news: coronavirus: Vitamin A & Your system

news: coronavirus: Vitamin A & Your system

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a worldwide pandemic and severely affected our lifestyle . At this point , there's yet any clinically proven drugs or treatments to stop or cure COVID-19.

With the novel coronavirus, about 80% of the infected had mild to moderate symptoms (mild symptoms up to mild pneumonia), about 15% developed severe disease (shortness of breath, low blood oxygen, or >50% lung involvement), and 5% became critically ill (respiratory failure, shock, or multi organ dysfunction).

Patients with severe COVID-19 illness and adverse outcome are mostly older, have diabetes, heart condition , prior stroke, hypertension, chronic respiratory illness , and/or chronic lung disease. In many cases, these patients' system , in an effort to fight the virus, becomes dysfunctional and enter overdrive, leading to a deadly effect referred to as a "cytokine storm".

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Cytokines are a crucial a part of your immune reaction . Your body release them as a response to an infection to trigger inflammation for your protection. A cytokine storm happens when the body releases excessive or uncontrolled levels of cytokines, causing hyper inflammation, which can cause serious complications and even death.

Why does the system go haywire? why it occurs more in patients who are immunocompromised or with preexisting conditions? How can we've a stronger, better functioning immune system?

By now, most folks are cognizant of the important role nutrients like vitamin D , vitamin C, zinc, and probiotics play in regulating the system and keeping us healthy. Not enough has been said about vitamin A though.

For the past several decades, scientists are studying the impact of dietary vitamin A on human health. it's well established that vitamin A is an important nutrient and is liable for many vital functions within the body:

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It protects the eyes from nyctalopia and age-related decline.
It reduces the danger of certain cancers.
It supports a healthy system .
It reduces the danger of skin problems like eczema and acne.
It supports bone health.
It promotes healthy growth and reproduction.
In the following, we'll check out how vitamin A can help reduce the incidence and severity of infectious diseases, how the system works against infectious agents like viruses, and therefore the role vitamin A plays in regulating a healthy immune reaction . Lastly, we'll discuss how you'll get enough vitamin A to enrich your immune protocol.

Understanding vitamin A

Vitamin A may be a group of compounds found in both animal and plant foods. It comes in two forms: preformed vitamin A and provitamin A carotenoids.

Preformed vitamin A is understood because the active sort of the vitamin, which the body can readily use. it's fat-soluble and located in animal foods, like liver and eggs, and includes retinoid compounds like retinol, retinal, and retinoid acid.
Provitamin A carotenoids include carotenes (like alpha-carotene and beta-carotene) and xanthophyll (like astaxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin). These are the inactive form or precursors of the vitamin found in plants like sweet potatoes and carrots. These compounds are water-soluble and need to be converted to the active form before the body can use it. for instance , beta-carotene is converted to retinol within the intestine . However, the power to convert provitamin A into the active form is impaired in many of us . More on this later.
Vitamin A Reduces Incidence And Severity Of Infectious Diseases

Research studies over the past several decades have well established the beneficial effect of vitamin A on infectious diseases.

news: coronavirus: Vitamin A & Your system 

It was dated back to the traditional Egyptians that vitamin deficiency and disease were first correlated. They applied liver (which is rich in vitamin A) extracts to the eyes of individuals suffering from nutritional nyctalopia .
In 1892, it had been suggested that diet could have an impression on susceptibility to infectious diseases supported the observation that children affected by measles or pertussis also developed blindness produced by vitamin A deficiency.
Later studies indicated that supplements with carrots (which are rich in beta-carotene) could reduce the amount and severity of respiratory infections.
More recent studies have shown that deficiency of vitamin A is related to heightened incidence of infectious diseases, including respiratory diseases, malaria, tuberculosis, HIV et al. .
Studies showed that prime dose vitamin A supplementation in children with measles increased the amount of circulating T cells (a sort of immune cells), and also that vitamin A supplementation could reduce the incidence of respiratory infections in children.
How The system Works

Our system are often weakened into the innate system and therefore the adaptive system .

Innate system

This is the dominant defence system within the body and it relies on the utilization of physical barriers just like the skin and mucous membranes, including first responder defenders called leukocytes (white blood cells). Leukocytes include phagocytes (which engulf foreign invaders) and natural killer cells.


news: coronavirus: Vitamin A & Your system

The innate system response is why you get a stuffy nose and sneeze once you have a chilly , or why a scrapped knee gets red, hot, and inflamed, or crammed with pus. For people that contract COVID-19 and haven't any symptoms or only mild symptoms, their innate system is effective and dealing well against the coronavirus.

