Gender | Age | Intake |
---|---|---|
1-3 years | Male | 300 mcg/day |
1-3 years | Female | 300 mcg/day |
4-8 years | Male | 400 mcg/day |
4-8 years | Female | 400 mcg/day |
9-13 years | Male | 600 mcg/day |
9-13 years | Female | 600 mcg/day |
14 years and older | Male | 900 mcg/day |
14 years and older | Female | 700 mcg/day |
Pregnant women 14-18 years | Female | 750 mcg/day |
Pregnant women 19 years and older | Female | 770 mcg/day |
Lactating women 14-18 years | Female | 1200 mcg/day |
Lactating women 19 years and older | Female | 1300 mcg/day |
This fat-soluble vitamin is contained in many vegetables, fruits, dairy products, eggs, meat, and fish. It can be produced synthetically too.
The human body needs vitamin A for the normal function and development of the skin, eyes, and many other parts and systems.
It is widely used for treating eye problems, like cataracts, glaucoma, and AMD. It can also be efficacious for improving vision.
Retinol helps to lower complications of numerous diseases, like HIV, diarrhea, measles, malaria, etc. Women often use it when they suffer from PMS, various infections, heavy menstrual periods, fibrocystic breast disease, and lumpy breasts. If a pregnant of breast-feeding woman has HIV, she can take vitamin A to diminish the risk of transmitting the virus to her baby.
Many men take it in order to raise the number of spermatozoa.
Vitamin A can be efficient in treating psoriasis, acne, burns, Darier’s disease, eczema, ichthyosis, cold sores, and many other skin conditions.
It is possibly efficacious for protecting cardiovascular system and heart, treating and preventing cancer, curing diabetes, hay fever, ulcers, kidney stones, and other diseases. One can use it to reduce wrinkles, improve healing of wounds, and protect skin against ultraviolet radiation.
Lack of vitamin A can happen as a result of protein deficiency, fever, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, liver disease, and other health issues. Its deficiency can lead to various skin problems, slow wound healing, susceptibility to infections, lowering of visual acuity, shedding hair, lack of appetite, and other problems.
Taking more than 10,000 units of vitamin A per day for a long time can cause numerous side effects, like irritability, anorexia, vomiting, fatigue, excessive sweating, stomach discomfort, mental changes, mild fever, etc.
Retinol is a liposoluble vitamin. It can be absorbed into blood only when it is combined with bile. If there is too little fat in the food, up to 90% of vitamin A can be lost. Vitamin A is also easily absorbed from vegetable juices but they must be fresh.
As a rule, people who eat much dairy products, vegetables and fruits do not have to take supplements with vitamin A. You can need more retinol when you are pregnant or breast-feeding or when you suffer from certain diseases.