Vitamin A Deficiency
Article navigation
There are many people who may be at risk of vitamin A deficiency:
- People that are on a very low fat diet
People that are on a very low fat diet may not be eating enough foods that are rich in vitamin A, because most foods high in vitamin A tend to be high in fat also. This type of low fat diet could contribute to a deficiency of vitamin A and supplementation may be required. - People that drink alcohol excessively
People that drink excessive amounts of alcohol may be deficient in vitamin A because the alcohol prevents the body from transporting and using vitamin A properly. In addition, people who drink excessive amounts of alcohol may not be eating enough food, so may not get enough vitamin A from their foods anyway. - People that have recently undergone surgery
People that have undergone surgery may be deficient in vitamin A, as all the reserves will be used to help the body heal from the surgery, so may need vitamin A supplementation. - People that smoke cigarettes
Tobacco reduces the amount of vitamin A that is absorbed from foods eaten, so people who smoke cigarettes may become deficient in vitamin A and need supplementation. - People that take certain medications
Many prescription as well as over-the-counter (OTC) medications cause a decreased absorption of vitamin A, which could cause a deficiency (while some medications cause an increased absorption of vitamin A). People who take any type of medication should seek advice from their doctor before trying any vitamin A supplements to ensure it is suitable for their individual circumstances.
There are many people who may be at risk of vitamin A deficiency
- People under a lot of stress
People that are under a great deal of stress, especially if it is constant and prolonged, may have used up most of their vitamin A reserves to combat the free radicals that are produced at times of stress (which is constant for them) and could be deficient and may need supplementation. - People with certain illnesses
People with certain illness may have low vitamin A levels - illness such as cystic fibrosis, liver disease and chronic diarrhoea. People with any type of illness should seek advice from their doctor before trying any vitamin A supplements to ensure it is suitable for their individual circumstances. - People with chronic infections
People with chronic infections (such as bronchitis) usually have low levels of vitamin A due to the infection and may have used up most of their vitamin A reserves to combat the free radicals that are produced at times of infection, so could be deficient and may need supplementation. - People with recent severe burns
People that have recent severe burn may be deficient in vitamin A, as all the reserves will be used to help the body heal from the severe burns, so may need vitamin A supplementation. - Strict vegetarians and vegans
Vitamin A only exists in food that is of animal origin - meats and meat products such as milk, cheese, eggs and butter. People that do not eat animal foods (or only very little animal products) may be at a high risk of being deficient in vitamin A and could need supplementation.