Thursday, October 7, 2010

Recommended Dietary vitamin A per day

Health experts recommend eating the amounts of vitamin A include:

* Children (under 3): 300 micrograms (mcg) per day
* Children (4-8 years): 400 mcg per day
* Children (9-13 years): 600 mcg per day
* Teens and adults (over 14): 900 mcg per day
* Pregnant women (under 18): 750 mcg per day
* Pregnant women (over 18): 770 mcg per day
* Women who are breastfeeding (under 18): 1200 mcg per day
* Women who are breastfeeding (over 18): 1300 mcg per day.

Due to risks of toxicity (see the "Toxicity"), doctors have also defined a threshold level of tolerance to daily supplementation with vitamin A by a healthy population. Here the maximum amount per day you can get vitamin A:

* Children (under 3): 600 micrograms (mcg) per day
* Children (4-8 years): 900 mcg per day
* Children (9-13 years): 1 700 mcg per day
* Teens (14 to 18): 2800 mcg per day
* Adults (19 years and older): 3,000 mcg per day
* Women who are pregnant or lactating (under 18): 2800 mcg per day
* Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding (over 18): 3000 mcg per day.

Vitamin A toxicity

Although vitamin A deficiency are rare, you can consume too much vitamin A. The hyper vitamin A (vitamin A or abuse) indicates an excessive storage of vitamin A in the body. The presence of excess vitamin A can cause the following effects:

* Congenital diseases,
* Abnormal liver
* Reduction of bone density (which can lead to osteoporosis),
* Loss hair
* Bone growth disorderly
* Excessive skin dryness or peeling,
* Central nervous system disorders.

Severe toxicity of vitamin A may occur after drinking large quantities of this nutrient (especially after fees) over a very short period of time. Symptoms of severe toxicity of vitamin A are:

* Loss of appetite,
* Irritability
* Exhaustion,
* Nausea and vomiting
* Dry, brittle nails,
* Migraines,
* Dizziness,
* Blurred vision,
* Depression
* Schizophrenia,
* Anemia.

People suffering from vitamin A pancreatic disorders:

The pancreas secretes enzymes that help absorb the fat in the body. Without these enzymes, our bodies are less able to absorb fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamin A. Read also: Accelerate metabolism with 5 vitamins and minerals.

Children: some children living in Western countries, for reasons still unknown and subject of various studies in progress, more difficult to store vitamin A. These children are at risk of vitamin A. Children subject to the risk include very young children, preschool children, children living below the poverty line, children without immunization, children who are recent immigrants from developing countries, children with disease of the pancreas, liver or intestines. Read also: Vitamins are not automatic for children.

What types of people at risk of vitamin A?

Although vitamin A deficiency are rare, several groups of people may miss this important nutrient. Read also: Nutrient Deficiencies: top 5 nutritional deficiencies.

Vegetarians and vegans: because preformed vitamin A from animal foods is more available to be absorbed by the body than carotenoids from plant foods, vegetarians will have more difficulty in obtaining their nutritional recommended daily vitamin Vegans are at even higher risk. Also read: Lose weight with diet vegetarian / vegan.

Drinking alcohol drinking too much alcohol reduces stores of vitamin A in the liver, thus reducing the overall amount that is in the body. Read also: Alcohol and blood sugar: 9 tips to manage.

People suffering from digestive diseases: people who suffer from celiac disease, Crohn's disease or irritable bowel syndrome have a higher frequency DIARRHEA (one of the main ways for vitamin A to be excreted from the body) and lower rates of absorption of vitamin A. Read also: Celiac disease: food for people with celiac disease.

Vitamin A Deficiency: Signs and symptoms

Most adults have a reserve of vitamin A in their livers (as a fat-soluble nutrient, vitamin A is preserved in the fattest parts of the body). So vitamin A are rare but not impossible. Signs that you may lack vitamin A include:

* Hyperkeratosis, an appearance similar to goose bumps on the skin,
* Increased sensitivity to viral infections,
* Decreased night vision, photophobia,
* Night-blindness, night blindness, hespéranopie,
* Hair loss,
* Loss of appetite,
* Abnormal bone
* Slow growth.

Benefits of Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a large group of fat-soluble compounds (soluble in lipids but insoluble in water) that promote good vision, bone growth, reproduction and cell growth. Vitamin A also keeps your immune system in good shape by protecting the walls of your lungs and intestinal tract and producing white blood cells (cells of human blood contains a nucleus, also called leukocytes, which mainly plays a role in defense the body against foreign agents). Read also: Immune system: how to strengthen the immune system?

There are two types of vitamin A:

* Preformed: preformed vitamin A is derived exclusively from foods of animal origin (meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, etc..). It is absorbed as retinol (the form most useful to vitamin A) and esters of retinol,
* Carotenoids: Vitamin A-like carotenoids from fruits and vegetables , and must be converted to retinol by the body. There are over 560 carotenoids in nature, but the body still absorbs less than 10%. One of the most important carotenoids is beta-carotene, an important nutrient that can prevent certain diseases like cancer.

Vitamin A: Benefits, shortcomings, foods rich in vitamin A

Vitamin A is an essential vitamin. Discover its benefits, what causes vitamin A, vitamin rich foods ..

Vitamin A is a super nutrient that provides numerous benefits according to recent studies. Vitamin A plays an important role in the prevention or treatment of dozens of health problems including acne, cataracts, osteo-arthritis, psoriasis, ulcers, varicose veins, etc.. It is therefore important not to suffer from vitamin A deficiency, and eat enough foods rich in vitamin A daily. Read also: Vitamins for weight loss, vitamins for weight loss.