Life Minus Vitamin A - Research Paper Example

 Life Minus Vitamin A Abstract A person needs one too many things in order to be healthy and enjoy the wonders of life. There are times when due to unfortunate circumstances, a person will fail to get the nourishment that his body needs. Though there are supplements available in the market that a person can intake to achieve the amount needed by the body, there are still a number of people who are not as fortunate as others who can avail of these. Vitamin A is vitamin that is needed in sustaining a good eye-sight. What will happen to those people who have Vitamin A deficiency? Is the government doing anything to ensure that the public are aware of what will happen if they are diagnosed as Vitamin A deficient? Life Minus Vitamin A The human body is made up of different organs and millions of cells. One needs to ensure that these organs and cells are well-taken care of so that it can perform properly. These organs need a certain amount of particular nutrients to support the organ’s requirements for its functions to be sustained. During the past decades, there have been so many changes that the world witnessed. Lives are being lived so fast that most of the times people do not have enough time to eat healthy and full meals. Either it is that or people are too conscious of how their body will look like if they have an intake of a particular food. That is the most common outlook of the modern people has over food. Looking at it from the other side, there are groups of people who do wish to eat healthy and take care of their body. However, due to financial constraint, these people are deprived of the nutrients that their bodies need. When the body lacks a particular nutrient, one or a couple of organs might be affected. It does not necessarily mean that when the body lacks the required amount of a nutrient or 2 in his body it would be fatal for the person. However, it could mean fatal for the organ. Lacking a nutrient could make an organ weak and cause its slow death so to speak. When a particular organ is affected by this deficiency, a body system will also be affected as one of its parts is not functioning properly. Once such event occurs in a person, his body functions will be affected as there will be changes that this deficiency will cause (WHO & FAO, 2004). One of the 5 senses that a person has is the sense of sight. A person’s eyes are used for this sense. There are so many beautiful things present in this world that can be appreciated through the eyes. It can also be used to observe the things which are either intentionally or unintentionally disregarded by others. Sight is very vital in the recognition process. There is a proverb by Cicero (Speake & Simpson, 2008) which stated, “the face is a picture of the mind as the eyes are its interpreter” (p. 106). With such importance and respect given to the eyes, it should be taken care of and not abused. The eye is the organ that distinguishes light. This light is then transformed as an electro-chemical impulse in neurons. For every human, the eye is the reason why a person can appreciate beauty and life. It makes a man capable of seeing not just the people around them but also do labors where they will earn for their families. A person’s daily function will surely be affected if the eyes are not properly functioning (Land & Fernald, 1992). Vitamin A is a nutrient that is needed by the retina of the eyes to retain its health and sustain its function. Another name for this vitamin is retinol. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (2004): Vitamin A (retinol) is an essential nutrient needed in small amounts by humans for the normal functioning of the visual system; growth and development; and maintenance of epithelial cellular integrity, immune function, and reproduction. These dietary needs for vitamin A are normally provided for as preformed retinol (mainly as retinyl ester) and provitamin A carotenoids. (p. 17) According to Lorch (2005), Vitamin A has a very crucial role in the human body. The liver is the main storage of Vitamin A in the body. It is one of the requirements by the retina of the eyes for its adjustment to the brightness or darkness of a particular place. It is not just the eyes that need Vitamin A, it is the whole body. Shetty (2010) also added that the vitamin is essential for normal growth, healthy skin and mucus surfaces, cellular differentiation and development. It is also needed in the regular manufacturing of the red blood cells in the body. However, not every person does achieve or retain the required amount of Vitamin A in the body for the eyes. When the level of Vitamin A in the tissue concentration is below the necessary amount to be present in the body, according to the WHO this can cause unfavorable health consequences. What can be really disturbing is that these adverse health conditions can occur without any evidence or symptom of clinical xeropththalmia. Xeropththalmia when literally translated mean “dry eyes.” According to Britton et al (2009): ‘Xeropththalmia’ now includes all ocular signs and symptoms of Vitamin A deficiency, from night blindness to keratomalacia (successive softening, ulceration and necrosis of the cornea. (p. 177) Night-blindness is one of the effects of VAD. However, initially, this was not the opinion with regards to the condition. According to Jones (1856) the occurrence of night-blindness to a person is not just attributed to VAD. Night-blindness can also be attributed to exposure to strong sunlight and gastric imbalance, and fatigue. Another cause for this is what other physicians may refer to as lunar influence. Further studies shows that VAD is also a cause of night-blindness. When a person is VAD, the rods of its retina are said to be seriously damaged. This condition is still curable though by having the sufficient amount of Vitamin A in their body regularized. Complete blindness is the worse event that a person who has Vitamin A deficiency can experience (Boblock & Balaban, 2008). Conjunctival xerosis is another eye disease that Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) patients are prone to acquire. A symptom for this disease is that there is an obvious dryness, crumpling and thickening of the conjunctiva. Another eye disease is the Bitot’s Spot. This disease is described as to the presence of a lesion made up of a confined mounding up of a keratinized substance present on the surface of the conjunctiva. The list of eye diseases goes on and on however the major root cause of ailments is the insufficient amount and supply of Vitamin A that a person intake and have stored in the body (McLaren & Frigg, 2001). Another disturbing fact about VAD is that though it can occur to any person regardless of age, smaller children are more prone to be diagnosed to being Vitamin A deficient more compared to adults. