Nutrient Focus : VITAMIN A

VITAMIN A

Contrary to some beliefs, VITAMIN A was not named VITAMIN A because it was the first vitamin to be discovered. (Actually, officially, it was Vitamin B1 which was discovered first). According to wikipedia, VITAMIN A was discovered, independently, by Elmer McCollum at University of Wisconsin-Madison and Lafayette Mendel and Thomas Osbourne at Yale University.

But VITAMIN A is, nonetheless, a Class A Vitamin because of its importance to our body. It is an important nutrient which plays an important role in making our eyes healthy, bone growth, helps our immune system by creating white blood cells which fights off bacteria and infections.

A. Health Benefits from VITAMIN A
a. Good for the Eyes - VITAMIN A maintains healthy cells in various structures of the eye and is required for the transduction of light into nerve signals in the retina.
b. Good for the Skin - VITAMIN A is necessary for the maintenance and repair of skin tissue.
c. Anti-Cancer Nutrient - VITAMIN A helps cells reproduce normally - a process called differentiation (cells that have not properly differentiated are more likely to undergo pre-cancerous changes).
d. VITAMIN A is required for normal growth and development of the embryo and fetus, influencing genes that determine the sequential development of organs in embryonic development. This Vital Nutrient may be required for normal reproductive function, with influences on the function and development of sperm, ovaries and placenta.

B. VITAMIN A Deficiency
Deficiency in this Vital Nutrient may lead to :
a. Night Blindness
b. Vision Problems
c. Dry Skin
d. Susceptibility to infections

C. Sources of VITAMIN A
There are two categories of VITAMIN A and this is based on where this Vital Nutrient comes from and these are :
a. Preformed VITAMIN A - VITAMIN A found in foods that come from animals
b. Provitamin VITAMIN A - VITAMIN A found in fruits and vegetables
    For the Top Ten List of Fruits with the most VITAMIN A, click here.
    For the Top Ten List of Vegetables with the most VITAMIN A, click here.

D. VITAMIN A Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA)

Group	Fruit Name	Intake per day (in ug)
Infant	0 - 6 months	400
	6 - 12 months	500
Children	1 - 3 years	300
	4 - 8 years	400
Males	9 - 13 years	600
	14 years - above	900
Female	9 - 13 years	600
	14 years - above	700

(Note : Data came from US Dep't. of Agriculture)