Consequences of excess vitamin A in animals. What are the dangers of an excess of vitamins? When does vitamin A poisoning occur?

Vitamin A hypervitaminosis is a disorder associated with taking an ultra-high dose of retinol and causes intoxication of the body. Vitamin A overdose is the most common compared to other useful substances. Hypervitaminosis A can be acute, with a single dose large dose, and chronic - occurs when systematically taking retinol exceeding daily norm.

The role of vitamin A in the human body

Vitamin A is involved in many physiological processes in organism:

  • formation of liver enzymes;
  • ensuring the constancy of the intercellular space;
  • promotes hormone synthesis;
  • participates in the transmission of nerve impulses;
  • regulates metabolic processes;
  • is a cellular component;
  • activates various receptors.

Retinol is important for the normal functionality of the organ of vision and reproductive system . The vitamin promotes bone growth and epithelial tissue. The substance is also capable of binding to free radicals, acts as an antioxidant. Strengthens protective functions immune system.

The daily requirement for vitamin A for women is 600-700 mcg per day, for men this amount is 600-900 mcg per day. Children's dosage (up to 14 years) – from 300 to 600 mcg. Maximum permissible daily dose for adults should not exceed 3000 mcg.

Causes of hypervitaminosis development


The main reason for poisoning the body with retinol is the simultaneous use of high doses of the drug.
. Also, the accumulation of vitamin is promoted by the use of biologically active additives, the dosage of which does not correspond to the internal needs of a person.

The accumulation of the substance is facilitated by the fact that vitamin A is fat soluble. This property makes it persistent, making it difficult to remove through the urinary system. This is how chronic hypervitaminosis A develops.

Excess of a substance leading to poisoning can result from an overdose pharmacological drugs– “Retinol”, “Axerol”, “Vitaplex A”.

IN in rare cases The cause of vitamin poisoning may be a mistake medical personnelexcess dose when intramuscular injection drug.

Signs of hypervitaminosis

Acute vitamin A poisoning develops quickly - from several hours to several days.

Distinctive symptoms of hypervitaminosis from the skin:

  • severe itching;
  • drying and peeling of the skin;
  • elements of rashes;
  • alopecia – hair loss.

Symptoms general intoxication– dizziness, migraine, joint pain, slight increase in body temperature. In rare cases, there may be a fever. In severe cases of poisoning, a person develops convulsions and paralysis of the limbs. The cornea of ​​the eye becomes inflamed. Excess vitamin A sharply raises blood cholesterol levels.

Signs of acute retinol poisoning from the digestive system:

  • loss of appetite;
  • nausea, vomiting;
  • diarrhea;
  • liver enlargement.

Chronic hypervitaminosis A develops from 6 months to 1.5 years. In victims, the skin of the palms, soles and visible mucous membranes becomes yellow. Initially, there are no symptoms of acute intoxication. Later headaches appear and constant nausea, not related to food intake. It happens sometimes one-time vomiting due to irritation of the vomiting center in the brain.

Signs of brain damage:

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  • increased intracranial pressure;
  • swelling of the part of the retina that is responsible for visual acuity, double vision;
  • hemorrhages (bleeding) in mucous tissues and internal organs.

Large doses of vitamin A have toxic effect on the liver and kidneys, causing inflammation of the organs. Also, excess vitamin A destroys bone tissue, which leads to spontaneous fractures. General state weak, decreased quality of sleep, gradual weight loss. Due to the enlarged liver and spleen, a person experiences discomfort and nagging pain in a stomach.

Symptoms indicating damage internal organs:

  1. Hypervitaminosis A provokes exacerbation chronic pancreatitis, causes movement of gallstones.
  2. Signs of liver failure are bleeding from the gums and nose.
  3. Kidney damage leads to swelling of the limbs.

In pregnant women, hypervitaminosis causes a teratogenic effect - it disrupts the embryonic development of the fetus, the child appears with birth defects.

In children, high doses of vitamin A increase production cerebrospinal fluid. Symptoms: protrusion of the fontanelle, high intracranial pressure.

Diagnosis of hypervitaminosis

Certain diagnostic methods Vitamin A does not exist in case of overdose. When making a diagnosis, the doctor is guided by the results of the anamnesis (data collection) and clinical symptoms:

  • slowing or stopping growth in children;
  • anorexia in adults;
  • low resistance to infectious diseases;
  • ulcerative lesions of the mucous membranes;
  • signs of inflammation of the meninges.

Carefully examine the skin for pigmentation, rashes, and peeling.

