 Does Vitamin a Help
Acne?
Vitamins, as the
name suggests, are vital minerals (vita for vital +
Minerals=Vitamins). Vitamins are required only in very
small quantity to sustain life or to perform essential
functions; therefore they are classified as
micronutrients. Retinol; the medical term for vitamin A
indicates its importance for smooth functioning of eye;
retina. Next only to retina, vitamin A plays a vital role
in the maintenance of skin
health.
Sources and RDA of Vitamin
A
Vitamin A is found abundantly in
nature. Rich sources of vitamin A include animal
liver (cow, lamb, poultry, fish and many others), yellow
fruits like mango, melon and apricot. Vitamin A is also
found in yellow and green vegetables like, Spinach,
broccoli, lettuce, sweet potato, yam and many other
similar vegetables. Recommended daily allowance of
vitamin A ranges from 400 ug/day to 1300 ug /day. The
requirement varies for different sex and age groups.
Infants and girls need less than men, pregnant women or
lactating mothers.
Vitamin A
deficiency disease and impacts of
overuse
The requirement is
easily met with the normal meals and unless prescribed by
a physician, no supplementation of vitamin A is required.
Deficiency of vitamin A may cause acne, discoloration of
skin and night blindness. Excessive use of vitamin A, on
the other hand may cause loss of hair with some serious
side effects like damage to kidney in extreme
cases.
Synthetic
versions
Some synthetic
preparations for topical treatment of acne are available.
They are Supplements of
vitamin and utilize the active ingredient ‘Isotretinoin’
and available under the brand name
‘accutane’.The
synthetic preparations are in no way superior to the
natural resources which do not cause toxicity. Synthetic
alternates may have side effects and should not be used
unless prescribed in which case intake of vitamin A from
other resources must be curtailed to remain within limits
of RDA.
An overdose of
vitamin A may cause hair loss and some other undesirable
changes and some be very serious and can even damage
kidney. Overconsumption of vitamin A can also reduce
human memory. In view of the potential adverse side
effects it is absolutely necessary to use synthetic
preparations of vitamin A only when
prescribed.
Does vitamin a help
acne?
The mechanism
involved in the functionality of vitamin A to cure acne
is by reducing the size of sebaceous glands. The reduced
glands do not produce sebum (hair oil ) in excess
therefore the development of acne is averted. Vitamin A
also causes formation of new cells thereby helps keep the
skin smooth and healthy.
Effect of staple
food
Compared with
people from Asian countries, Africans have lesser
occurrence of acne. A major cause is the staple food.
Wheat is staple to Asians and yam is staple to Africans.
Compared with wheat, yam has more of vitamin A, and
contains food fiber too.
The preferred
source
Animal sources of
Vitamin are rich
in vitamin A, but lack fiber content. Vegetable sources
are not only rich in vitamin A but also provide food
fiber which regulates intestinal function and helps
detoxification.
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