Posted By Kieran Beauchamp On 21 Jul 2023 Comments (15)
Understanding the Importance of Vitamin A
Vitamin A is one of those essential nutrients that our body requires for optimal health. It plays a significant role in maintaining healthy vision, supporting the immune system, and promoting cell growth. Our body does not naturally produce this vitamin, which is why we need to consume it through our diet or take dietary supplements. From vision to immunity, every aspect of our health relies on the proper intake of this vital nutrient. Let's take a step back and understand the importance of Vitamin A in our life.
The Role of Vitamin A in Promoting Healthy Vision
One of the most vital roles of Vitamin A is promoting healthy vision. It helps form the photoreceptor cells in the eyes, which are responsible for detecting light and converting it into electrical signals. This process allows us to see in dim light and perceive colors. A deficiency in Vitamin A can lead to vision problems like night blindness and, in severe cases, even total blindness. Ensuring an adequate intake of this nutrient is paramount for maintaining good eye health.
Vitamin A and the Immune System
Vitamin A is often referred to as an anti-inflammation vitamin because of its critical role in enhancing immune function. It is involved in the development and regulation of the immune system and helps protect the body against infections. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to a weakened immune system, making us more prone to infections and diseases. By incorporating Vitamin A into our diet, we can ensure a robust immune response and stay healthy.
Contribution of Vitamin A to Skin Health
Another crucial aspect of Vitamin A is its contribution to skin health. It helps maintain the skin's overall health by promoting cell growth and differentiation. Vitamin A is necessary for the maintenance and repair of skin tissue. It helps keep the skin soft, smooth, and resistant to damage. Furthermore, it can help slow down the aging process, reduce wrinkles, and improve the skin's overall appearance. So, if you care about your skin's health, make sure you are getting enough Vitamin A.
Food Sources of Vitamin A
Now that we know the importance of Vitamin A, it's time to explore the food sources rich in this nutrient. The best sources of Vitamin A include liver, fish oils, green leafy vegetables, orange and yellow vegetables, tomatoes, fruits, dairy products, and fortified cereals. Including a variety of these foods in your diet can help ensure you get enough of this essential vitamin. Remember, a balanced diet is key to a healthy life.
Supplementing Vitamin A
While it's best to get nutrients from food, sometimes we may need a little extra help. This is where dietary supplements come in. Vitamin A supplements can help fill nutritional gaps and ensure we get the required amount of this nutrient. However, it's important to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any supplement regimen. They can help determine the right dosage for you based on your health status and dietary needs.
maria norman
July 22, 2023 AT 21:38So we're just supposed to believe that popping a vitamin A pill is the silver bullet for everything from night vision to wrinkle-free skin? Cute. I've seen more credible claims from a MLM pitch about 'quantum-charged collagen'.
Let's be real - if your skin looks like a dried prune and you can't see the road at dusk, maybe it's not the lack of supplements. Maybe it's the 12-hour screen marathon and the bag of chips you call dinner.
And yes, I know liver is rich in A. So is regret. But no one's forcing you to eat it. Just eat your damn kale.
Supplements are for people who think 'balanced diet' is a Netflix documentary they watched once.
Also, 'anti-inflammatory vitamin'? That's like calling a fire extinguisher 'anti-burn appliance'. Technically true, but misses the point entirely.
And don't get me started on the 'fortified cereals' - the ones with 20g of sugar and 1% of your daily A? Congrats, you're just paying for glitter with a side of micronutrients.
I'm not against vitamins. I'm against lazy thinking wrapped in medical jargon.
Go outside. Sleep. Eat real food. Stop outsourcing your health to a capsule.
And if you're taking more than 5,000 IU a day without a blood test? You're not a health guru. You're a vitamin hoarder with a death wish.
