Were you told as a child to eat your carrots “so you could see in the dark”? I was too. In typical childhood logic, the only advantage I could see for this was being able to continue reading after ‘lights out’ time. But our parents were making sure we got our daily dose of Vitamin A, an important vitamin for maintaining eyesight, the health of the immune system, and many other functions in the body like skin health and reproduction. Vitamin A is also one of a group of nutrients known as ‘antioxidants’, important in improving cell health, and protecting us from the effects of free radicals.
TYPES OF VITAMIN A
Vitamin A comes in two forms – preformed, in animal products, and beta-carotene form, in orange and leafy green vegetables.
The beta-carotene form of A is not as easily absorbed as its preformed relative, but once absorbed, the liver oversees storage and release of both types the same way. Releasing Vitamin A from storage relies on both adequate zinc and amino acid (protein) intake – and a healthy liver! Excess vitamin A is released from your body through bile or urine.
THE TWO TYPES OF VITAMIN DEFICIENCY
When considering whether you have a vitamin deficiency, remember that there are two types of deficiency – primary, which results from inadequate levels of the vitamin in your diet, or secondary, which results from problems with digestion, absorption, transport, or storage of the vitamin within your body. If you are taking medications which affect fat absorption, your vitamin A absorption may be affected, as vitamin A is fat soluble. Also, digestive disorders may affect vitamin absorption.
IS IT SAFE TO TAKE VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENTS?
In recent times there has been a great deal of debate within the scientific community about the safety of supplementing diets with vitamin A, considering our body’s natural tendency to store it. There are already labels on vitamin A supplements warning that intake over a certain amount may cause birth defects. Some recent studies blame excessive amounts of vitamin A supplementation for an increase in osteoporosis.
If you are already healthy, and eat an orange vegetable every day, it’s difficult to become deficient in Vitamin A, and obtaining your vitamins from food is always better than having to supplement. If you are pregnant, you should be guided by your health professional’s recommendations about what supplements to take, if any. Some people need extra vitamin A to help them recover from illness, or where the immune system is deficient. Good sources of vitamin A are liver, sweet potatoes, and carrots.
If in doubt about whether you are getting enough Vitamin A in your diet, or whether you are absorbing it properly, talk to your nutritionist-naturopath.
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