Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for health; We can absorb carotenoids and beta-carotene from plants, retinol from animal meat. Because vitamin A is fat-soluble, you should not overdose because vitamin A accumulates in the body can affect vitamin D and joint health (especially vitamin A in the form of retinol). Learning about vitamin A foods can help you get the right dose of this important vitamin.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Diagnosis of vitamin A deficiency

1. 

   Learn about the role of vitamin A. Vitamin A plays an important role for many functions and processes in the body: it helps maintain healthy skin, enhances night vision, protects strong bones and teeth, helps tissues and mucous membranes. Effective (prevents infection) and essential for digestive, respiratory, reproductive, and lactation function.

2. 

   
   
   Recognize signs of a vitamin A deficiency. The most common symptom of end-stage vitamin A deficiency is night blindness dry eyes: difficult or impossible to see at night. People with vitamin A deficiency may also experience corneal ulcers and corneal molluscum (dry and "cloudy" corneas).
   • Corneal ulcers are open wounds that form in the outer layer of tissue in the front of the eye.
   • Corneal keratosis is a loss of the ability to see through the front of the eye. This section is normally clear and cloudy can cause objects in sight to be blurred or completely inaccessible.
   • Night blindness is most evident through oval or triangular patches on the sides of the eye, ie the part closest to the face. These plaques are usually present in both eyes and are accompanied by Bitot spots (corneal accumulation and tiny "bubbling").
   • Night blindness is also shown by the phenomenon of "firefly explosion" when looking at bright lights in dark places.
   • Other symptoms of mild / primary vitamin A deficiency include chronic dry or "not wet" eyes, a rough surface of the eye, or "bubbles". Even so, these symptoms are not sufficient to diagnose vitamin A deficiency.
   • You may be prescribed an oral antibiotic to treat an infection, but it's best to see your doctor for advice on changing your diet and taking supplements if needed.

3. 

   
   
   Blood tests. If you are concerned about vitamin A levels, you can ask your doctor to run a retinol blood test to determine if you have a vitamin A deficiency. The normal concentration of vitamin A in the blood is 50-200 mcg / dl in the blood.
   • You will likely need to fast or drink for up to 24 hours before the test. Should ask your doctor about the necessary requirements.
   • If you have a vitamin A deficiency, your doctor may recommend a supplement (if you are not pregnant) or refer you to a registered dietitian for more appropriate dietary changes.

4. 

   
   
   Get your baby tested. Young children are susceptible to vitamin A deficiency and may show signs of growth retardation, increasing the risk of susceptibility to infection.
   • Young children may become deficient in vitamin A due to not getting enough from milk or too much vitamin A loss due to chronic diarrhea.

5. 

   Be careful while pregnant. Vitamin A deficiency can occur in pregnant women in the last 3 months of pregnancy because this is the period when there is the highest nutritional and vitamin demand in both mother and fetus.
   • Pregnant women should not Take a multivitamin A supplement without your doctor's guidance because high doses of vitamin A can harm your unborn baby.
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Part 2 of 3: Eat foods rich in vitamin A

1. 

   Eat more through tubers. Vegetables are an important source of vitamin A because they help replenish carotenoids like beta-carotene. Most orange / yellow / red vegetables like sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and carrots contain vitamin A. Dark green vegetables like kale, spinach (spinach) and lettuce are also rich in vitamin A. .

2. 

   Eat a lot of fruit. Certain fruits, such as mangoes, apricots and cantaloupe, are high in vitamin A.
   • One mango contains 672 mcg of vitamin A, which is about 45% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A.
   • Dried apricots are a good source of vitamin A: one cup of dried apricots contains 764 mcg of vitamin A. Canned apricots contain less vitamin A, about 338 mcg per cup.
   • Cantaloupe is also a fruit rich in vitamin A, adding 286 mcg of vitamin A per cup.
   • Some health experts recommend that pregnant women increase their plant-based vitamin A intake by 40% of vitamin A requirements during pregnancy and up to 90% while breastfeeding.

3. 

