Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

Benefits of Vitamin A: Retinol, Carotenoids

By

The average consumer is usually well aware of the importance of micronutrients like vitamin C for immune support, iron to support oxygenation of your blood and tissues, and calcium for bones. Though it heads off the alphabet, vitamin A is often overlooked from discussions of essential nutrients yet it is still highly important for optimal health. Vitamin A is an umbrella term for a group of fat-soluble compounds called retinoids, including retinol, retinal, and retinyl esters.

Retinoids play key roles in numerous functions in the body and can be consumed in the diet in one of two forms: Preformed vitamin A (retinol and retinyl ester), which is found in animal sources like fish, liver, and dairy sources, and provitamin A carotenoids (namely beta-carotene), which are found in pigments of orange plant-based foods like carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins.

Recommended Videos

Below, we share the health benefits of vitamin A, or retinoid, and explain the essential roles of these compounds in your body.

Related

Benefits Of Vitamin A (Retinoid)

Vitamin A is involved in a host of physiological processes in the body necessary for the maintenance of human health.

Vitamin A Protects Your Vision and Supports Eye Health

vitamin a helps eyes.
Unsplash

The most notable benefit of vitamin A is its crucial role in supporting eye health and vision. Deficiencies in vitamin A are associated with night blindness, macular degeneration, and other age-related declines in vision. Vitamin A serves as a major component in a pigment called rhodopsin, which is found in the retina of the eye. Night blindness can result in losses of rhodopsin because it is very sensitive to light and supports vision in low-light conditions. Vitamin A acts as an antioxidant, which means that it helps prevent oxidative damage in the body by scavenging for free radicals. As macular degeneration is largely attributed to oxidative damage, sufficient levels of vitamin A serve to protect and prevent oxidative damage to the cornea that can otherwise result in a loss of visual acuity.

Vitamin A Strengthens Bones

Micronutrients like calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium are critical for bone health, but so is vitamin A. Though the mechanisms aren’t yet fully understood, vitamin A deficiencies are linked to increased risks of fractures whereas diets highest in vitamin A have been shown to be associated with the lowest fracture incidence rates. Other good ways to improve bone density are to take on high-impact exercises like running, jumping rope, and plyometrics, as well as resistance training.

Vitamin A Supports Clear Skin

man with bad skin.
Unsplash

Retinoids are often used in skincare products, especially those that target acne, because these compounds (which fall under the umbrella of vitamin A) have been shown to clean and clear skin, preventing the formation of acne lesions and associated skin inflammation. A deficiency in vitamin A is thought to trigger hyperproliferation of keratin in hair follicles, which can cause blocked pores, oil production, and acne. In addition to considering a topical acne cleanser with retinol or other retinoids, ensuring your diet is rich in beta-carotene and vitamin A can work to keep your complexion clear and bright.

Vitamin A Can Reduce the Risk of Certain Types of Cancer

Studies have routinely demonstrated that consuming foods high in beta-carotene, like sweet potatoes and root veggies like carrots, can reduce the risk of certain cancers. Beta-carotene is converted to the activated form of vitamin A in the body, where it confers antioxidant properties and can prevent the abnormal and uncontrolled dividing of cancerous cells. It can also protect the cellular DNA from oxidative damage, which often precipitates mutations that lead to cancer. Accordingly, diets high in beta-carotene have been associated with reducing the risk of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, cervical, lung, bladder, and prostate cancer.

Vitamin A Boosts Your Immune System

man blowing nose.
Unsplash

Vitamin C and zinc may be the popular immune system heroes, but vitamin A is a valuable player as well. Vitamin A helps produce and support the function of white blood cells, which travel through the bloodstream and fight pathogenic bacteria and viruses and clean up cellular debris. Furthermore, vitamin A helps maintain the integrity of mucosal barriers — like those in the gut, eyes, lungs, and genitals — which serve to trap infectious agents before they can enter the body, bloodstream, or airways.

Vitamin A Supports Reproduction

In addition to supporting the healthy growth of a fetus, adequate levels of vitamin A are required to maintain normal hormonal balance and reproductive function in both men and women. Studies have shown that vitamin A deficiencies lead to fertility issues in both sexes, inhibiting normal sperm development in men and egg quality and uterine implementation ability in women.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Amber Sayer
Amber Sayer
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Amber Sayer is a fitness, nutrition, and wellness writer and editor, and was previously a Fitness Editor at Byrdie. She…
Try these 11 foods high in vitamin D for healthy bones
Thinking about vitamin D levels and bone health? These foods will help you in those departments
Two fried eggs and salmon served on a blue oval plate.

