Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a nutrient that the body needs in small amounts to function and stay healthy. Vitamin A helps in vision, bone growth, reproduction, growth of epithelium (cells that line the internal and external surfaces of the body), and fighting infections. It is fat-soluble (can dissolve in fats and oils). Vitamin A is found in liver, egg yolks, and whole milk dairy products from animals and in fish oils. It can also be made in the body from a substance found in some fruits and vegetables, such as cantaloupes, carrots, spinach, and sweet potatoes. Vitamin A is being studied in the prevention and treatment of some types of cancer. Also called retinol.

What is Vitamin A?

Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin that is required for a number of bodily functions. This vitamin is needed to maintain good vision and a healthy immune system, as well as being essential for growth and development.

Vitamin A History

Vitamin A Food Sources

Vitamin A Deficiency

Vitamin A Toxicity

Vitamin A Functions

Latest Vitamin A News and Research

Vitamin A supplementation is missed by two in five children in India, analysis finds

Two in five eligible children in India are missing out on preventive vitamin A supplementation designed to ward off the health problems associated with deficiency of the vitamin, finds an analysis of representative survey data, published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

29 Jul 2022

New studies examine the causes and effects of COVID-19-related food insecurity

The COVID-19 pandemic affected people at all stages of life from seniors to newborns. New studies presented at NUTRITION 2022 LIVE ONLINE examine the causes and effects of COVID-19-related food insecurity, how the pandemic affected breastfeeding practices and more.

14 Jun 2022

Effects of diet on COVID-19 outcomes

A new study explores the effects of diet on COVID-19 outcomes.

5 May 2022

Eradicating Polio; What's it going to take?

In this interview, we speak to Judith Diment from Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee about the incredible work they are doing to help eradicate polio worldwide.

26 Apr 2022

Non-hormonal male contraceptive effectively prevents pregnancy in mice

Women have many choices for birth control, ranging from pills to patches to intrauterine devices, and partly as a result, they bear most of the burden of preventing pregnancy.

24 Mar 2022

TTUHSC secures $1.87 million grant to investigate the impact of vitamin A depletion on Alzheimer’s disease

Ongoing research suggests that an accumulation of toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the area of the brain known as the hippocampal dentate gyrus may begin early on in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

21 Mar 2022

Study finds a causal link between deforestation and reduction in people's dietary quality

Current policies for guaranteeing food security emphasize the importance of farmland, but forests play critical roles as well.

16 Mar 2022

Study evaluates efficacy of isotretinoin in improving COVID-19 outcomes

Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of isotretinoin (13-cis retinoic acid) in improving COVID-19 outcomes.

14 Mar 2022

Manipulating carotenoids can improve plant growth, stress tolerance and increase yield

Manipulating the content of carotenoids, such as ß-carotene, has been found to improve plant growth and increase yield and tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity.

7 Mar 2022

Skin cells outside of the hair follicles play large role in the development of a pimple

Acne is among the most common skin diseases in the United States, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, affecting up to 50 million Americans each year. It is also among the least studied.

17 Feb 2022

Maternal anemia during pregnancy may increase risk of childhood anemia

Babies born to women with anemia during pregnancy have an increased risk of childhood anemia, according to a study carried out in rural India.

2 Dec 2021

Drug combination highly effective in children with standard- and high-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia

A clinical trial has found that the combination of all-trans retinoic acid, which is a metabolite of vitamin A, and arsenic trioxide is highly effective in children with standard- and high-risk acute promyelocytic leukemia, or APL.

11 Nov 2021

Yale researchers uncover how the brain takes shape during mid-pregnancy

About four or five months after conception, a burst of synaptic growth begins in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of the human fetus.

29 Sep 2021

Could vitamin A help to regain your smell loss after COVID-19?

Could vitamin A help to regain your smell after COVID-19? New research is trying to find out, and we spoke exclusively to Professor Carl Philpott to find out more.

29 Sep 2021

UTSW researchers discover how vitamin A enters immune cells in the intestines

Immunologists and geneticists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered how vitamin A enters immune cells in the intestines – findings that could offer insight to treat digestive diseases and perhaps help improve the efficacy of some vaccines.

16 Sep 2021

COVID-19 lockdown negatively impacted Indian women's nutrition, study shows

The 2020 nationwide lockdown India imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions that negatively impacted women's nutrition, according to a new study from the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition.

28 Jul 2021

The Role of FT-NIR Spectroscopy in Edible Oils and Fats

In this interview, Mickaël Watiez, Head of Research & Development at Lesieur, and Dagmar Behmer, Marketing Manager Applied Spectroscopy at Bruker Optics talk to News-Medical Life Sciences about the role FT-NIR Spectroscopy can play in testing edible oils and fats.

From Bruker Optics 28 Jul 2021

Which vitamins and minerals help with COVID?

A study published in the journal Inflammopharmacology reviewed recent data related to the role of vitamins and minerals in treating COVID-19 patients. The primary goal of the review is to highlight the possible therapeutic role of vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K, and micronutrients as immunity boosters in COVID-19 patients.

18 Jun 2021

Study finds molecular pathway that can explain how chronic kidney disease induces heart failure

According to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017, close to nine percent of the global population lives with some form of chronic kidney disease, or CKD. Not only does the condition affect renal function, CKD has long been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

5 Jun 2021