Vitamin A ( international name- retinol acetate) has an active ingredient - retinol. Vitamin A is available in various dosage forms: tablets, capsules, drops for oral administration in oil, oil solution For intramuscular injection, oil solution for external use and oral administration, coated tablets.

What is retinol for?

For the normal functioning of the retina, retinol is needed - it binds to the red pigment of the retina, forming rhodopsin, which is necessary for adaptation in the dark. In addition, retinol is necessary for bone growth and embryonic development. Retinol supports reproductive function, rejuvenates skin cells, and takes part in biochemical processes.

Who needs to take vitamin A

Vitamin A should be taken systematically by people suffering from the following health disorders:

• hypo and vitamin deficiency A,
• gastrectomy,
• diarrhea,
• skin diseases,
• Crohn's disease,
• malabsorption syndrome,
• frequent infectious and colds,
• weight loss,
• nicotine addiction, alcoholism, drug addiction,
• prolonged stress,
• multiple pregnancy, lactation period.

Who should not take vitamin A?

Hypervitaminosis A, increased sensitivity to the vitamin. Take vitamin A with caution if you have alcoholism, viral hepatitis and liver cirrhosis, renal failure, in the first trimester of pregnancy, in old age and childhood.

Side effects

In case of an overdose, drowsiness, dizziness, and double vision may occur. There may be a painful sensation at the injection site.

Directions for use and doses

For therapeutic and prophylactic purposes, it should be taken orally after meals, 15 minutes later. In case of severe disease and impaired absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, in the form of oil solutions intramuscularly. The solutions are warmed to body temperature before administration. For diseases of the eyes and skin, courses of intramuscular injections alternate with oral administration.
Adults with mild and avitaminosis medium degree severity is prescribed 33 thousand IU per day, for children from 1 to 5 thousand IU per day.
For skin diseases, adults are prescribed from 50 to 100 thousand IU per day, children from 5 to 20 thousand IU per day.

Vitamin A is vital for humans, but in reasonable dosages. It is optimal to get retinol from food. If necessary, as prescribed by the doctor, you should take one of the suggested vitamin preparations.

Among the biologically active substances, necessary for a person, vitamin A is one of the most important places. Reasonable doses of this vitamin will provide optimal health benefits, but excess can be harmful, which is especially true for children and pregnant women. Read more about this on the website in another article.

Vitamin A

Several similar in structure fat-soluble chemical compounds, which are pigments from the terpene group, are called provitamins A or carotenes (Carota from Latin - carrot):

-retinol;

Dihydroretinol;

Retinal;

Retinolic acid.

Each of these compounds, once in the human body, goes through a number of specific stages before turning into an active substance that affects many vital functions.

Effect on the human body

The impact on the human body is diverse. There are several main effects:

1. Adaptation-trophic

Retinol, entering the cells of organs and systems sensitive to this substance, promotes the formation of new cells in the brain, connective, cartilage and bone tissue, provides antioxidant and anabolic effects. This helps a person adapt to environmental changes.

2. Immunological

Carotenes influence the production of immune cells, actively affect liver function, improving hormonal and enzyme functions. This has a positive effect on protecting the human body from infection and smoothes Negative consequences any stressful situations.

3. Visual

Extremely important keratoplastic effect of carotenes , due to which visual pigment is synthesized, normal retinal function is maintained and visual acuity is maintained. The effect on other senses is also important: retinol provides a person’s olfactory and taste reactions.

Consumption standards

Sufficient intake is very important carotenes into the human body, but an excess should not be allowed. Daily requirement, calculated in International Units (IU) is:

-for adults – 5,000 IU;

-for children and adolescents – 1,500-5,000 IU;

-for pregnant and breastfeeding women – 6,600 IU.

Large daily doses of retinol have an impact toxic on the human body. In particular, according to WHO recommendations, a daily dose of more than 10,000 IU in a pregnant woman can cause malformations in the fetus. Children under 3 years of age should not be given a dose of more than 22,000 IU, and children under 10 years of age should not be given more than 30,000 IU.

Vitamin A Rich Foods

For proper nutrition You need to know exactly and regularly consume foods with vitamin A:

-veal and pork liver;

-seafood (, caviar);

-butter;

-egg white;

- fatty cheeses;

-vegetables (carrots, peppers, tomatoes, spinach, parsley, sorrel);

-fruits (apricots);

-berries (blueberries, gooseberries, currants).