Iris Schaper
July 23, 2023 AT 16:43man i just took a vit a pill yesterday and now my eyes feel like theyve been through a sandstorm
maybe its the dosage maybe its the fact i ate a whole bag of carrots today
also why does everything have to be a supplement these days
we used to just eat food
katerine rose
July 24, 2023 AT 00:05OMG YES I LOVE VITAMIN A I USE IT FOR MY SKIN AND MY HAIR AND MY MOOD AND MY DOG AND MY CAT AND MY HOUSEPLANT
MY PLANT IS NOW 3 FEET TALL AND I JUST GOT A NEW PHONE BECAUSE I CAN SEE THE SCREEN AGAIN
ITS MAGIC I TELL YOU
BUY IT NOW BEFORE THEY BAN IT
ALSO MY THERAPIST SAID I HAVE A VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY IN MY SOUL SO I TAKE 10K IU DAILY AND NOW I DREAM IN ORANGE
WORTH IT
Selma Cey
July 24, 2023 AT 17:14But what if Vitamin A is just a capitalist construct to sell you pills while the real solution is systemic food inequality?
Or maybe it’s a placebo effect disguised as biochemistry.
What if the ‘deficiency’ is manufactured by pharmaceuticals to keep you buying?
And who decided that ‘optimal health’ means mimicking a 1950s textbook?
Is it possible that our bodies evolved to thrive without synthetic supplements?
And if so, why are we still being sold this narrative?
Is it really about health - or about control?
Also, have you ever considered that maybe your vision problems are caused by staring at screens for 14 hours a day?
Not your ‘deficiency’.
Just a thought.
Francis Pascoe
July 25, 2023 AT 18:22YOU PEOPLE ARE ALL IDIOTS.
THIS IS WHY AMERICA IS FALLING APART.
YOU THINK A PILLS FIXES EVERYTHING.
MY GRANDPA ATE LIVER EVERY SUNDAY AND NEVER TOOK A SUPPLEMENT.
HE LIVED TO 98.
YOU’RE ALL JUST WEAK.
STOP BEING SOFT.
IF YOU CAN’T SEE AT NIGHT, GO OUTSIDE AND STARE AT THE MOON UNTIL YOUR EYES BLEED.
THAT’S HOW WE DID IT IN MY DAY.
NO PILLS.
NO EXCUSES.
JUST HARD WORK.
AND IF YOU’RE TOO LAZY TO EAT LIVER, THEN YOU DESERVE TO BE BLIND.
AND YES I’M ANGRY.
AND YES I’M RIGHT.
Richa Shukla
July 27, 2023 AT 17:34ok but what if vitamin A is a cover for 5G brainwashing?
i read on a forum that the government adds it to food to make us more compliant
they use the retinol to sync with satellite signals
that’s why your eyes burn after looking at screens
and why your skin peels
and why the CDC keeps pushing supplements
they want us to be glowing zombies
also my cousin’s neighbor’s dog got sick after eating carrots
it was the vitamin A
trust me i know
they’re coming for us all
and the pills are the first step
save yourself
eat only raw meat
and never trust anyone who says ‘fortified’
🥺
Chris Rowe
July 29, 2023 AT 16:58man this post is so basic
vitamin A? really?
everybody know this since 1980s
why you writing like you discover fire
also you link to cambridge journal like you think we don’t know what that is
we know
we just don’t care
go eat more carrots
and stop selling supplements
it’s just another way to make money off people who think science is a TikTok trend
lol
Sushmita S
July 30, 2023 AT 13:28my skin used to be so dry and now after 3 weeks of vit A i look like a baby
so happy 😊
my mom said i look like i’m glowing
she cried
so worth it
also i eat 3 carrots a day now
and i don’t even like carrots
but i do it for my face 😭
AnneMarie Carroll
August 1, 2023 AT 05:00Oh, so now we’re just going to ignore the fact that Vitamin A toxicity kills more people than deficiency in developed countries?
You think people don’t know this? You think I haven’t read the WHO guidelines?
And you’re linking to paywalled journals like that makes you credible?
Newsflash: Most of these ‘studies’ are funded by supplement companies.
I’ve seen the data. I’ve seen the conflicts of interest.
