Vitamin A | Laboratory research

General Information

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is abundant in foods. In the human body, retinol is the precursor form of vitamin A. Vitamin A is an important component for vision and skin health, as well as for bone formation, immune and reproductive systems.

Vitamin A deficiency causes night vision disorders and even blindness in severe cases.

The excess of vitamin A is characterized by toxic manifestations and in severe cases can become the cause of congenital pathologies.

Vitamin A is not stored in the body, so its supply depends entirely on food (supplements). Animal products (such as meat) provide the body with retinol, and plant products (fruits, vegetables) provide carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the liver. Vitamin A accumulates in the liver and adipose tissue. Maintaining a stable level of vitamin A in the blood is carried out by a feedback mechanism, which is regulated by the release-binding of vitamin from depots and regulation of its absorption from the intestine.

Vitamin A deficiency is mainly characteristic of the population of developing countries, when food is insufficient, or its nutritional and compositional value is low.

Vitamin A deficiency is most characteristic of such pathologies as: malnutrition, diseases with chronic diarrhea, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, chronic pancreatitis, as well as alcoholism, liver diseases, biliary tract blockage, post-surgery conditions on the biliary tract and intestine, and others.

Symptoms

Manifestations of vitamin A deficiency:

night blindness

Dryness of eyes, skin and hair

Ulcerative damage to the cornea and conjunctiva

Roughening of skin areas

Frequent infections

Anemia

When should we do the research?

In the presence of such diagnoses, which are associated with vitamin A deficiency, regular monitoring of its concentration is recommended:

Celiac disease

Irritable bowel syndrome

Crohn's disease

When the level of vitamin A in the blood is normal, there may be a deficiency in its depots, which does not manifest clinically, until the body's demand for vitamin A increases (eg during pregnancy).

Excessive intake of beta-carotene-containing (vegetable) products does not lead to an excess of vitamin A in the body and its effects, because when there is no vitamin A deficiency, carotene is not converted to vitamin A.

A Vitamin source

meat

liver

egg

milk products

Plant products containing beta-carotene are:

carrot

Spinach

Apricots

Sweet potatoes and more.

Indicators of the norm

0 - up to 1 year — 0.09 - 0.45 mg/l

1 - 11 years - 0.29 - 0.46 mg/l

11-16 years old — 0.26-0.54 mg/l

16-19 years old — 0.29-0.74 mg/l

Over 19 years old — 0.3 – 0.9 mg/l

study sample

blood serum

advance preparation

The test is performed on an empty stomach. It is forbidden to drink alcohol 24 hours before taking the sample