Vitamin Information Center

Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is essential to the formation of visual purple in the retina, which allows vision in dim light. It helps your eyes adjust to light changes when you come in from outside and also helps keep your eyes, skin and mucous membranes moist. Vitamin A mostly comes from animal foods, but some plant-based foods supply beta-carotene, which your body then converts into Vitamin A.

Vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness, eye inflammation, diarrhea and other problems. Over consumption of vitamin A can cause nausea, irritability and blurred vision in its mild form. Vitamin A toxicity can cause growth retardation, hair loss and enlarged spleen and liver in its more severe form. Vitamin A overdose can also cause birth defects and has been linked to increased risk of bone fractures in some people. Like other vitamins, vitamin A does not replace food and in fact, it cannot be assimilated without food.

Benefits of vitamin A to us:-

1. Vitamin A improves our vision and prevents night blindness.

2. This vitamin promotes formation of strong bones.

3. Vitamin A supplements may help kids who have respiratory problem.

4. Act as anti-oxidant, helping to protect our cells against cancer and other disease.

5. It can improve skin condition like acne or psoriasis.

6. Vitamin A guards us against bacterial, viral, parasitic infections.

Deficiency Symptoms of vitamin A

1. Bitots spot, 2. Night blindness, 3. Conjunctival xerosis, 4. Corneal xerosis,

5. Keratomalacia.

Sources of vitamin A

1. Spinach and collard greens 2. Egg yolk 3. Fortified milk

4. Sweet potato and Broccoli 5. Pumpkin and carrots

6. Cheddar cheese

If Pune becomes a welcome addition to the list of those cities around the world that have been freed from Vitamin A deficiencies, it will have Vitamins Angels to thank for this achievement. Every person has a right to vital nutrition. That’s the motto of Vitamin Angels, an organization primarily based in Santa Barbara, California. Howard B Schiffer, an ad-executive-turned-good-samaritan founded Vitamin Angels. Often called the humanitarian arm of the natural products industry, Vitamin Angels has distributed more than three hundred and fifty million vitamins and other supplements to people in need in 82 countries around the world. Their program in and around Pune is part of Vitamin Angels’ Operation 20/20 global campaign to eradicate vitamin A deficiency on the planet by the year 2020.

The team from Vitamin Angels was in Pune last month. They were accompanied by Milind Shah, who runs the Vitamins Angels’ Operation 20/20 campaign in Pune and surrounding regions.

Currently reaching 70,000 children in this area, Vitamin Angels supply children with high dose Vitamin A and de-worming medicine two times per year - once every 6 months. The pills are generally given to the children in the first five years of their lives, the time when they are the most vulnerable. Vitamin A capsules were distributed along with de-worming tablets to prevent parasites consuming Vitamin A before the child could absorb it. Other than that, worm infections also have serious health repercussions for a growing child. “The result,” Schiffer says, “is a 23 per cent increase in their survival rates. Vitamin A programs also reduce clinic visits by 27 per cent and hospital visits by 38 per cent. So not only will this program stop the children from going blind due to Vitamin A deficiency but it will also improve their health by bolstering their immune system and at the same time, lower the burden on the public health care system.”

“The government in Pune has been supporting our Vitamin A / Childhood Blindness Prevention Campaign and held an event for us this year in Pune to applaud our efforts. This unique partnership between private enterprise, public institutions like the Ministry of Health, and non-government organizations, is showing India a new way to address the major health problems endemic around the country,” adds Schiffer.

Their partners in Pune are Milind Shah’s NGO, Deepak Shah’s Sakalp Foundation and the Municipal Government. Milind Shah says, “Vitamin A and de-worming distribution as part of Operation 20/20 is presently reaching 70,000 children in areas like Baramati, Jalgaon and areas that fall under the Pune Zilla Parishad. Every year we receive about 140,000 tablets from Vitamin Angels.”

