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Vitamin A: Ashwini Kalantri

Vitamin A is an essential fat-soluble nutrient that exists in both preformed and pro-vitamin forms. It plays important roles in vision, epithelial tissue function, skeletal growth, and immune function. Sources include animal foods like liver as well as plant foods like carrots and dark leafy greens. Deficiency can cause vision problems and increased susceptibility to infection. Recommended dietary allowances vary by age, with toxicity risks at very high levels.

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Diandhara Nuryadin
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65 views12 pages

Vitamin A: Ashwini Kalantri

Vitamin A is an essential fat-soluble nutrient that exists in both preformed and pro-vitamin forms. It plays important roles in vision, epithelial tissue function, skeletal growth, and immune function. Sources include animal foods like liver as well as plant foods like carrots and dark leafy greens. Deficiency can cause vision problems and increased susceptibility to infection. Recommended dietary allowances vary by age, with toxicity risks at very high levels.

Uploaded by

Diandhara Nuryadin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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I C R O N U T R I E N T

Vitamin A
Ashwini Kalantri
Vitamins
• Essential Nutrients
• Types
– Fat soluble – A, D, E, K
– Water soluble – B group, C

2
Vitamin A
• Per-formed vitamin – Retinol
• Pro-vitamin – β-carotene
• 1IU = 0.3µg retinol (0.55µg of retinol palmitate)
• Retinol Equivalent (RE)
– 1µg retinol = 1 RE
– 1µg β–carotene = 0.167 RE
– 1RE = 3.333 IU of Vitamin A
3
Functions
• Normal Vision
– Retinal pigmentation  vision in low light
• Integrity and function of glandular and epithelial
tissue of Respiratory System, Urinary Tract, Skin
and Eyes
• Skeletal Growth
• Anti-infective
• Protective against some epithelial cancers 4
Sources
• Animal Foods: liver, eggs, butter, cheese, milk,
fish, meat
• Plant Foods: green leafy vegetables – spinach.
Yellow and green fruits – papaya, mango,
pumpkin. Roots – carrots.
• Fortified Foods: vanaspati, margarine, milk.
Liver stores Vitamin A as retinol palmitate.
Reserves for 6-9 months 5
Deficiency
Xerophthalmia
• XN Night blindness
• X1A Conjunctival xerosis
• X1B Bitot spot
• X2 Corneal xerosis
• X3A Corneal ulceration, less than 1/3
• X3B Corneal ulceration, more than 1/3
• XS Corneal scar
• XF Xerophthalmic fundus
6
Singh, K. "Modified classification of xerophthalmia." Indian Journal of Ophthalmology 39.3 (1991): 105.
Deficiency
Extra-ocular
• Folicular Hyperkeratosis
• Anorexia
• Growth retardation
• Mortality and morbidity due to respiratory
and intestinal infections.

7
Prevention
• Improvement of diet
• Reducing the severity of the contributory
factors
– PEM, respiratory tract infection, diarrhea,
measles.
• 6 monthly massive dose administration
– 1,00,000 IU (6 months – 1 year)
– 2,00,000 IU (1 year – 6 years)
8
Treatment
• Urgent treatment
• Early stages of Xerophthalmia  Massive
dose of Vitamin A (2,00,000 IU) orally.
Repeat after 4 weeks.
• All children with corneal ulcers

9
Assessment
• Population surveys - clinical and biochemical
• Per-school children (6 months – 6 years)
Criteria Prevalence in population at risk
(6 Months – 6 Years)
Night blindness > 1%
Bitot’s spots > 0.5%
Corneal xerosis/corneal
> 0.01%
ulceration/keratomalacia
Corneal Ulcer > 0.05%
Serum retinol (less than 10 µg/dl) > 5%
10
WHO TRS 672
Recommended Dietary Allowance
Group Retinol (µg) β – carotene (µg)
Adults
Man 600 4800
Women 600 4800
Pregnancy 800 6400
Lactation 950 7600
Infants
0 – 6 months 350 -
6 – 12 months 350 2800
Children
1 – 6 years 400 3200
7 – 9 years 600 4800
Adolescents
10 – 17 years 600 4800
11
ICMR. “Nutrient requirement and recommended dietary allowances for Indians, A report of the expert group of the ICMR” 2010
Toxicity
• Retinol
– Nausea, vomiting, anorexia and sleep disorders
– Skin desquamation, enlarged liver, papillar
odema
• Carotene
– Colour skin and plasma, not dangerous
• Teratogenic effects of massive dose of
vitamin A
12

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