Considering that all forms of vitamin A are fat-soluble compounds, the optimal form for use is fish fat from seafood. Vegetable salads are best seasoned vegetable oil, not sour cream or mayonnaise.

Vitamin A preparations

It is important to know when and how to take vitamin A supplements. Prophylactic administration is necessary in case of an unbalanced diet, high stress on the body and exposure to external factors. In particular, with excessive pronounced influence sun in hot climates, when retinol is quickly used up to protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation, in addition to proper nutrition, you need to start taking vitamin supplements.

WITH therapeutic purpose in doses recommended by your doctor, vitamin A should be taken in following cases:

• eye and ENT diseases;
• skin problems;
• diseases of the stomach and intestines;
• increased thyroid function.

ABOUT Main medications prescribed by doctors:

1. Aevit100,000 IU in 1 capsule ( Altaivitamins, Pharmstandard)

Used to correct severe retinol deficiency. Due to the high dose, it should not be taken by pregnant women.

2. Vetoron33,333 IU per 1 ml (Vneshtorg Pharma)

Oral drops used to enhance immune defense in adults and children. Use as directed by a doctor.

3. Aekol 100 ml (Pharmstandard)

An oil solution of vitamin A, which is used externally for skin diseases and burns, significantly improving the healing process. Not for oral use.

4. Complex drugs

Being part of many complex multivitamin preparations, vitamin A is found in small dosages and can be safely used for prophylactic purposes.

Instructions

The body absorbs vitamin A more easily and completely in its natural forms, so supplement daily ration more products containing retinol. The best of them are liver and fish oil; it is found in fairly large quantities in egg yolks, cream, butter and whole milk.

Vitamin A accumulates in the body and is eliminated from it quite slowly. When diagnosing a deficiency of retinol, it is unlikely that it will be possible to quickly replenish its supply with regular products. As directed by your doctor, take additional dosage forms. They include tablets and solution for intramuscular administration. In especially severe cases, if it is necessary to quickly increase the amount of vitamin, it is recommended to do intramuscular injections. This way the drug will enter the blood faster.

Instructions for use

1 capsule of vitamin E contains 100, 200 or 400 mg of the active substance - tocopherol. Take vitamin E with meals, washing down the capsule with water. For vitamin deficiency, the daily dose is 100 mg, in some cases, on the recommendation of a doctor, it can be increased to 800 mg.

In case of violation menstrual cycle, in the case of combining treatment with vitamin E with hormonal therapy, take 300-400 mg of tocopherol per day, every other day. You should start taking it on the 17th day of your cycle. The course should last for 5 cycles. If the drug is taken before starting hormonal therapy, its dosage is 100 mg 1-2 times a day for 2-3 months.

In cases of threatened miscarriage, 100 mg of the drug is prescribed 1-2 times a day for 2 weeks. For congenital anomalies and pathology of embryonic development in the first trimester of pregnancy, take 100-200 mg of vitamin E once a day.

For rheumatoid arthritis, vitamin E capsules are taken for several weeks at 100-300 mg per day. For diseases of the neuromuscular system, joints and tendons, as well as muscular dystrophies, 100 mg is prescribed 1-2 times a day for a course of 1-2 months. In this case, after 2-3 months a repeated course of therapy should be carried out.

For neurasthenic disorders, vitamin E in a dosage of 100 mg is taken once a day for 1.5-2 months. For the treatment of endocrine diseases, the daily dose is 300-500 mg. For nutritional anemia and chronic hepatitis, take 300 mg of vitamin E per day.

For periodontal diseases, the daily dosage of tocopherol is 200-300 mg. When treating skin diseases, 100-200 mg is prescribed 2 times a day for a course of 3-6 weeks. For diseases of the visual organs, the drug is taken in combination with vitamin A - 100-200 mg 1-2 times a day for a course of 1-3 weeks.

Cautions

Taking vitamin E is contraindicated if you are intolerant to the components of this product. The drug is not prescribed to children under 12 years of age and to patients with myocardial infarction. Vitamin E should be used with caution in severe cardiosclerosis and the risk of thromboembolism. Vitamin E should not be taken at the same time as multivitamin complexes– this can cause hypovitaminosis.

When taking vitamin E, allergic reactions, nausea, gastrointestinal pain, diarrhea, pulmonary thromboembolism, creatinuria, and increased cholesterol levels may occur. If you take too large a dose over a period of time long period Dizziness, blurred vision, nausea, and fainting may occur. In case of overdose, it is necessary to reduce the daily amount of the drug and consult a doctor.