Upon their visit here, Schiffer was awarded an appreciation award for his collaboration by the city government. Shah also added that Vitamin Angels plan to increase the number of tablets to five lakh in the coming year. Here in Pune, the distribution was also coordinated by Dr Rashmi Gapchup. Vitamin A is critical for vision, bone growth and normal bodily development and its deficiency does its worst damage during childhood and is a major contributor to child mortality and illness. The most commonly known effect of vitamin A deficiency is blindness. Vitamin A supplementation can reduce child mortality by as much as 23-24 per cent.

Vitamin Angels have been working in India since 1996 and this program has been running since 2004. “Our commitment, other than seeing the children every sixth months, is working with the government in Pune to address the other factors that will build long term health like clean water, sanitation, hygiene and sanitation,” says Schiffer. Pleased to be working in Pune, what motivates Schiffer the most is helping the children have a better chance at a healthier life.

“Vitamin Angels always feels that India has some of the largest problems and the biggest challenges in the world (distribution logistics, corruption, geography, population, etc). We know that if we can make a program work in India, we can easily scale it up anywhere else in the world. Our Operation 20/20 campaign which is now operating in 17 countries around the world and reaching 7.5 million children was modeled after the India Vitamin A / Childhood Blindness Prevention Campaign. Vitamin Angels is now reaching 1.1 million children, nursing moms and babies in India,” he concludes with satisfaction.

In Sri Lanka, one of the most misused drugs is vitamins which can be bought over the counter. The majority of Sri Lankan doctors prescribe (unnecessary) vitamins and iron pills to their patients. A large number of healthy normal people especially those living in the urban areas swallow vitamins daily as they believe that daily intake of vitamins helps them to improve quality of their lives, prolong life and prevent certain chronic diseases.

Most of the vitamin pills doctors prescribe to their patients are highly unnecessary and excessive intake of certain vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin K can give rise to chronic health problems both in adults and in children.

“Because nutrition operates as an infinitely complex biochemical system involving thousands of chemicals and thousands of effects on your health, it makes little or no sense that isolated nutrients taken as supplements can substitute for whole food. Supplements will not lead to lasting health and may cause unforeseen side-effects. The danger of Western diets cannot be overcome by consuming nutrient pills” (T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell).

In Sri Lanka, thousands of healthy patients swallow vitamin pills daily. Most of them take multivitamin and B-complex tablets and some of them take iron pills. Most of the vitamins doctors prescribe to their patients are highly unnecessary and self medication with fat-soluble vitamins can be dangerous. The common vitamins doctors prescribe to their patients are multivitamins and vitamin C; multivitamin tablets containing iron can rarely lead to heart disease.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is prescribed by doctors to patients suffering from vitamin A deficiency which is a rare disease nowadays due to improvement in public health services unlike the days before 1970 when I served in an outstation provincial hospital as a relieving house officer, when I used to see, children with eye complications of vitamin A deficiency in paediatric wards and in the eye clinic. I saw the most number of patients with xeropthalmia when I clerked under (late) Professor C.C. de Silva at Lady Ridgeway Hospital in 1961. I understand from my colleagues that it is not common to see malnourished children with vitamin A deficiencies in the paediatric wards nowadays.

Overdose of vitamin A can cause rough skin, dry hair and raised sedimentation rate (high E.S.R.) and raised alkaline phosphatase. Vitamin A supplements should not be prescribed to females who might become pregnant and those attending antenatal clinics, as high blood levels of vitamin A can cause birth defects. Pregnant mothers should not eat liver and liver sausages which are rich in vitamin A.

Vitamin D

We Sri Lankans are fortunate that we don’t have diseases due to vitamin D deficiency as we get exposed to sunlight. I used to see a fair number of children with rickets when I did paediatric appointments in 1961, but I have never seen any adult cases with vitamin D deficiency (osteomalacca) in Sri Lanka. I saw a few cases of osteomalacia in the Metabolic Unit, Manchester Royal Infirmary when I used to join the Professional Teaching rounds in 1972 at Royal Infirmary. I understand that rickets is rare in Sri Lanka now.

You should never self-medicate with vitamin D tablets as you may get symptoms of vitamin D overdosage which include loss of appetite, lassitude, nausea, vomiting, diarhoea, weight loss, increased urine output, sweating, headache, thirst and giddiness.

