An official website of the United States government
The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before
sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal
government site.
The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the
official website and that any information you provide is encrypted
and transmitted securely.
Vitamin A is a crucial component of various fat-soluble compounds, including retinol, retinyl palmitate, and β-carotene. These compounds are essential for vision, cellular differentiation, epithelial integrity, immune function, and gene regulation. Vitamin A is obtained from dietary sources as preformed vitamin A found in animal products and provitamin A carotenoids in plant-based foods. Both of these forms must be converted into retinal and retinoic acid for biological activity. Vitamin A deficiency is a global public health concern that can lead to issues such as xerophthalmia and increased childhood morbidity. Conversely, excessive intake causes hypervitaminosis A, which can lead to acute and chronic health effects. Contraindications include pregnancy, breastfeeding, and hepatic or renal disease.
Moise AR, Noy N, Palczewski K, Blaner WS. Delivery of retinoid-based therapies to target tissues. Biochemistry. 2007 Apr 17;46(15):4449-58.
-
PMC
-
PubMed
Wolbach SB, Howe PR. TISSUE CHANGES FOLLOWING DEPRIVATION OF FAT-SOLUBLE A VITAMIN. J Exp Med. 1925 Nov 30;42(6):753-77.
-
PMC
-
PubMed
Huiming Y, Chaomin W, Meng M. Vitamin A for treating measles in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005 Oct 19;2005(4):CD001479.
-
PMC
-
PubMed
Sahile Z, Yilma D, Tezera R, Bezu T, Haileselassie W, Seifu B, Ali JH. Prevalence of Vitamin A Deficiency among Preschool Children in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Biomed Res Int. 2020;2020:8032894.
-
PMC
-
PubMed
Dawson MI. The importance of vitamin A in nutrition. Curr Pharm Des. 2000 Feb;6(3):311-25.
-
PubMed
