Vitamin A Deficiency

Vitamin A deficiency can be very bad for anyone’s health. It is recorded as a common health issue in developing countries. The first symptom of its deficiency is found to be night blindness. The person finds difficulty in having clear vision in the dark. This symptom alone calls for increase in vitamin A amount in his diet. He may require additional supplements that are rich in vitamin A. If this is done on time, the problem may be sorted out. But if the measures are not taken on time, this later on takes the form of complete blindness. Vitamin a supplements contain heavy amounts of the vitamin in the form of retinyl palmitate.

People of all ages may suffer blindness. Even pregnant women, who have been malnourished or undernourished, are found to get blind. The outcome of pregnancy and lactation process also, never seem to go healthy. The women mortality rate due to this reason is considerably on high. Due to vitamin A deficiency, the ability of the body or body immunity to fight with numerous infections also goes down. The person gets easily trapped to diseases. In poor countries where people don’t really bother about getting vaccinated, these problems are seen most.

To overcome vitamin A deficiency, foods that are rich in the vitamin should be consumed in good quantities. If any lactating mother is deficient in this vitamin, her milk would also have less vitamin A content. As a result the breast-fed baby of such a mother would be undernourished. There can be many other causes of vitamin A deficiency like iron deficiency which impacts vitamin A absorption. To fulfill this need of the body, one sure can have supplements. But people who are alcoholics should consider doctor’s advice before having it as this may also lead to vitamin A toxicity. The supplements may really help in fighting the increasing mortality rate in poor countries.