From laboratory methods studies prescribe a blood and urine test for vitamin A levels. Additionally, they may prescribe biochemical analysis blood to determine cholesterol levels.

An abdominal ultrasound is performed to assess the condition of internal organs..

Treatment of vitamin A poisoning

Before you start therapeutic activities, it is necessary to stop the effect of retinol on the human body. For this you need to stop taking medications and foods containing vitamin A.

Animal products prohibited for consumption in case of hypervitaminosis:

  • offal (liver);
  • caviar, fish oil;
  • dairy products - milk, butter, cream, sour cream, cottage cheese, margarine;
  • eggs.

Prohibited Products plant origin:

  • pumpkin, bell pepper, carrots;
  • spinach, any greens, broccoli, green onions;
  • fruits - peaches, apricots, melon, watermelon, cherries, apples;
  • berries – sea buckthorn, grapes, rose hips.

It is possible to remove vitamin A from the body with the help of specific treatment.

Mannitol is an osmotic diuretic. It has a pronounced diuretic effect. He quickly deduces excess water from tissues into the bloodstream. This effect contributes to the accelerated removal of vitamin A from the body. The drug does not affect the quality and quantitative composition blood. It is prescribed to patients with severe toxic damage to the liver and kidneys.

With intravenous infusion of "Mannitol", the BCC (circulating blood volume) increases, and the concentration of the vitamin in the body decreases. Within 15 minutes after administration of the drug, intracranial pressure decreases.

"Mannitol" is administered intravenously to patients with hypervitaminosis or very slowly in a stream. The solution should be warm. The maximum daily dose of the drug is 180 g.

The drug may increase the following symptoms:

  • itching and flaking of the skin;
  • dyspeptic symptoms;
  • feeling of thirst, nausea:
  • muscle weakness, cramps.

Since Mannitol increases blood volume, it should be prescribed with caution to patients with a history of heart failure, angina pectoris, low blood pressure, or thrombophlebitis.

Also, in the treatment of acute hypervitaminosis, patients are prescribed glucocorticoids - steroid hormones. They accelerate the breakdown of vitamin A in the liver, which promotes its rapid elimination. To stabilize and strengthen cell membranes, I prescribe a course of vitamin E to patients.

To restore and maintain liver function, hepatoprotectors are prescribed - drugs that accelerate the formation of hepatocytes (liver cells). Also these medicines protect the organ and its cells from the damaging effects of large doses of vitamin A.

Hepatoprotectors:

  1. Drugs for plant based– “Allohol”, “Galstena”, “Gepabene”, “Dipana”, “Silymarin”.
  2. Essential phospholipids – “Essentiale”, “Essentiale forte N”, “Fosphonciale”, “Eslidin”.
  3. Lipotropic agents (amino acids) - “Heptral”, “Glutargin”, “Ornilatex”.

Vitamin A in large dosages is very toxic. In order to exclude an overdose, the permissible amount of vitamin should be determined by the doctor individually. Before consuming vitamin complexes, you should consult a specialist (therapist or nutritionist).

One of the wisest doctors of the Middle Ages, Paracelsus, said: “The dose makes the medicine a poison and the poison a medicine.” How can one disagree with an ancient healer, even if it’s vitamins? necessary for the body each of us, if consumed excessively can lead to dangerous consequences. In particular, this concerns an overdose of vitamin A, which is not so rare, and there are reasons for this.

We will talk in more detail about these reasons, as well as what symptoms may indicate hypervitaminosis A, further and in more detail...

Why does hypervitaminosis A sometimes occur in the body?

In general, vitamins are divided into 2 categories: fat-soluble and water-soluble. The body cannot synthesize vitamins on its own, so both fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins must be regularly supplied from outside.

Vitamin A (retinol) is a fat-soluble vitamin: the human body is designed in such a way that it not only processes and consumes vitamin A, but also tends to accumulate this substance for future use. However, an excess of vitamin A can be even more dangerous than a lack of it. Excessive intake of vitamin A develops functional disorder body – hypervitaminosis A.

Water-soluble vitamins, if the body does not need them at the time of their intake, pass through “transit” and are excreted from it in the urine. Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, water-soluble vitamins rarely lead to hypervitaminosis.

Vitamin A can enter the body in two forms: retinol and beta-carotene (provitamin A). Retinol is found in animal products, and beta-carotene is of plant origin, and it is high doses of retinol that can be dangerous for the body. Provitamin A is converted into retinol in the intestines under the action of the enzyme dioxygenase, and this only happens if there is a lack of vitamin A in the body.

