Essay Sample on Vitamin A: Essential for Vision, Growth and Immunity

Introduction

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, found mainly in foods such as liver, dairy products, eggs, and fatty fish. Vitamin A can sometimes also be found in fortified foods. The vitamin is essential in the synthesis of rhodopsin, cell growth, cell differentiation, bone development, and immune function anti-oxidant. Vitamin A is necessary for the photo-transduction process, which is vital to human vision.

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Deficiency

Deficiency of vitamin A occurs in Malnutrition cases and when an individual has a liver disease or a severe case of malabsorption, especially in people who have undergone bariatric surgery. Deficiency is uncommon in the developed world and occurs in malnourished children in the developing world (Clifford, Turnbull, & Denning, 2013).

Symptoms of vitamin A deficiency are dry and scaly skin, abnormal dryness of cornea with inflammation and ridge formation (Xerophthalmia), and keratinization. Vitamin A deficiency also results in nyctalopia, which is reversible night blindness. Visual recovery is possible when it is recognized early, and the vitamin administered (Clifford, Turnbull, & Denning, 2013). Alongside the symptoms vitamin, A deficiency can be diagnosed by a blood test.

Due to the rarity of vitamin A deficiency, it is unlikely to be found among athletes. The deficiency occurs when there is Malnutrition or severe malabsorption, which is unlikely to occur in athletes. Other effects of Malnutrition will affect the athlete's performance before the impact of vitamin A deficiency; for instance, night blindness is experienced.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin obtained from fatty fish, mushrooms, and fortified foods. The vitamin can also be synthesized in the skin on exposure to UV light from the sun or artificial sources. The vitamin regulates bone mass by controlling the body’s phosphate and calcium stores. The vitamin has a role in muscle strength and physical performance (Sikora-Klak, Narvy, Yang, Makhni, Kharrazi, & Mehran, 2018).

Most people have inadequate vitamin D levels due to low UV exposure, lack of fortified nutrition, malabsorption of the vitamin, and skin pigmentation. Symptoms of the deficiency include immune disorders, loss of bone density (osteoporosis), softening of the bone (osteomalacia), and muscle pain (myalgia). Alongside the symptoms, vitamin D deficiency is diagnosed by a blood test where a level of below 20ng/ml of vitamin D is a deficiency. In contrast, a level of below 30ng/ml is termed as vitamin D insufficiency (Sikora-Klak et al. 2018).

Due to the high numbers of vitamin D insufficiency in adults, there are many athletes with cases of the vitamin's insufficiency and deficiency. Vitamin D has a direct association with fast-twitch muscles. Muscle atrophy occurs in cases of vitamin deficiency, while muscle improves after treatment with the vitamin. The effect of the vitamin is vital to athletes who rely on muscles for their performance. High levels of vitamin D concentration result in higher muscle torque and improved performance in athletes (Sikora-Klak et al. 2018).

Conclusion

Vitamin D deficiency leads to an increment in risks of stress fractures and muscle injuries and upper respiratory tract infections. These negatively affect an athlete's performance because an athlete misses training sessions for prolonged periods (Sikora-Klak et al. 2018).References

Sikora-Klak, J., Narvy, S. J., Yang, J., Makhni, E., Kharrazi, F. D., & Mehran, N. (2018). The effect of abnormal vitamin D levels in athletes. The Permanente Journal, 22.

Clifford, L. J., Turnbull, A. M., & Denning, A. M. (2013). Reversible night blindness–A reminder of the increasing importance of vitamin A deficiency in the developed world. Journal of Optometry, 6(3), 173.