Vitamin E

Some women self-medicate with vitamin E as they have a misconception that taking vitamin E capsules and hair lotions containing vitamin E prevent fall of hair. Very often beauticians advise their customers to take vitamin E as far as I am aware vitamin E is not useful for females with loss of hair.

About 30 years ago, doctors used to prescribe vitamin E to heart patients in the belief that vitamin E prevents heart attacks. All the clinical trials done todate have shown that vitamin E does not prevent heart attacks. I frequently prescribe vitamin E to my patients who are on “water tablets” (diuretics) such as Frusemide and spironolactone, for prevention nocturnal cramps.

Vitamin B-Complex

Deficiency of B-Complex vitamins is rare. Out of B vitamins, folic acid is commonly prescribed by obstetricians to pregnant mothers to prevent neural tube defects in the foetus. Folic acid is commonly prescribed by physicians to patients with megaloblastic anaemia (due to folate deficiency). Folic acid is known to prevent carcinoma of breast in females and is commonly prescribed to heart patients to prevent heart attacks although there is no scientific evidence so far to show that routine folic acid intake prevents heart attacks.

Eat a well balanced diet

If you eat a well-balanced diet you don’t have to swallow vitamins. Randomized clinical trials of vitamin supplements have been disappointing including those with vitamin E and beta-carotene and even folic acid for prevention of heart attacks. According to some randomized clinical trials, there are risks with increased doses of beta-carotene.

According to Dean Ornish (best selling author) at least 1000 protective substances are found in certain foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and soya products and above foods have anti-cancer, anti-aging and anti-heart disease properties. When you eat more healthfully, you are going to look good, feel good, lose weight and gain health. Joy of living is a much better motivation than fear of dying.

Diet and lifestyle changes can be more powerful than drugs. I don’t think the majority of Sri Lankans who swallow multivitamin, vitamin C and iron tablets are deficient in vitamins and iron. For those who take Western diets and for those who take a lot of junk food, and who don’t take sufficient fruits and vegetables and whole grains, it is advisable to take some vitamins such as multivitamin and vitamin C tablets. For patients who are deficient in vitamins, their physicians will prescribe vitamins. When normal healthy people swallow vitamins, you are prone to get side-effects.

Don’t take too much of Iron pills

Taking too much of iron pills and syrups containing iron can cause iron overload. When you take too much of iron your bad cholesterol (LDL) will get oxidized and oxidized LDL is more toxic than unoxidized LDL and will end up in arteries and contribute to development of coronary heart disease (heart attacks).

Females don’t have to worry about iron overload problems during child-bearing period and excess of iron is lost during menstrual cycles. But taking iron pills after menopause is not advisable and may cause iron overload.

You don’t have to worry about vitamins and other nutrients as long as you take enough fruits, vegetables, soya and other legumes and whole grains. Only when we consume nutrients as food and not as supplements that it is useful. According to the New York Times, April 29, 2003 (science section) there are no proved health benefits of consuming nutrient supplements (Kolata G).

Vitamin supplements are not a panacea for good health and taking too much of vitamins and other nutrients including iron can be dangerous. You don’t have to worry about vitamins and other nutrients as long as you take a healthful diet containing fruits, vegetables, soya products, legumes and whole grains. Avoid consumption of transfats commonly found in margarine and vegetable oils.

A multivitamin is needed by most individuals to provide all of the needed vitamin and mineral missing in ones diet to support proper bodily functions on a daily basis. Here are some nutrients that it provides in sufficient levels, which include vitamin A, vitamin D, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, and Minerals.

Vitamin A, which is important for normal vision, integrity of the skin and those cells lining the inner surfaces of the body, gene expression, reproduction, embryonic development, growth, and immune function, is most commonly found as beta-carotene in a multivitamin. Unless the person supplementing is diabetic, the body can convert beta-carotene into vitamin A as it is needed. Therefore, the risk of vitamin A deficiency is nearly nonexistent, while the daily value for vitamin A is 5,000 IU, although supplementation of up to 25,000 IU of beta-carotene is safe and effective.

