Vitamin A is an important nutrient that is responsible for healthy vision, growth, cell division, reproduction, and immunity. Also known as retinol or retinoic acid, Vitamin A also has antioxidant properties that can protect you from heart disease, cancer and other diseases.
Vitamin A is found in many food sources like spinach, dairy products and liver. Other sources are foods rich in beta-carotene, such as green leafy vegetables, carrots and cantaloupe. Interestingly, your body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A.
In case of vitamin A deficiency, supplements are often prescribed by the doctors. Although vitamin A deficiency is rare in developed countries like the United States, it is extremely common in countries like India.
It is noteworthy that vitamin A deficiency can lead to severe health complications like blindness, increased infection risk, pregnancy complications, and skin issues. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children worldwide.
It is important to maintain healthy levels of vitamin A to prevent the complications caused by vitamin A deficiency. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamin A is 900 mcg and 700 mcg per day for men and women, respectively. However, too much vitamin A can also cause serious harm to your body.
Taking too much vitamin A can lead to serious side effects and can even be fatal if you ingest extremely high doses.
What are the symptoms of vitamin A toxicity?
Consuming too much vitamin A can lead to chronic vitamin A toxicity, often referred to as hypervitaminosis A. The most common symptoms of vitamin A toxicity include:
- vision disturbances
- joint and bone pain
- poor appetite
- nausea and vomiting
- sunlight sensitivity
- hair loss
- headache
- dry skin
- liver damage
- jaundice
- delayed growth
- decreased appetite
- confusion
- itchy skin
In case of acute vitamin A toxicity, your body can experience severe symptoms like liver damage, increased cranial pressure, and even death. Overconsumption of vitamin A can also lead to a negative impact on pregnant women and their babies.
How much vitamin A should you take?
Always consult your doctor, before taking high doses of vitamin A supplements. It is important to meet the RDA of 700–900 mcg daily for adults but make sure that do not exceed the daily upper limit of 3,000 mcg.