On a note

It is believed that by consuming foods rich in provitamin A, it is impossible to get an overdose. However, there is a known case where excessive consumption carrot juice– a source of beta-carotene, led to human death. This happened in 1974 with the Englishman Basil Brown. A man being an adept healthy eating, in 10 days I drank 10 liters of fresh carrot juice. Official reason death was liver failure.

It is a proven fact that retinol in large doses can become poisonous to the body. Even despite the existing reserve in the body, retinol will continue to accumulate in the liver, and if there is an excess, it will have a pronounced toxic effect on the body.

This is interesting

Hypervitaminosis A was first diagnosed in humans in 1948. But long before this, doctors knew about the dangers of high doses of retinol. In the 1930s, during experiments on laboratory animals, it was found that loading dose Vitamin A may cause seizures and paralysis. Such experiments often ended in the death of animals.

Who is at risk?

The development of hypervitaminosis A is possible in both adults and children taking pharmaceutical retinol preparations. Therefore, treatment with vitamin A should be carried out carefully.

In high doses, synthetic retinol can be prescribed to patients with skin diseases, in particular acne and psoriasis. In some cases, when taking retinol drugs, hypervitaminosis develops, even if the patient did not exceed the dosage recommended by the doctor. The risk of retinol overdose increases significantly with self-prescription and uncontrolled use of drugs containing vitamin A.

On a note

For European countries the problem of hypervitaminosis has been relevant for a long time, but recently, due to increased interest in proper nutrition, healthy image life and, as a result, to vitamin complexes and dietary supplements, this problem has affected us too. This happened because when taking synthetic vitamins Often the dosages recommended in the instructions are violated or several drugs are taken in parallel.

Doctors most often record cases of overdose of vitamins A and D. The development of hypervitaminosis due to the consumption of foods that contain these vitamins is quite rare, but the likelihood of an overdose increases if at the same time pharmaceutical drugs The diet contains fortified foods.

Acute and chronic hypervitaminosis A

Hypervitaminosis can be acute or chronic. The development of acute hypervitaminosis is provoked by a single dose of large doses of vitamin A. Much less often, hypervitaminosis occurs when eating large quantities of certain foods with high content retinol, for example, whale or polar bear liver. Agree, such products are difficult to imagine on our tables, so the development of acute hypervitaminosis A is usually associated with the intake of synthetic forms of retinol.

This is interesting

Northern peoples do not eat the liver of walruses, whales, polar bears and seals, as they are well aware that such livers contain too large a dose of vitamins. To exceed the permissible daily dose of vitamin A, a person only needs to eat 17 grams of polar animal liver. The byproduct in the Far North is not even used as dog food.

Chronic hypervitaminosis develops when taking retinol preparations every day or consuming foods high in vitamin A for a long time.

On a note

While chronic overdose of vitamin A in adults usually develops with long-term use of large doses of retinol preparations (for at least 3 months), in infants this period is reduced to several weeks.

Vitamin A intake per day

The daily requirement does not mean the optimal requirement, but the minimum level of vitamin A intake for the “average person”:

To prevent overdose, the daily dose of vitamin A should be selected by a doctor individually for each patient, since when determining it, not only the gender and age of the person is taken into account, but also the characteristics of his lifestyle, health status, and level of health. physical activity, working conditions and environment.

It is worth keeping in mind that the received dose of vitamin A is not always absorbed by the body effectively. Retinol may be lost during its absorption in the gastrointestinal tract.

On a note

Hypervitaminosis A manifests itself quite quickly when daily use from 100,000 IU of vitamin A for adults and from 75,000 IU for children. For pregnant women (more precisely, for the fetus), consuming more than 5000 IU of retinol per day will be dangerous.

Symptoms of vitamin A overdose in the body

Symptoms of acute hypervitaminosis A can appear within a couple of hours after taking overdoses vitamin preparations or foods rich in retinol. Symptoms of a vitamin A overdose resemble acute poisoning:

  • headache appears;
  • possible nausea, vomiting;
  • body temperature rises;
  • joint pain may appear;
  • the skin looks dry and may be itchy;
  • the face turns red.

In young children, acute hypervitaminosis A is manifested by swelling of the fontanel, almost continuous crying, and disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system.

Information about the symptoms of an acute overdose of vitamin A was recorded in the diaries of 19th-century polar explorers who ate the livers of Arctic animals. Thus, navigator V.I. Albanov wrote: “Liver polar bear harmful... I have severe aches all over my body, many people have an upset stomach.”

