FOR UR EYES ONLY

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

Eyes are the most precious thing for everyone. Rather than external beautification It is very important to maintain the internal health of our eyes. It is most commonly known by all of us that vitamin a is good for eyes. But what and how much is needed is very important, because overdose may cause toxicity.

Now let us go step by step. First let us understand what is vitamin A and its importance as far as eyesight is concerned.

Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin. It also plays an important role in body’s defence system. It helps in making of white blood cells that fight germs that cause diseases. It also plays an important role in bone growth and differentiation. Vitamin A promotes healthy surface linings of the eyes and the respiratory, urinary, and intestinal tracts. When those linings break down, it becomes easier for bacteria to enter the body and cause infection. Vitamin A also helps the skin and mucous membranes function as a barrier to bacteria and viruses.

There are two types of vitamin A, depending upon its source. Vitamin A derived from animal sources is easily absorbed by the body, because it is readymade vitamin form. Body does not have to take any special efforts to synthesize it. Vitamin A that is obtained from vegetable or vegetarian sources needs a conversion process that converts the unavailable part of vitamin A to available form.

Vitamin A found in foods that come from animals is called preformed vitamin A. It is absorbed in the form of retinol, one of the most usable (active) forms of vitamin A. Sources include liver, whole milk, and some fortified food products.

WHAT FOODS PROVIDE VITAMIN A?

·         Milk and milk products like curd, buttermilk, cheese, ghee, etc.

·         Eggs

·         Chicken, fish.

·         Vegetarian sources include all brightly coloured vegetables like green capsicum, yellow and red capsicum, papaya, mangoes, sweet potato, pumpkin, carrots.

·         Vitamin A in carrots is best absorbed when lightly cooked.

CAUSES OF DEFECIANCY

·         Excessive alcohol intake.

·         Strict dietary control

·         Chronic diarrhoea

·         Vegetarians who’s diets are low in vitamin A

·         Crohne’s disease

·         Pancreatic diseases

SYMPTOMS OF DEFECIANCY

·         Night blindness

·         Excessive diarrhoea (vitamin A helping the formation of inner lining of digestive tract, deficiency makes the lining weaker allowing easy entry of bacteria.)

·         Recurrent infections (vitamin A playing  important role in formation of white blood cells that fight infections)

·         Decreased growth rate and bone development in kids

v It is very important for everybody to eat fresh food to maintain not only good vitamin reserves but also to maintain a good health.