodies can convert plant carotenoids such as alpha carotene, beta-carotene and gamma-carotene can be found in fruits and vegetables into vitamin A. So, carotenoids are called provitamin A. Eggs, milk, carrots, broccoli, pumpkin, beef liver, sweet potatoes and spinach are some of vitamin A foods. this vitamin is stored in fat tissue and liver in the body. Vitamin A serves for several purposes in the human body.

Vitamin A toxicity

Excessive intake of vitamin A should be avoided, because an overdose of this vitamin can cause some side effects. Basically, this vitamin is stored in fat tissue and liver, to be used by the body. So, too much or vitamin A toxicity can accumulate in the liver, which in turn, can cause a number of health complications. Typically, the presence of vitamin A in the body overload can cause nausea, vomiting, irritability, dry skin and nails, fatigue, hair loss, muscle pain, weight loss, headache, menstrual problems, fatigue, bleeding gums, jaundice, pain stomach, blurred vision and fractures. In extreme cases, can lead to an enlarged liver and spleen.

Acute toxicity

Arctic explorer experience drowsiness, irritability, headache and vomiting within a few hours after eating polar bear liver or liver seals, which contains a lot of vitamin A. Vitamin A tablets that contain 20 times the recommended daily dose, which is used for the prevention and relieve skin disease, sometimes cause similar symptoms, even if taken as directed.

Chronic toxicity

Chronic poisoning in children and adults greater is usually the result of consuming large doses of vitamin A (10 times the recommended daily dose) for months. Vitamin A toxicity can occur in a baby in a few weeks.

The initial symptoms of chronic toxicity are:

- Blond hair and rough

- Loss on the part of eyelashes

- Lips are chapped

- Skin dry and rough.

Severe headaches, increased pressure in the brain and general weakness ensues. The growth of bone and joint pain are common, especially in children. Liver and spleen may be enlarged. Babies born to mothers who took isotretinoin (an artificial vitamin A used to treat a skin disorder) during pregnancy may have birth defects.

Vitamin A toxicity diagnosis is made based on symptoms and high levels of vitamin A in the blood. Symptoms will disappear within 4 weeks after the halt to the use of vitamin A supplementary. Beta-carotene is found in vegetables such as carrots, gradually transformed by the body into vitamin A and can be consumed in large quantities without causing toxicity. Although the skin will change to amber (carotenosis), especially the skin on the palms and soles of the feet, but does not cause other side effects.

It can be concluded that, when consumed with the right dose and with proper care, this vitamin can be really effective to improve general health. Because it is a fat-soluble vitamin, the excess amount can not be excreted through the urine. Excessive vitamin A tend to accumulate in the liver and fat tissue, and thus produce the side effects mentioned above or symptoms of poisoning. So it is very important to take vitamin A only in the required amount. People taking supplements should be careful to not take vitamin A which is higher than the recommended dose. Vitamin A toxicity occurs mainly with preformed vitamin A, and not the form of carotenoids. However, an excess of carotenoids may cause carotenodermia, a condition characterized by discoloration of yellow or yellow-orange skin.

5 Important Vitamin A Benefits and Function

In addition to the vitamin A benefits to support eye health, vitamin A is also useful as an antioxidant. Vitamin A may protect the body from foreign organisms infections, such as pathogens bacterial. This defense mechanism is included in the external immune system, immune system because it comes from outside the body. This vitamin will increase the activity of white blood cells and antibodies in the body so that the body becomes more resistant to the toxin compounds against invading microorganisms and parasites, such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses.

Vitamin A is one of the most important vitamin for maintaining healthy skin and mucous membranes. This vitamin is one of the significant factors for the growth of healthy hair. Even for the skin, this vitamin has many benefits, for which is included in skin care products. It can be very beneficial for acne prone skin and dry. It helps the skin to retain moisture, and thus making it soft and supple. It can also fight the signs of aging such as wrinkles and fine lines.

Vitamin A takes part in gene transcription, cell growth, embryonic development and reproduction. It is also a powerful antioxidant that helps neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals on cells and tissues. In addition it helps the immune system to fight infectious pathogens. Because of its antioxidant properties, may decrease the risk of several diseases including cancer and heart disease. Even people who have high blood cholesterol levels benefit from vitamin A. In addition, these vitamins make moist mucous membranes, and help the healthy growth of teeth and bones. Children with respiratory problems can also benefit from this vitamin.

5 important vitamin A benefits

1. Eye Health: Vitamin A has an important role in the health of human visual perception. This vitamin helps distribute the object received by the retina of the eye to the brain as an image. Compounds that play a role in this case is retinol.
2. Optimize fetal development: Vitamin A is important for pregnant women. Because it is easily soluble in water and fat that is necessary for the health of the baby. Such as helping the development of eye cells, organs eye, for the growth of bone, skin health, and help the development of the heart.
3.  Inhibit breast cancer cells: Based on recent research scientists from America, revealed that vitamin A can inhibit the growth of cancer that often affects women, namely breast cancer. Although not directly, but the form of derivatives such as retinoic acid or retinol is what will inhibit the growth of cancerous tissue itself.
4. Boost immunity: Vitamin A palmitate and retinyl containing retinyl acetate can prevent infection from a wide variety of small organisms that can harm the body. Such as bacteria that try to enter the body through the respiratory and food.
5. Inhibit the aging process: Vitamin A itself can produce antioxidants which can counteract free radicals. Free radicals are not clean air that is inhaled by our respiratory organs. Because the higher the antioxidant reaction itself, the more pollution that enters the body. But with vitamin A, the free-radical damage can be prevented to slow the aging process of the skin.

Vitamin A deficiency can lead to several serious diseases, that is why we should meet our daily need of vitamin A. The best source of vitamin A foods such as from vegetable like spinach, carrots and so on. While from fruits such as, apple, mango, papaya, banana and many more.