Are you interested in studying at a holistic nutritionist school online?
Or, are you just generally interested in health and want to find out more about how to keep yourself and your family healthy and strong?
Either way, it’s good to be acquainted with all the different vitamins out there.
You may already be familiar with vitamin D and its benefits, ranging from staving off depression to helping you lose weight.
Or vitamin C, which contributes to healthier hair, managing stress, and keeping your immune system strong.
Today, we’re going to take a look at vitamin A.
If you decide to switch careers to become a registered holistic nutritionist, at some point you’ll find yourself in the position of recommending vitamin A to a client.
Let’s find out why.
What Is Vitamin A?
Vitamin A is a group of fat soluble compounds integral to our overall health.
Vitamin A is essential to keeping our eyes healthy, is important for our immune system and organs, and is an important part of a healthy pregnancy.
There are two different forms of vitamin A.
Preformed vitamin A (retinol and retinyl esters) is found in animal products such as meat, chicken, fish, and dairy.
Provitamin A (carotenoids) is the active form of the vitamin found in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, and oils.
If your clients are vegetarian or vegan, of course they’ll only be getting the latter.
Benefits Of Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a handy little vitamin with a wide range of different health benefits.
Let’s take a closer look at them.
1. It Promotes Healthy Bones
Getting enough vitamin A, along with protein and calcium, is necessary for good bone health.
People with healthy levels of vitamin A are at lower risk of bone fractures, as well as bone related diseases like osteoporosis.
2. It Promotes Healthy Skin
If your clients have acne, a holistic nutritionist approach can be to use vitamin A.
With acne, aching spots and blackheads develop on your client’s face, and sometimes their back and chest.
We’re not quite sure why vitamin A plays a role in the treatment of acne.
One leading theory is that if you’re deficient in vitamin A, it causes an overproduction of the protein keratin in your hair follicles.
This makes it more difficult for dead skin cells to be removed from your hair follicles, which results in acne.
3. It Boosts Your Immune System
When it comes to staying healthy, your immune system is key.
Vitamin A plays a role in facilitating your body’s natural defences.
Bacteria and other infectious agents are caught in mucous barriers in your eyes, lungs, gut, and genitals – and that mucous barrier is made up, partially, by vitamin A.
A deficiency in vitamin A increases you risk of infection and can delay recover when you are ill.
4. It Has Anti Cancer Properties
Whether you’re studying the best holistic cancer coach certification program or the Diploma in Holistic Nutrition program here at The Edison Institute, you’re going to learn about cancer.
It’s the result of abnormal cells growing or dividing in an uncontrolled way.
Since vitamin A performs an important role in growth and development of cells, its impact on cancer risk and cancer prevention is of interest to scientists.
Eating higher amounts of vitamin A in the form of plant food has been connected to a decreased risk of specific types of cancer, including cervical, lung, and bladder cancer, as well as Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Some studies have shown that smokers taking betacarotene supplements have a decreased risk of lung cancer.
And while beta carotene isn’t the same as vitamin A, your body converts it into vitamin A as needed.
5. It’s Good For Your Eyes
Vitamin A is important to maintain good eye health.
This is because it helps with converting the light that reaches your eyes into an electrical signal your brain can interpret.
That means as you read this article, your body is using its vitamin A stores to do it.
Getting enough vitamin A can also help you keep your eyes healthy as you age.
Symptoms Of Vitamin A Deficiency
If your client is deficient in vitamin A, there are a number of different ways you can tell.
It’s important to note, though, that these symptoms can match with other disorders.
That’s why it’s a good idea to take a closer look – The Edison Institute’s Live And Dry Blood Cell Microscopy Training For Holistic Practitioners course can give you the training you need to see vitamin deficiencies more definitively.
In the meantime, let’s take a look at the symptoms of vitamin A deficiency.
1. Infertility and Difficulty Conceiving
Vitamin A is crucial for reproduction in people of all genders.
A lack of vitamin A may be one of the reasons a person has difficulty becoming pregnant.
This may be because of higher levels of oxidative stress in the body – something that vitamin A, as an antioxidant, helps combat.
Miscarriages are also sometimes linked with vitamin A deficiency.
2. Dry Skin
Vitamin A helps fight inflammation in certain skin issues and is important for building and repairing skin cells.
As a result, if your skin is dry, it may be because of vitamin A deficiencies.
Eczema is also linked with deficiency in vitamin A.
3. Dry Eyes
If your eyes are dry or itchy, or you’re unable to create tears, this is one of the first warning signs of vitamin A deficiency.
In severe cases, lack of vitamin A can lead to blindness or dying corneas, indicated by marks called Bitot’s spots.
So if a client complains of dry eyes, it may be because they’re not getting enough vitamin A.
4. Delayed Growth
Children who do not get enough vitamin A may have stunted growth compared to their peers.
Supplementing iron with vitamin A, on the other hand, can help your children grow to their full potential.
5. Poor Wound Healing
Collagen is a protein your body produces.
It’s made up of the conditionally essential amino acids glycine and proline, and is an important component of healthy skin.
It helps keeps skin youthful, but it also plays a role in wound healing.
Vitamin A plays a role in its production.
Low levels of vitamin A may slow or deter the healing process after injury or surgery.
Dietary Sources Of Vitamin A
If you want to include more vitamin A in a diet plan, you can suggest the following foods:
- Egg yolks
- Butter
- Beef & chicken liver
- od liver oil
- Salmon
- Trout
- Sweet potatoes
- Carrots
- Kale
- Spinach
- Red peppers
- Papaya
- Cantaloupe
Can You Overdose On Vitamin A?
Getting too much vitamin A can have negative effects such as liver damage, vision disruptions, nausea, headaches and sometimes death.
Joint and bone pain, poor appetite, hair loss, headache, and sunlight sensitivity are some common side effects of chronic vitamin A toxicity.
It’s far more difficult, but not impossible, to overdose on vitamin A through diet.
In fact, one 4 ounce serving of liver contains 18,928 IU of Vitamin A.
This is almost 400% of your recommended daily intake, but not enough to cause serious problems.
So eat liver once per week to maintain vitamin A levels.
Contact The Edison Institute Of Nutrition Today
Are you considering a new career as a registered holistic nutritionist?
Consider The Edison Institute Of Nutrition.
We offer a holistic nutrition diploma program, as well as our introduction to holistic nutrition certificate, which great for those who want to empower themselves with greater health knowledge.
Or are you already practicing healthcare and want to broaden your treatment horizons?
If so, our holistic nutrition continuing education units are great for both current holistic nutritionists and other healthcare providers, including:
- Introduction to muscle testing
- Live and dry blood cell microscopy training
- Metabolic balance training
- Holistic cancer coach certification program
- And much more
Contact the Edison Institute of Nutrition today to find out how you can get started with a new career as a holistic nutritionist.
