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 Deficiency

Vitamin A Food Sources

Vitamin A History

Vitamin A Toxicity

Vitamin A Functions

Latest Vitamin A News and Research

Why the carnivore diet’s claimed benefits don’t outweigh its health risks

Researchers determine the nutritional adequacy and health effects of the carnivore diet.

2 Feb 2026

New genetic insights reveal vitamin B1's role in gut health and motility

Bowel habits aren't exactly dinner-table talk. But they reflect how quickly the gut moves things along, and when that goes wrong people can experience constipation, diarrhoea, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

20 Jan 2026

Adding lean pork to a plant-forward diet supports healthy aging biomarkers

A randomized crossover feeding trial in adults aged 65 years or older found that plant-forward diets incorporating either minimally processed lean pork or lentils produced similar short-term improvements in cardiometabolic and neuroactive biomarkers. Both diets supported metabolic health and functional stability, with no overall adverse biomarker effects attributable to including minimally processed red meat within a Dietary Guidelines–aligned pattern.

19 Jan 2026

Can dietary supplements support nutrition security as climate change disrupts food systems?

Environmental change is reshaping food availability, nutrient quality, and health risks, exposing major gaps in how nutrition science addresses climate-related stressors. This perspective argues that dietary supplements may have a context-dependent role but require rigorous, interdisciplinary research before informing public health action.

19 Jan 2026

Study reveals how ketogenic diet protects against epilepsy seizures

University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have revealed how the popular, low-carb ketogenic diet protects against epilepsy seizures and possibly neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

16 Jan 2026

Vegetarian women show subtle changes in cellular health markers

Slovak university women on vegetarian diets exhibit small bioelectrical impedance variations, suggesting potential insights into body composition and health.

13 Jan 2026

New publication describes the chemical journey of non-hormonal male birth control pill

A newly published manuscript authored by Dr. Gunda Georg, YourChoice Therapeutics and Columbia University Medical Center describes the chemical journey of YCT-529, a non-hormonal male birth control pill, and the promising molecular science behind it.

12 Jan 2026

Sugarcane protein mouthwash helps protect oral health during head and neck cancer treatment

An artificial saliva in the form of a mouthwash, produced with the CANECPI-5 protein extracted from sugarcane and modified in a laboratory, can aid in treating teeth in patients with head and neck cancer. In these cases, radiotherapy very close to the mouth can destroy salivary glands and compromise saliva production, which is essential for controlling bacteria and disease.

7 Jan 2026

Unveiling genetic links between schizophrenia and osteoporosis

A comprehensive genetic investigation led by Dr. Feng Liu at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital has uncovered striking molecular connections between schizophrenia and bone health, identifying 195 shared genetic loci that may explain why psychiatric patients face elevated fracture risks.

6 Jan 2026

Neighborhood deprivation predicts poorer lower-limb strength

Neighborhood-level disadvantages are linked to reduced lower limb strength and mobility in older adults, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions.

6 Jan 2026

Nicotinic acid protects the liver from ischemia-reperfusion injury

In a new study published in Liver Research, a team of researchers in China discovered that nicotinic acid-a common form of vitamin B3-can dramatically reduce liver damage caused by ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), a major complication in liver surgery and transplantation.

5 Jan 2026

Vitamin A derivative suppresses immune response and cancer vaccine efficacy

Scientists at the Princeton University Branch of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research have identified novel mechanisms by which a metabolic derivative of vitamin A-all-trans retinoic acid-compromises both the body's normal anti-cancer immune response and, in a different context, the efficacy of a promising type of cancer vaccine.

5 Jan 2026

Periodontal bacterial load associated with disease severity in multiple sclerosis

Increasing evidence suggests that the severe gum disease, periodontitis, may contribute to central nervous system disorders through chronic inflammation.

30 Dec 2025

Blood metabolite profiling outperforms BMI in predicting pregnancy complications

This study shows that a blood-based metabolomic signature linked to maternal BMI predicts gestational diabetes and preeclampsia more strongly than BMI alone, particularly in late pregnancy. A subset of 16 metabolites statistically mediates the BMI–gestational diabetes association, highlighting metabolic pathways that may improve prenatal risk stratification.

21 Dec 2025

Folate deficiency drives genetic changes linked to lung cancer

Genetic alterations lie at the heart of cancer development, but scientists may have been overlooking a powerful driver of these changes—the everyday nutrients that feed our cells.

18 Dec 2025

Strong heart health lowers long-term death risk in cancer survivors

Higher Life’s Simple 7 cardiovascular health scores were associated with lower long-term all-cause and cancer mortality in cancer survivors from a large Italian cohort. Inflammation, resting heart rate, and vitamin D statistically explained a substantial share of these associations, supporting shared cardiometabolic pathways across cancer and cardiovascular disease.

17 Dec 2025