And yet here you are, peddling this as gospel.
You’re not educating.
You’re monetizing fear.
And you wonder why people are skeptical?
Because you’re not being honest.
You’re selling hope wrapped in a citation.
John K
August 1, 2023 AT 16:22AMERICA FIRST! VITAMIN A IS A LIBERAL TRICK TO MAKE YOU WEAK!
REAL MEN EAT LIVER AND NEVER TAKE PILLS!
IF YOU NEED SUPPLEMENTS YOU’RE NOT AMERICAN ENOUGH!
JUST EAT BURGER AND BE HAPPY!
MY GRANDPA WAS A MARINE AND HE NEVER TOOK VITAMINS!
HE DIED AT 87 FROM A HEART ATTACK!
SO VITAMIN A IS A HOAX!
BUY TRUMP PILLS INSTEAD!
🇺🇸🔥
Laura Anderson
August 2, 2023 AT 03:20There’s a profound epistemological flaw in the assumption that nutrient supplementation is a proxy for health optimization.
What we’re witnessing here is the medicalization of lifestyle inadequacy.
Instead of addressing systemic dietary degradation - the erosion of nutrient-dense food access, the industrialization of the food supply, the commodification of wellness - we reduce complex physiological needs to a pill.
This isn’t health.
This is capitalism’s answer to ecological failure.
And the irony? The very systems that degraded our food supply are now selling us the synthetic fix.
It’s a closed loop of exploitation disguised as empowerment.
So yes - vitamin A is essential.
But the real question is: Why are we so dependent on it in the first place?
And who profits when we forget to ask that?
Avis Gilmer-McAlexander
August 3, 2023 AT 12:17I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately - not just vitamin A, but how we’ve turned every biological need into a product to buy.
My grandma used to say, ‘If your body’s asking for something, listen to it.’
She didn’t know what retinol was, but she knew when she craved liver, she ate liver.
When she craved carrots, she ate carrots.
She didn’t need a supplement. She needed to trust her body.
And now we’re told to swallow a pill because we don’t have time to cook or taste or feel.
Maybe the real deficiency isn’t vitamin A.
Maybe it’s connection.
To food.
To tradition.
To the quiet wisdom of eating like your ancestors did - not like a marketing campaign.
I don’t know if I’m right.
But I know I feel better when I eat real food.
And I don’t need a study to tell me that.
Jerry Erot
August 4, 2023 AT 01:30Actually, the RDA for vitamin A was revised in 2021. You’re citing outdated guidelines. The current upper limit is 3,000 mcg RAE for adults - not the 5,000 IU you’re implying.
Also, beta-carotene conversion rates vary by genotype - about 25% of the population converts poorly.
And the study you linked? It’s a crossover trial with n=42. Underpowered.
And you didn’t mention that retinyl palmitate in supplements may increase lung cancer risk in smokers.
So yes - vitamin A is important.
But your post is dangerously oversimplified.
And that’s worse than ignorance.
It’s misinformation dressed as education.
Fay naf
August 4, 2023 AT 19:03Let’s be brutally honest - this entire post is performative nutritionism.
You’re not informing.
You’re curating a persona.
Linking to Cambridge journals? Cute.
But you’re not a nutritionist.
You’re not a researcher.
You’re a content creator selling ‘biohacking’ as virtue.
The real toxicity here isn’t excess retinol.
It’s the performative authority.
The pseudo-scientific framing.
The commodification of biological necessity.
You’re not helping.
You’re monetizing anxiety.
And the fact that people are nodding along?
That’s the real public health crisis.
maria norman
August 6, 2023 AT 15:35Wow. I didn’t expect this to turn into a philosophy seminar.
But you know what? You’re all right.
It’s not about vitamin A.
It’s about trust.
Trust in food.
Trust in bodies.
Trust in time.
Not in pills.
Not in journals.
Not in influencers.
Just in the quiet, boring, unglamorous act of eating something real.
And maybe - just maybe - that’s the only supplement we ever needed.