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are also prone to be diagnosed with VAD. These groups have a higher vulnerability rate to other infections and worse even permanent blindness due to them being Vitamin A deficient. There are many ways to overcome VAD however there are times when the steps needed are not feasible to be accomplished. A fact about VAD is that the population of the third-world countries, i.e. countries in South Asia and Africa, is more prone to be diagnosed as Vitamin A deficient compared to the population of the developed countries like the United States and Europe (Lorch, 2005; Rice et al, 2005). Gillespie and Mason (1994) enumerated several causes or factors as to why children become Vitamin A deficient. It was classified in 3 stages, 1) immediate, 2) underlying, and 3) basic. One of the causes that was included for the immediate stage are the low dietary intake of fat and Vitamin A. When a pregnant woman failed to get the proper amount of Vitamin during pregnancy, this can also be one of the causes as to why a child becomes also Vitamin A deficient. Another cause is that when a breastfeeding mother does not have the required amount of Vitamin A in her system, this is being carried over to the infant. For the underlying stage, the causes are more on the lifestyle factors such as the low consumption of foods rich in Vitamin A. Gillespie and Mason (1994) pointed out in this stage that maternal education or awareness with regards to VAD causes ailments, the paternal contribution should also be taken into consideration. Just because a parent is considered to be not properly aware, it is not safe to assume that the other parent also exhibits the same characteristic. Taking into consideration the fact that most of the times both parents are working, the children are left by themselves to take care of each other. With lack of supervision from the adults, children often just consume fatty and unhealthy foods therefore taking an either a minimal or insufficient amount of vitamin compared to the required. As for the last stage that Gillespie and Mason (1994) stated, the causes of VAD is more inclining towards to the short comings of the family’s income. Another cause is the government’s inadequacies towards controlling poverty. The basic stage is consisted of the external factors as to what may have caused the deficiency. It is not just the economic sector that plays a vital factor at this stage. The agricultural factor plays a major role as there is a lack in proper education towards land cultivation. Most of the students would not even dream to be an agriculturist. Children would rather be an actor in a play or in the movies rather than be a farmer that plays a vital role in the production of food. Besides the obvious fact that VAD affects the eyesight, a person who has the deficiency also losses the ability to fight infections. Taking the examples again of those children living in third-world countries, not all can afford to be immunized therefore making them more susceptible to diseases like measles. In developed countries, measles is just a minor thing, but for these children, measles can be fatal. It is not just that they are not immunized, but they also lack sufficient Vitamin A in their system (Lorch, 2005; Sommer & West, 1996). Shetty (2010) further expounded on the relationship of VAD and the immune system and its responses: Vitamin A deficiency results in impaired humoral and cellular immunity and, with decreased activity of complement in serum, decreased activity of lysozomes in leucocytes… vitamin A deficiency increases bacterial cell adhesion and increased binding of bacteria to respiratory epithelial cells has been demonstrated in children with low Vitamin A status. (p. 32) Facts have shown that VAD fatality is more widespread in children compared to adults. Worldwide, when the term child or children it will be those who belong to the 0-4 year old age bracket. It has been noted that it is in the pre-school stage that children are found to be experiencing symptoms of VAD. Pregnant women are also prone of being VAD. It is not because that they lack the intake of the vitamin in their system but there is more demand of it during the pregnancy. Besides the mother’s vitamin requirement, there is also the vitamin requirement of the fetus that should also be sustained on a regular basis. The author also cleared that the function of Vitamin A is confined to the eyes or its retina alone. Vitamin A has also other functions in a person’s biological structure as its main component, carotenoids, has roles in other body organs. Originally, as Shetty (2010) brings more light into this area of Vitamin A, it was in the 20th century when the vitamin was dubbed as an “anti-infection vitamin” for its ability to cure ill-stricken laboratory animals. With the information provided, one can jump into conclusion that Vitamin A is truly needed in disease prevention. As VAD is wide-spreading not just in third-world countries but all countries worldwide, there is a big risk that the human population is at risk for their body will not be able to battle the infection which one can acquire anytime, anywhere. In 2005, Lorch proposed in his report for the Greenpeace International that: Nationwide supplementation programs combined to supplement children once or twice a year with high-doses of Vitamin