Harmful effects of excess or deficiency of Vitamin A

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor II Ho Viet Le Diem - General Internal Medicine - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

The human need for vitamin A varies depending on age. Lack of vitamin A compared to the body's needs will lead to many dangerous diseases. On the other hand, overuse of vitamin A also causes many disadvantages to the health of users.

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, when excess is not excreted from the body, it accumulates in the liver. Vitamin A is found in foods such as eggs, milk, and animal liver. The provitamin A form (beta-carotene) is abundant in yellow and red fruits and vegetables such as carrots, tomatoes, gac fruit, bananas, papayas, ... and dark green leafy vegetables such as water spinach. , spinach, spinach, sweet potato...
Vitamin A is an essential active ingredient for reproduction, development, cell division, gene transcription, vision and immune function. Vitamin A is indicated for use in people with night blindness, dry eyes, psoriasis, acne, dry brittle hair, vestibular syndrome, menopause disorders, vulvar atrophy, loss of smell, rhinitis chronic throat, deafness due to intoxication, tinnitus, respiratory and gastrointestinal infections,...

Effects on vision: when vitamin A deficiency, the patient has night blindness symptoms, cannot see when the light is dim at dusk, dry eyes. Without prompt treatment, proteolysis and corneal tears can lead to permanent blindness. Impaired immunity: vitamin A deficiency in children increases the risk of children suffering from infectious diseases such as measles, diarrhea, respiratory diseases,... Growth retardation: vitamin A deficiency often occurs in young children. poor appetite, slow growth, fatigue, hair loss, dry skin. Early and prolonged vitamin A deficiency can also affect the growth and intellectual development of children later in life. Skin problems: Vitamin A plays an important role in the regeneration of skin cells and is anti-inflammatory. Therefore, a deficiency of vitamin A can cause dermatitis, itchy skin, dry skin, eczema, acne,... Bad effect on fertility: both men and women when not provided enough Vitamin A can cause fertility problems. Besides, during pregnancy, if the mother does not get enough vitamin A, it can lead to the risk of miscarriage or birth defects. People with vitamin A deficiency can add vitamin A-rich foods to their diet such as liver, eggs, meat, dairy products, etc. Besides, yellow and red vegetables, tubers and fruits Dark vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, ripe papaya, ... or dark green vegetables such as amaranth, water spinach, water spinach, ... also have a very high vitamin A content. In the case of not supplementing with enough vitamin A the body needs, the patient can take additional vitamin A tablets as prescribed by the doctor.

Vitamin A can be stored in the body. If vitamin A is used in large amounts, daily for a long time, users may experience symptoms of chronic poisoning as follows:
Headache, nausea, fatigue. Red, dry, and scaly skin rash. Dry and cracked lips, hair loss, hypercalcemia, hyperlipidemia, enlarged lymph nodes, amenorrhea,... Inflammation of the oral mucosa, pain in the bones. Young children may have increased intracranial pressure, bulging fontanelle, headache, convulsions, ... Children often have jaundice on the palms, soles. Children with growth retardation should slow growth, slow weight gain. Pregnant women in the first 3 months of pregnancy, taking high doses of vitamin A for a long time can cause fetal malformations (cleft palate, cardiovascular, muscle, bone, central nervous system malformations,...). Too much vitamin A what to do? Children who have jaundice due to excess beta-carotene just need to stop adding foods rich in vitamin A and the skin will stop yellowing, without any dangerous incidents. In addition, users should pay attention not to abuse vitamin A, but need to use this vitamin under the direction of a doctor.