   Include animal food sources in your diet. Animal foods provide vitamin A in the form of "retinol", the vitamin that the body converts carotenoids (vitamin A from plants) into when you digest. Foods rich in retinol include liver, eggs, and fatty fish.
   • Because it is absorbed quickly and excreted slowly, retinol is the form of vitamin A that can be overdosed. Therefore, you should be careful when consuming food sources rich in retinol. Nausea or vomiting, headache, loss of appetite, dizziness, and fatigue can all be signs of acute poisoning.
   • Acute vitamin A toxicity is relatively rare. Chronic poisoning, which accumulates over time, is more common. Adults must consume more than 7,500 mcg (7.5 mg) per day for more than 6 years to reach toxicity levels. Even so, everyone's body is different, so it's best to be careful not to overdo it with retinol.
   • Retinol levels may also be affected if you use vitamin A skin care products such as creams or acne medications.

4. 

   Add dairy products to your diet. Milk, yogurt and cheese help fortify vitamin A.
   • One cup of milk provides about 10-14% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A. 30 g of cheese provides 1-6% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A.

5. 

   Consult your doctor or dietitian. A trusted health care professional can guide you on how to determine which foods are best for supplements.
   • Your doctor can refer you to a dietitian. If not, you can contact the hospital yourself and ask for a referral.
   • In some countries like the US, you can search online for licensed nutritionists.
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Part 3 of 3: Take vitamin A supplements

1. 

   Understand children's vitamin A needs. There are many different doses of supplements, so it's important to know the Recommended Supplement (RDA) dose when you want to take a supplement.
   • For infants under 6 months of age, the RDA for vitamin A is 400 mcg (0.4 mg).
   • For infants 7-12 years old, the RDA for vitamin A is 500 mcg (0.5 mg).
   • For children 1-3 years old, the RDA for vitamin A is 300 mcg (0.3 mg).
   • For children 4-8 years old, the RDA for vitamin A is 400 mcg (0.4 mg).
   • For children 9-13 years old, the RDA for vitamin A is 600 mcg (0.6 mg).
   • For children 14-18 years old, the RDA for vitamin A is 700 mcg (0.7 mg) for teenagers and 900 mcg (0.9 mg) for young adults.

2. 

   Recommended dose for adults. Adults need more vitamin A than children. Along with taking supplements, you need to know the Recommended Supplement (RDA) dose.
   • For men 19 years and over, the RDA for vitamin A is 900 mcg (0.9 mg).
   • For women 19 and older, the RDA for vitamin A is 700 mcg (0.7 mg).
   • For pregnant women younger than 18 years, the RDA for vitamin A is 750 mcg (0.75 mg).
   • For pregnant women 19 years and older, the RDA for vitamin A is 770 mcg (0.77 mg).
   • For lactating women younger than 18 years, the RDA for vitamin A is 1,200 mcg (1.2 mg).
   • For lactating women 19 years and older, the RDA for vitamin A is 1,300 mcg (1.3 mg).

3. 

   Do not exceed the RDA for vitamin A. Consuming too much vitamin A can cause many health problems.
   • Infants younger than 1 year old should not exceed 600 mcg (0.6 mg) of vitamin A per day.
   • Children 1-3 years old should not exceed 600 mcg (0.6 mg) of vitamin A per day.
   • Children 4-8 years old should not exceed 900 mcg (0.9 mg) of vitamin A per day.
   • Children 9-13 years old should not exceed 1,700 mcg (1.7 mg) of vitamin A per day.
   • Children 14-18 years old should not exceed 2,800 mcg (2.8 mg) of vitamin A per day.
   • Adults 19 years of age and older should not exceed 3.00 mcg (3 mg) of vitamin A per day.
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Advice

• Consuming too much beta-carotene can cause the skin to turn orange. This is a harmless reaction, common in children and people eating every day. In this case, simply stop eating the vegetables for a few days.
• Consult with your doctor or a registered dietitian before making any dietary changes or taking vitamin A supplements.

Warning

• Read the label carefully functional foods. The dose of vitamin A should not exceed 10,000 IU (relatively rare). However, caution comes first.
• Absolutely do not arbitrarily change the diet. Your doctor will tell you what vitamins to take (if needed).
• Too much vitamin A can lead to loss of appetite, dizziness, oiliness, dry and itchy skin, hair loss, blurred vision, and decreased bone mineral density. In severe cases, an overdose of vitamin A can cause liver damage. In the fetus, an overdose of vitamin A can cause serious defects; Pregnant women should not consume more than 5,000 IU vitamin A supplements per day. In fact, experts recommend that pregnant women not take vitamin A supplements.