A are combined in at least 43 countries with National Immunisation Days. They are a key factor in reducing VAD on an acute basis, but on the long term, well-designed home garden programs, including education for a more diverse diet, are the most sustainable way to reduce VAD and other VMDs on the household level. Once the home gardens are established, they provide sustainable, all-year-round availability of diverse food. Home gardens and small-scale animal production have proven to improve the vitamin A status of mothers and children, even on very small pieces or in landless households. (p. 1) This was a feasible suggestion that was given by the author. Since VAD is more prevalent in third world countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam, Nepal and the Philippines, obtaining vitamin A supplement will be just an added burden to those people who can barely afford a decent meal. Instead of buying such supplements, the money that should be used in purchasing the vitamins can be used to purchase another meal for the family. Another thought in the suggestion is that natural form of Vitamin A is much more effective rather than those which are synthetically produced. Rice et al (2005) also expressed almost the same opinion like Shetty (2010). In the article written by Rice et al, the function of Vitamin A was defined as beyond just for the eyesight. It broadens the scope of the vitamin to the other body organs and therefore being essential to the other senses. Rice et al even acknowledged the importance of vitamin A in a person’s survival. Though Vitamin A supplements are still advised for those who are suspected with VAD, prevention should be promoted that the spread of the deficient can be minimized or even in the future be halted. Authors, physicians and nutritionists proposed that a person, whether a child or an adult, especially when VAD is not yet that pronounced, should eat foods rich in Vitamin A. This is continuing on the idea that prevention is still better than cure. These foods are said to be eggs, milk, margarine, liver, deep orange fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, fish and fish-liver oil (Rice et al, 2005; Shetty 2010). With the proposal of Lorch (2005) and the information stated with regards to the sources of Vitamin A, it is feasible that VAD can be lessened in the upcoming years. Instead of purchasing medications or the government giving subsidy for vitamin A supplements, NGOs and the government can just teach underprivileged families to cultivate their own farm where they can plant food sources rich in Vitamin A or provide a neighborhood with a farm that produces Vitamin A-rich food sources like eggs and milk. It will not cost much for the government or other organizations to act out such proposal. As expressed by Lorch (2005): The goal of combating VAD is not to provide medical treatment, it is to avoid VAD and another VMDs. By combating VAD with home gardens, sustainable systems are created that provide food security and diversity from the grassroots level, in a way that is empowering women and protects agro-biodiversity. Poverty has caused malnutrition in numerous countries and in recent decades also Vitamin A deficiency. One does not need to be rich in order to reverse the effects of VAD. A person can be cured by maintaining the needed amount of Vitamin A in the body. There is no need to purchase any supplements. The resources are present around a neighborhood or even at the backyard of a person’s own home. Money is nothing. Cure and prevention is for everybody. There are no excuses for who will be afflicted with VAD. Even if studies have found the number of Vitamin A deficient people to be more in third-world countries, there was no statement expressed that VAD is not present in developed countries. With the lifestyle that people are practicing, unhealthy eating can also be a cause of VAD. Instead of drinking milk or other dairy products, a person will choose to intake either a soda or an alcoholic beverage. There might be children who instead of eating eggs and vegetables will be consuming chips and candies. Nobody is perfect as one person is as guilty as another with regards to unhealthy eating. Once in a while it can be performed. Let unhealthy eating not be practiced especially by children who are more prone to the deficiency. It will not be depriving them of eating junk foods and carbonated drinks. Such an act will be more of regulating the food that they are consuming for their own well-being (McLaren & Frigg, 2001). References Britton, G., Liaaen-Jensen, S. and Pfander, H. (2009). Carotenoids: Nutrition and Health. Basel, Switzerland: Birkhauser Verlag. Gillespie, S. and Mason, J. (1994). Controlling Vitamin A Deficiency − Nutrition Policy Discussion Paper No. 14. Ottawa, CA: Administrative Committee on Coordination – Subcommittee on Nutrition. Jones, T. W. (1856). The Principles and Practice of Ophthalmic Medicine and Surgery. Philadephia, PA: Blanchard and Lea. Land, M. F. and Fernald, R. D. (1992). The Evolution of Eyes. Annual Review of Neuroscience. 15: pp. 1–29. Lorche, A. (2005). Vitamin A Deficiency: Diverse Causes, Diverse Solutions. Greenpeace International. McLaren, D. S. and Frigg, M. (2001). SIGHT AND LIFE Guidebook on Vitamin A in Health and Disease (2nd ed.). Basel, Switzerland: Task Force SIGHT AND LIFE. Rice, A. L., West, K. P. Jr., and Black, R. E. (2005). Vitamin A Deficiency. In Ezzati, M., Lopez, A. D., Murray, C. J. L. and Rodgers, A. (eds.). Comparative Quantification of Health Risks (211-256). Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. Shetty, P. S. (2010). Nutrition, Immunity and Infections. Oxford, UK: CABI. Simpson, J. and Speake, J. (2008). The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (5th ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Sommer, A. and West, K. P. (1996). Vitamin A Deficiency: Health, Survival, and Vision. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc. World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2004). Vitamin and Mineral Requirements in Human Nutrition. World Health Organization. Read More