The first symptoms of vitamin A deficiency are difficulty adapting to night vision, dry skin, dry hair, brittle nails and decreased immune system with the frequent onset of flu and infections.
Vitamin A can be found in foods such as pumpkin, carrot, papaya, egg yolk and liver, and an adult's body is able to store a stock of up to 1 year of this vitamin in the liver, while in children this stock lasts only a few weeks.
Faced with a deficiency, symptoms of vitamin A deficiency include:
- Night blindness;
- Constant flukes and colds;
- Acne;
- Dry skin, hair and mouth;
- Headache;
- Nails that are brittle and easily peeling;
- Lack of appetite;
- Anemia;
- Decreased fertility
Vitamin A deficiency is more common in people with malnutrition, elderly and in cases of chronic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease.
When the risk of disability is greater
Because vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, diseases that affect fat absorption in the intestine also end up reducing vitamin A absorption. Thus, problems such as cystic fibrosis, pancreatic insufficiency, inflammatory bowel disease, cholestasis or cases of bariatric bypass surgery small intestine, increase the risk of causing a vitamin A deficiency.
In addition, excessive alcohol consumption reduces the conversion of retinol to retinoic acid, which is the active form of vitamin A and which performs its functions in the body. Thus, alcoholism can also be a cause of the appearance of lack symptoms of this vitamin.
Recommended amount per day
The amount of vitamin A recommended per day varies by age, as shown below:
- Children under 6 months: 400 mcg
- Children aged 7 to 12 months: 500 mcg
- Children 1 to 3 years: 300 mcg
- Children aged 4 to 8 years: 400 mcg
- Children aged 3 to 13 years: 600 mcg
- Men older than 13 years: 1000 mcg
- Women older than 10 years: 800 mcg
In general, a healthy and varied diet is sufficient to meet the daily recommendations of vitamin A, and it is important to only take supplements of this vitamin according to the advice of the doctor or nutritionist.
