Email a Friend
Print Article
Vitamin A: Malnourished in the USA
The healthy eye needs to be able to deliver focused rays of visible light through various transparent media (cornea, crystalline lens, vitreous gel), so that those rays strike the retina and transmit a visual image to the brain.
Like other organs in the body, the eyes need a variety of specific nutrients in order to do their job. Vitamin A is critical to good vision. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. That means it is absorbed into the bloodstream and stored in the liver, (the same is true for Vitamins D, E, and K). Vitamin A can be stored but those stores can also become depleted.
Vitamin A is essential for producing tears and keeping the surface of the eye moist and free of infection. Inadequate Vitamin A levels will also damage the clear cornea. Nearly everyone knows that carrots (loaded with Vitamin A) are healthy for the retinal cells - the photoreceptors. Poor vision in dim light (nyctalopia) is one of the earliest symptoms of Vitamin A deficiency, hypovitaminosis A. High-dose supplemental Vitamin A is prescribed as a treatment for some hereditary retinal disorders.
People tend to think of underserved Third World populations when the subject of malnutrition is discussed. It might surprise you to know that many Americans are malnourished, deficient in the key nutrients, minerals and vitamins essential for healthy living.
Malnourishment occurs in one of three situations: when a person fails to consume an adequate quantity of a necessary nutrient; when an individual's digestive tract cannot properly absorb the nutrition; or when a person's metabolism cannot correctly convert and store the digested products. Folks who have low Vitamin A levels can fit into each of these categories. I've got a few examples to share.
Patients who have undergone weight-loss surgery, like those popular gastric bypass procedures, are at risk of Vitamin A deficiency because their reconfigured anatomy short-circuits the absorption pathway. Anyone with liver problems is also at risk. Combine those people with the hordes who observe quirky exclusionary diets that deny the body of a healthy balance of vitamins and minerals. Your primary care doctor can help you determine if you are at risk.
Preserving your eyesight is a daily responsibility. Consuming a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients is an important part of maintaining healthy vision. It begins with Vitamin A.
Related Topics: Fruits, Veggies May Help Avoid Cataracts, Madonna's Fountain of Youth
Technorati Tags: Vitamin A, eye health, nutrition
Like other organs in the body, the eyes need a variety of specific nutrients in order to do their job. Vitamin A is critical to good vision. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. That means it is absorbed into the bloodstream and stored in the liver, (the same is true for Vitamins D, E, and K). Vitamin A can be stored but those stores can also become depleted.
Vitamin A is essential for producing tears and keeping the surface of the eye moist and free of infection. Inadequate Vitamin A levels will also damage the clear cornea. Nearly everyone knows that carrots (loaded with Vitamin A) are healthy for the retinal cells - the photoreceptors. Poor vision in dim light (nyctalopia) is one of the earliest symptoms of Vitamin A deficiency, hypovitaminosis A. High-dose supplemental Vitamin A is prescribed as a treatment for some hereditary retinal disorders.
People tend to think of underserved Third World populations when the subject of malnutrition is discussed. It might surprise you to know that many Americans are malnourished, deficient in the key nutrients, minerals and vitamins essential for healthy living.
Malnourishment occurs in one of three situations: when a person fails to consume an adequate quantity of a necessary nutrient; when an individual's digestive tract cannot properly absorb the nutrition; or when a person's metabolism cannot correctly convert and store the digested products. Folks who have low Vitamin A levels can fit into each of these categories. I've got a few examples to share.
Patients who have undergone weight-loss surgery, like those popular gastric bypass procedures, are at risk of Vitamin A deficiency because their reconfigured anatomy short-circuits the absorption pathway. Anyone with liver problems is also at risk. Combine those people with the hordes who observe quirky exclusionary diets that deny the body of a healthy balance of vitamins and minerals. Your primary care doctor can help you determine if you are at risk.
Preserving your eyesight is a daily responsibility. Consuming a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients is an important part of maintaining healthy vision. It begins with Vitamin A.
Related Topics: Fruits, Veggies May Help Avoid Cataracts, Madonna's Fountain of Youth
Technorati Tags: Vitamin A, eye health, nutrition