Remember all those glasses of milk you chugged when you were growing up, convinced it would keep your bones strong? Well, there's truth to that, but vitamin D plays a major role too. On top of keeping your skeleton in good working order, it creates key hormones that help out with keeping inflammation in check and your immune system thriving.
Our bodies make vitamin D, especially when we're hanging out in the sun (the beaches of Hawaii, anyone?). For us mainlanders stuck in the throes of late fall and early winter, funding sunshine can be tough this time of year. Folks everywhere from Portland to New York City can go weeks without seeing the big glowing star in the sky. Fear not, there are other ways to keep your vitamin D levels where they ought to be.
Speaking of upping your intake, the current recommended daily value of vitamin D for most adults is 800 IU or 20μg. That said, your needs may be higher or lower, particularly if you don’t get much direct sun exposure. The tricky part is that very few foods are naturally high in vitamin D, so if you're looking to boost your levels significantly, you may want to consider a vitamin D supplement or a form of light therapy. That said, the foods high in vitamin D listed below are nutritious additions to your diet and can help ensure you're getting adequate amounts of vitamin D throughout the day.

Fatty fish
Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, and sardines are among the best dietary sources of vitamin D you can find. A 6-ounce filet of salmon, for instance, provides nearly 150% of the daily value, with 28.4μg. Canned salmon is also a great option, as it provides about 91% of the daily value in a 3-ounce serving and requires no cooking time at all.
Canned salmon is also quite high in calcium, along with anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, potassium, and protein. Other fatty fish, including smoked whitefish, swordfish, rainbow trout, canned sardines, halibut, and tilapia, each provide over 30% of the daily value of vitamin D, with trout, swordfish, and whitefish providing nearly 75%.

Read more
Here are the benefits of taking vitamin D supplements – what you should know
Find out if you're getting enough Vitamin D or if you need help getting more
A close-up of a vitamin D capsule

It’s not always easy or feasible to consume a well-balanced and varied diet. Between juggling a busy schedule with minimal time for healthy food preparation, food allergies and intolerances, dietary preferences, and cultural eating habits, many of us fall short of meeting the nutritional recommendations for several key vitamins and minerals. Even if you cook at home and try to eat a healthy diet, you may be deficient in certain micronutrients because some essential vitamins and minerals are only found in a few food sources or are only present in low concentrations.
Vitamin D is a prime example of a vital nutrient that is not found in many common foods in the standard American diet, nor is it necessarily well absorbed when consumed in food sources. Rather, exposure of the skin to sunlight is the primary means by which the body’s vitamin D levels are increased, as exposure to UVB rays stimulates the production of vitamin D.
However, as the hours of daylight dwindle in the winter and the sun becomes less intense, it becomes increasingly difficult to meet your vitamin D needs. Because vitamin D plays several key physiological roles, it may be advisable to take vitamin D supplements. Keep reading for our helpful primer on the functions and benefits of vitamin D, foods high in vitamin D, and whether vitamin D supplementation may be useful.

What is vitamin D?
Along with vitamins A, E, and K, vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means it's stored in the body rather than excreted like vitamins C and B vitamins. However, unlike any other vitamin, vitamin D is actually a steroid hormone produced from cholesterol when skin cells are exposed to UVB rays. In addition to the endogenous production of vitamin D, there are two different dietary forms of the nutrient:

Read more
Did you know these popular foods are high in saturated fat?
The foods high in saturated fat you may want to cut out of your diet
An array of meats and cheeses.

Saturated fat is a fat that is solid when at room temperature. This happens because all of the carbon molecules are connected by double bonds. Butter is an example of a food high in saturated fat. On the other hand, olive oil contains unsaturated fats, and that is why it is liquid at room temperature rather than solid.

Foods high in saturated fat have long been associated with raising “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and increasing the risk of heart disease, cardiovascular disease, and certain inflammatory conditions. However, there is also newer evidence potentially debunking this thinking, as some studies show that certain saturated fats, such as those found in coconut, can lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Most nutritionists and dietitians suggest limiting your intake of processed saturated fats—such as those in hot dogs, doughnuts, or mayonnaise—to no more than 10% of your daily caloric intake or a daily value of 20 grams. Instead, focus on foods high in monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, such as anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Not sure what kind of fat is in your favorite foods? Keep reading for a list of high saturated fats foods, and see if you can replace some of them with healthier options.

Read more