Adaptive system

When the innate system isn't strong enough to combat the foreign invaders, it sends out signals called antigens to turn the second line of defense - the adaptive system . this technique uses special sorts of leukocytes called lymphocytes, namely the B-cells and T-cells.

This is typically when the inflammatory response gets kicked into a better gear and you develop a fever and body aches. The adaptive immune reaction not only identifies and fights off viruses, it also remembers them so it can quickly and effectively combat and neutralize them within the future, thus creating immunity. this is often also how vaccines work.

COVID-19 And Cytokine Storms

The coronavirus tends to specialise in the respiratory system by attaching and infiltrating the lung cells where it can more effectively hide from the system and reproduce. The infected cell will then produce more of the coronavirus and thus the method repeats itself.


news: coronavirus: Vitamin A & Your system

When the system detects this, it kicks off its response. The T-cells are then activated which they release cytokines. A cytokine could also be a hormone of the system. The body produces cytokines to help fight bacteria, viruses, and other invading organisms. Cytokines are often pro-inflammatory once they attract white blood cells to the situation of an infection. Cytokines can also be anti-inflammatory once they plan to ramp down an immune response once the threat has been neutralized.

The release of cytokines triggers additional T-cells to be made, which then release even more cytokines. One kind of T-cells called cytotoxic T-cells roam the body and kill infected cells. When the system is functioning well, the cytotoxic T-cells only target infected cells to be killed and move along.

A cytokine storm happens when the system goes haywire. this is often often when the body's immune response gets so amped up that it stops differentiating between infected and healthy cells. In other words, the lung cells are now attacked by both the coronavirus also due to the system.

With COVID-19, the cytokine storm focuses on the lungs, causing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and damage to the walls and lining cells of the alveoli (air sacs) within the lungs.

Normally, the wall of the alveolus is super thin, so oxygen can easily get from the air space in between into the red blood cells. during this case, both the wall and lining cells also because the capillaries are destroyed. The debris that accumulates from all that damage lines the wall of the alveolus. The damage to the capillaries also causes them to leak plasma proteins that increase the wall's thickness. Eventually the wall becomes so thick that it's hard to transfer oxygen, hence, the feeling of shortness of breath.

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Many people who get ADRS need help breathing from a ventilator. As fluid collects within the lungs, they carry less oxygen to the blood. meaning your blood won't supply your organs with enough oxygen to survive, resulting in the lungs, liver, and kidneys to close up and close up .

Additionally, doctors found that when the coronavirus gets to the lungs, it's getting to visit the bloodstream and infect the endothelium, lining of the blood vessels, causing endothelins. It is, therefore, no surprise that people who have conditions like high vital signs, diabetes, and a heart disease that put plenty of stress on the endothelium are also those that get the sickest once they catch the coronavirus.

COVID-19 doesn't merely cause lung problems. Many severe patients also develop widespread blood clots as a results of the hyper-inflamed state of cytokine storm, leading to strokes, heart attacks, and organ failure. What's more, doctors have noted an alarming trend as they treat more and more COVID-19 stroke patients who are in their 30s and 40s without risk factors. These people are a minimum of 15 years younger than usual stroke patients without the virus.

Vitamin A Regulates Immune Responses

It promotes and regulates both the innate and adaptive immune systems and thus the event of healthy immune responses.
It plays an important role within the regulation of varied white blood cells (neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages, natural killer cells, and lymphocytes) and influences the generation of cytokines by the immune cells.
Deficiency of vitamin A favors the assembly of more pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Research on vitamin A deficiency in children found that it damages the mucosal barrier, which is that the natural defense of the tract, allowing bacteria and viruses to proliferate.
Are You in peril For vitamin A Deficiency?


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Vitamin A deficiency may lower your immune function, thereby raising your risk of complications from infectious diseases.

Testing

A biopsy can determine if you're severely vitamin A deficient. vitamin A is stored within the liver. Normally, the body will always plan to maintain a healthy blood vitamin A concentration (a process called homeostatic regulation). However, when the body's reserves of vitamin A are significantly compromised, vitamin A concentration within the blood can drop below the traditional range.

Signs of mild deficiency

dry eyes
poor night-sight
hormonal imbalances
irregular periods
vaginal dryness
infertility
low energy and fatigue
mood disorders
frequent throat and chest infections
bumpy skin
eczema and acne
thyroid dysfunction
Strict vegans who avoid all animal-based foods and alcoholics are more vulnerable to vitamin A deficiency.

