Vitamins Research Paper

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INTRODUCTION Vitamins are organic molecule that exist in minute quantities in food and are essential to normal metabolism. Vitamins are either fat-soluble or water-soluble. Fat-soluble vitamins, such as Vitamin A, dissolves in lipids. Fat-soluble vitamin can accumulate in the body to the point of toxicity because they can be stored. Vitamins were discovered at the beginning of the twentieth century, they were found to be associated with certain foods known to protect people from diseases such as rickets and beriberi. Our liver stores 80 to 90% of the body’s vitamin A. Vitamin A comes in three forms, the retinols, beta carotenes, and carotenoids. FUNCTIONS Vitamin A is a very vital substance needed by our body to perform functions. It maintains…show more content…
It disrupts immunity and red blood cell formation leading to rashes and some typical ocular…show more content…
Another type is the secondary vitamin A deficiency. It results from decreased bioavailability of provitamin A carotenoids and the interference with the absorption, storage, and transport of vitamin A. This malabsorption is due to several factors like cystic fibrosis, pancreatic insufficiency, celiac disease, chronic diarrhea, etc. Deficiency of vitamin A often impairs normal eye anatomy and physiology. It leads to impaired adaptation of the eye on the dark, resulting to night blindness. It also causes Xerophthalmia which results from keratinization of the eyes and involves drying of the eyes. Cornea also becomes cloudy and develops corrosions leading to keratomalacia. Deficient vitamin A does not only affect the eyes, it can also cause keratinization of the skin and mucous membranes in the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urinary tracts that often progress to drying, sloughing, and follicular thickening of skin and causes respiratory defects. It also affects the immune system by deteriorating immunity leading to many more diseases. It is important to note that the severity of its effect is directly proportional to age. The younger the person, the more adverse

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