Vitamin D has recently become more and more recognized by the greater public. Its main role in human nutrition is the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the intestinal tract, which therefore promotes the mineralization of the bones. Vitamin D can be made in our body by ultraviolet rays of the sun converting a cholesterol derivative in the skin. The daily value for vitamin D is 400 IU, while a range of 400 to 1,000 IU is a good daily dosage.

The B vitamins are involved directly or indirectly in energy metabolism. Some B vitamins facilitate the energy-releasing actions themselves while others help to build new cells to deliver the oxygen and nutrients which allow the energy pathways to run. The B vitamins are also involved in the function of the nervous system. The daily value of these vitamins differ according to the B vitamin, with the dosage ranging from 10 to 100 mg, and the dosage for folic acid ranging from 400 to 800 mcg/day.

Vitamin C promotes collagen synthesis in the body, offers antioxidant protection against free radicals, supports thyroxin synthesis and amino acid metabolism, strengthens resistance to infection, and helps in the absorption of iron. The daily value for vitamin C is a simple 60 mg, but studies have safely used 500 to 3000 mg/day.

Vitamin E is very valuable and worth taking as a separate supplement to get the best dosage. It helps the body by providing antioxidant protection against free radicals, stabilizing cell membranes, regulating oxidation reactions, and protecting both polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin A. It has also been proven in studies that a natural vitamin E is three times more active in the human body than synthetic vitamin E at similar doses.

Minerals have often been overshadowed in importance by vitamins, but the need for them is vital as they are recognized as essential to human nutrition. Important minerals include calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, iodine, potassium, manganese, selenium, and chromium.

Calcium is necessary for the formation of bones and teeth as well as blood clotting and normal muscle and nerve activity. Adequate calcium helps to maintain good bone health and may reduce the risk for osteoporosis later in life. The daily value for calcium is 1,000 mg but some research suggests that higher doses may be beneficial.

Magnesium is important for muscle and nervous tissue function and helps with the formation of bones and teeth. Supplementing with magnesium may help to reduce indications of bone loss. Research has shown that supplementing with 250 to 750 mg/d of magnesium can help stop bone loss and increase bone mass.

Another important mineral is iron, which transports oxygen in the body and is also makes oxygen available for muscle contractions. It is also necessary for the utilization of energy. The daily value for iron is 18 mg, but if a deficiency is diagnosed doctors may recommend up to 200 mg/day of iron.

Zinc is associated with the hormone insulin, zinc is involved in making genetic material and proteins, immune reactions, transport of vitamin A, taste perception, wound healing, the making of sperm, and normal development of the fetus. The daily value for zinc is 15 mg, but for specific purposes, levels up to 60 mg/day can be recommended for a short time. However, increased zinc levels can lower copper levels, which is responsible for the formation of red blood cells and nerve fibers. Therefore, copper should be added if zinc is being consumed at higher levels.

Other important minerals include iodine, which is essential in regulating metabolic rate; potassium, which helps to maintain normal osmotic pressure of body fluids and the acid-base balance of the body; manganese, which activates enzymes and is involved in fatty acid metabolism and protein synthesis; selenium, which detoxifies products of oxidized fats, and is found in red blood cells; and chromium, which is necessary for the formation of glucose tolerance factor, a complex that works with insulin.

Most generic multiple vitamins found at mass market stores only supply the RDA for vitamins and minerals. When looking for a good multiple vitamins you should buy only name brands and read the label to see that the above mentioned vitamins and minerals are supplied in the recommended doses. If the one you look at doesn’t have the above listed potency then move to another brand that does supply what is needed for optimal health.

A multivitamin is needed by most individuals to provide all of the needed vitamin and mineral missing in ones diet to support proper bodily functions on a daily basis. Here are some nutrients that it provides in sufficient levels, which include vitamin A, vitamin D, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, and Minerals. Continue Reading…

Retinol (vitamin A) is a fat-soluble substance stored in body organs, principally the liver. Periodic high-dose supplementation is intended to protect against vitamin A deficiency which is associated with ocular defects particularly xerophthalmia (including night blindness which may progress to severe eye lesions and blindness), and an increased susceptibility to infections, particularly measles and diarrhoea. Continue Reading…