Role of vitamin A in the immune system
Vitamin A is use for different functions in body like good vision, a healthy immune system, and cell growth etc. It is a powerful antioxidant and acts as a hormone in the body, affecting the expression of genes. Vitamin A is obtained from the diet either as all-trans-retinol, retinyl esters or β-carotene. All-trans-retinol is esterified to retinyl esters and stored in the liver. In the tissues, all-trans-retinol and β-carotene are oxidized to all-transretinal by alcohol dehydrogenases or short chain dehydrogenase reductases, which are ubiquitously expressed enzymes. Vitamin A, and more specifically, retinoic acid, appears to maintain normal skin health by switching on genes and differentiating keratinocytes (immature skin cells) into mature epidermal cells.
Oral vitamin A is used as a treatment for measles and dry eye in people with low levels of vitamin A. Vitamin A is also used for a specific type of leukemia. Vitamin A can be found in orange plant foods, meat, eggs, and milk. Types of Vitamin A is found in different forms like preformed vitamin A, provitamin A, retinol and beta-carotene.
Recommended Dietary Allowance of Vitamin A (ICMR-2010)
Group | Category/Age | Body Weight (kg) | Vitamin A (µg/d) | |
Retinol | β-carotene | |||
Men | Sedentary Work | 60 | 600 | 4800 |
Moderate work | ||||
Heavy work | ||||
Women | Sedentary Work | 55 | 600 | 4800 |
Moderate work | ||||
Heavy work | ||||
Pregnant | 800 | 6400 | ||
Lactating 0-6 M | 950 | 7600 | ||
6-12 M | ||||
Infants | 0 -6 Months | 5.4 | 350 | …. |
6- 12 Months | 8.4 | 2800 | ||
Children (Boys + Girls | 1-3 Years | 12.9 | 400 | 3200 |
4-6 Years | 18.0 | |||
7-9 Years | 25.1 | 600 | 4800 | |
Boys | 10-12 Years | 34.3 | 600 | 4800 |
Girls | 10-12 Years | 35.0 | ||
Boys | 13-15 Years | 47.6 | ||
Girls | 13-15 Years | 46.6 | ||
Boys | 16-17 Years | 55.4 | ||
Girls | 16-17 Years | 52.1 | ||
Reference: ICMR – 2010 (Note_Dietary_Allowance_27_02_2019.pdf)
A Plant-Based Diet for Vitamin A
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