All About Vitamin A

Vitamin A is perhaps one of the most important nutrients you can get for your eyes. In fact, we refer to it as “Vitamin Eye” here at Rebuild Your Vision. With all of its benefits, it truly is the superhero of the eye health world. But what exactly are the vitamin A benefits for eyes?

Beyond its vision enhancing properites, Vitamin A is great for the rest of your body as well. It’s widely thought to help boost your immune system and cell growth. It also increases neurological function and boosts skin radiance through cell turnover.

Let’s learn more about this powerful vitamin, what it can do for you, and how you can boost your intake. The vitamin A benefits for eyes are worth knowing about.

The Powerful Retinoid and Antioxidant

There are two types of vitamin A. One type, most commonly found in animal products, is a fat-soluble vitamin A retinoid. This means that it is stored in the fat of your body and can be tapped into when needed. The more commonly known type, beta-carotene, comes from plants, fruits, and vegetables.

The body absorbs both these types of vitamins to act as antioxidants that fight free radicals. Free radicals can be detrimental to anyone’s health. When free radicals start forming in the body, they create a chain reaction that can cause severe cell damage and sometimes cell death. When vitamin A is present in the body, it creates a stable bond between molecules, which prevents free radicals from forming. For a deep dive into the science behind this process, check out our article Everything You Need to Know About Vitamin A. In the meantime, it is safe to say that Vitamin A is extremely important for your overall health.

What About Deficiencies?

Free radicals forming in the body are hard to spot, but some other symptoms of a vitamin A deficiency are not. Gluten sensitivity, inflammatory bowel disease, and pancreatic disorders all often come with a vitamin A deficiency. Alcoholism can also sometimes lead to a deficiency.

However, a deficiency isn’t always a result of an unhealthy or imbalanced diet. It is sometimes caused by malabsorption, as is often the case with chronic conditions like IBS and celiac disease. This means that the body is not absorbing the vitamin as it should, even if you are consuming the right amount. You will likely need to address the underlying condition before you can add more Vitamin A to your diet effectively.

If your deficiency isn’t caused by one of those chronic diseases, a doctor will treat it like they would any other deficiency. They will assess the degree of your deficiency and then recommend a daily dosage of supplements. You’ll have to keep up with the supplements until your supply has been replenished. After that, think about incorporating it into your diet more naturally to avoid another deficiency in the future.

Like any deficiency, a lack of this vitamin can be harmful to everyone, but it is especially harmful to babies and young children. It can result in developmental issues and even blindness. This is why it’s important to make sure your children are getting the proper nutrition as they are growing up.

Vitamin A to Improve Eyesight

The eye benefits of Vitamin A are many, and people have been aware of them for generations. Even your mom knew that when she told you you couldn’t play until you ate all your carrots. As you might have suspected, carrots are absolutely teeming with vitamin A. We’ll talk about other vitamin A-rich foods later in this article

Aside from fighting free radicals, studies have shown that people who consume a healthy amount of vitamin A are less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD). As the name suggests, AMD is the deterioration of the macula in the eye. It’s also one of the leading causes of blindness in senior citizens.

Though there is no cure – at least not yet – for AMD, this vitamin is a strong component in preventing and slowing down the progression of the disease.

Vitamin A also helps regulate the thickness of the cornea. If too soft, the cornea is susceptible to developing various infections and may even lead to a ruptured cornea. Too thick, and the cornea will cause clouded vision followed by irreversible blindness.

Vitamin A also supports eye lubrication and helps your eyes transition between different levels of light. We’ve all had that horrible experience of being cooped up inside all day, only to step out into the sun and be temporarily blinded. Vitamin A helps your eyes adjust to that bright sunlight more quickly.

You may be surprised that vitamin A can also help with one more common eye issue: dry eye. Whether your eyes are dry naturally or as the result of a medication side effect, this vitamin is the ticket to more comfortable vision. The vitamin A benefits for eyes are many, and so it should be a staple in your diet.

Where to Find the Best Source of Vitamin A: Food and Supplements

We already know that you can find vitamin A in carrots, but there is a whole host of other foods that contain this nutrient as well. Plus, you can turn to vitamin A supplements when necessary. This might be especially helpful for little ones who may not love eating their veggies at the moment. However, the best source of vitamin A will always be from whole foods.

The rule of thumb is that the brighter or more highly pigmented the produce, the higher in vitamin A it is. Keep that in mind the next time you find yourself at the grocery store. The following foods are good examples of vitamin A-rich options:

• Carrots
• Sweet potatoes
• Bell peppers (especially red ones)
• Kale and spinach
• Mangos
• Turkey and beef liver
• Butternut squash
• Eggs

As we mentioned earlier, it’s important to note that plant sources of vitamin A actually contain the beta-carotene form, which must be converted by the body into usable vitamin A. Animal sources contain the retinoid form of the nutrient, which is more bioavailable. While both sources are important, animal sources will give you more bang for your buck. However, vegans can still ensure they are getting enough vitamin A from plant and supplement sources.  Additionally, cooking your veggies increases the amount of beta-carotene the body can absorb.

Best Vitamins for Vision

Now, if these foods aren’t really your speed, there are other options, as we mentioned before. For adults, we’d like to recommend our Ocu-Plus Formula. This supplement comes loaded with vitamin A, along with other vitamins and nutrients to achieve optimal eye health. These range from well-known players like vitamin C and vitamin E to more obscure nutrients, like chromium and ginkgo biloba. You can check out the other articles in our “All About” series to find out more about what each nutrient does for your eyes.

The vitamin A benefits for eyes are many, and so adding more of this and other nutrients to your diet is always a good idea. Your future self will thank you!