Since vitamin A is stored within the liver, and alcoholics may have existing liver damage, they'll be more susceptible to deficiency.


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Vegans who rely entirely on plant sources of the precursor to vitamin A need to have the carotenoids converted to retinol, the active kind of vitamin A . However, during a majority of people , the carotene-to-retinol conversion is severely compromised, and in some it's getting to even be as low as 10%.

Factors that inhibit the conversion include:

genetic variants within the BCO1 gene that impact the conversion of beta carotene
diabetes
alcohol use
certain medications
toxic exposures
medical conditions that interfere with the digestion of fat (including regional ileitis , disorder, CF, pancreatic enzyme deficiency, and gallbladder and liver disease)
a diet - as healthy fats are needed for the efficient conversion of carotenoids to retinol
Sources Of Dietary vitamin A

From animals (preformed vitamin A):

Pastured animal liver (liver is an organ that processes toxins, toxins aren't stored within the liver but in fats within the body)
Pastured poultry giblets
Cod liver oil
Grass-fed ghee and butter
Grass-fed cream and cheese
Pastured egg yolks
Sockeye salmon
From plants (provitamin A carotenoids):

Sweet potato
Carrots
Pumpkin
Winter squash
Dark green, leafy vegetables
Broccoli
Cantaloupe
Red bell peppers
Mangos
Apricots
Vitamin A Supplementation

Ideally, it's best to eat vitamin A-rich animal foods regularly. there's no risk of excessive intake through food. the danger lies in taking mega dose supplements. Symptoms of vitamin A toxicity include changes to vision, bone pain, and skin changes. Chronic toxicity can cause osteoporosis and liver damage.

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Do note that blood vitamin A levels (as indicated during a blood test) might not indicate changes in supplementation because for healthy people blood vitamin A concentrations are always under homeostatic regulation and can stay within normal range. at the present , there are not any non-invasive ways (requires liver biopsies) to accurately measure the quantity of vitamin A stored within the body.

For people that would really like to require vitamin A supplements, the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for man is 3,000 I.U. (or 900 mcg) and woman is 2,300 I.U. (or 700 mcg).

The Upper Tolerable Intake Level (UL) is 10,000 I.U. (or 3,000 mcg) daily.

Always take it with food containing fats for optimal absorption.

Remember that vitamin A is out there in two different forms: preformed vitamin A and provitamin A carotenoids. the utmost daily dose of 10,000 I.U. per day relates to only preformed vitamin A .

Some supplements contain vitamin A in both preformed and provitamin A carotenoids forms. For these supplements, the quantity of preformed vitamin A should be wont to determine if the quantity of vitamin A is safe.


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In some cases, a vitamin A supplement with vitamin A in amounts greater than 10,000 I.U. should be safe if some of the vitamin A is within the provitamin A carotenoids. for instance , a supplement containing 23,000 I.U. of vitamin A, of which 60% is provitamin A carotenoids, will still be safe. this is often because only 40% of the vitamin A content, or 9,200 I.U., is preformed vitamin A .

Preformed vitamin A may are available two forms - from retinyl palmitate (in tablets) and/or from cod or other fish liver oil (in soft gels). Check the ingredients if you've got allergies towards fish or soy.


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If you're pregnant, may become pregnant, or breastfeeding, keep the daily limit to five ,000 I.U.
If you've got a disorder that affects fat absorption, you'll not be ready to absorb vitamin A properly.
Do not take vitamin A if you've got a kind of high cholesterol called Type V Hyperlipoproteinemia.
Do not take vitamin A if you've got disease .
Iron deficiency may affect the body's ability to breakdown and use vitamin A .
People with severe protein malnutrition may find yourself with an excessive amount of vitamin A within the body.

People with deficiency disease may have to require both vitamin A and zinc to enhance the condition.
Use caution if you're taking medications for skin conditions (Retinoids) as they'll interact with vitamin A .
If you're taking antibiotics, don't take a high dosage of vitamin A .
Medications that harm the liver (hepatotoxic drugs) interacts with vitamin A .
Warfarin (Coumadin) interacts with vitamin A .
Disclaimer
Although nutrients like vitamin A , vitamin D, vitamin C, zinc, and probiotics are shown to strengthen the system , at the present , there's no research or study on their efficacy towards preventing and curing COVID-19.

Carol Chuang may be a Certified Nutrition Specialist. She features a Masters degree in Nutrition and may be a Certified Gluten Practitioner. She focuses on Metabolic Typing and Functional Diagnostic Nutrition.

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