In the notes of the doctor Koetlitz, who participated in an expedition to the Franz Josef Land archipelago in the Arctic Ocean at the end of the 19th century, it was said that researchers who ate bear liver for dinner experienced headaches and problems sleeping. And those who ate a large number of dangerous product, suffered from bouts of nausea and vomiting. But after 7-8 hours the condition of the victims returned to normal.

Members of the Arctic expedition who ate seal liver also encountered similar symptoms. 5 hours after eating 150-200 grams of offal, they began to experience the first symptoms of a vitamin A overdose - nausea and headaches. After some time, other signs of illness began to appear: fever, dizziness, fear bright light, eye pain, vomiting.

Within 3 days, the unpleasant symptoms subsided, but others appeared instead: the skin on the face, and then all over the body, peeled off in whole layers. At the same time, expedition doctors noted a direct relationship between the severity of symptoms and the amount of liver eaten by polar animals. The method of preparing the liver did not matter, that is, regardless of whether the offal was fried, boiled or stewed, the concentration of retinol in it remained very high.

For a long time the cause of this phenomenon could not be determined, although the first assumptions about the content of high doses of vitamin A in the offal were put forward back in 1901 by the Russian doctor A. A. Bunge.

The following signs indicate a chronic overdose of vitamin A:

  • loss of appetite;
  • stiffness in the joints;
  • roughness and dryness skin;
  • stunting and weight loss in children;
  • baldness due to severe loss hair;
  • brittle nails;
  • hair loss on eyebrows;
  • cracks in the corners of the mouth;
  • insomnia, increased sweating during sleep;
  • violation menstrual cycle among women;
  • blurred vision;
  • increased irritability, tearfulness of children;
  • enlargement of the liver and disruption of the functioning of this organ.

Development higher listed symptoms with an overdose of vitamin A, it occurs due to the destruction of lysosome walls by high doses of retinol. These cellular structures contain enzymes that can break down various kinds protein formations. When the walls of lysosomes are damaged, enzymes go beyond them and destroy the cell itself.

If symptoms of acute vitamin A overdose occur, the first thing to do is detoxify the body. If you notice signs of chronic hypervitaminosis A, you need to stop taking synthetic retinol preparations, adjust your diet and consult a doctor. At correct selection treating symptoms chronic overdose retinol, as a rule, disappear within a month.

Diagnosis of hypervitaminosis A

To diagnose hypervitaminosis A, you need to consult a therapist or nutritionist. To confirm the diagnosis, the doctor must analyze the results of a serum vitamin A test. If desired, the patient can take the test in a private laboratory. For research, blood is taken from a vein.

No special preparation is required for the test, but to increase the accuracy of the results, it is recommended to donate blood in the morning on an empty stomach, after an overnight fast, or avoid eating for 2-3 hours before the test. Only clean water is allowed to drink.

Many laboratories can have your vitamin A test results ready the next day. The normal level of vitamin A in blood serum is 0.14 – 0.26 mcg/ml. Exceeding the upper limit of normal may indicate an overdose of vitamin A.

In addition, the doctor can give the patient a referral for a biochemical blood test and general analysis urine.

On a note

With hypervitaminosis A, it is possible to increase cholesterol and ESR in the blood test results.

The danger of vitamin A overdose

In addition to development unpleasant symptoms, high doses of vitamin A are especially dangerous for certain groups of people. These include:

  • pregnant women;
  • smokers;
  • people suffering from diabetes.

Pregnant women should take with extreme caution synthetic drugs retinol and in no case exceed the maximum permissible doses. In the first trimester of pregnancy, when the laying of the most important organs children, preparations with vitamin A, including dietary supplements, are contraindicated.

It has been proven that excess retinol has a teratogenic effect on the fetus. This means that an overdose of vitamin A during pregnancy can lead to congenital pathologies The child has.

To prevent Negative influence retinol on the child’s body during pregnancy, it is recommended to replenish its reserves even before conception, and already during the period of bearing the baby to maintain it at a sufficient level by eating foods with beta-carotene.

During pregnancy, not only taking synthetic vitamin preparations orally, but also external method Taking vitamin A in the form of retinol acetate or retinol palmitate may be unsafe. You should use medicinal cosmetics with retinol with caution (for example, Retin-A cream, prescribed for the treatment of acne, should not be used during pregnancy). In addition, expectant mothers are contraindicated in taking fish oil, 100 grams of which contain 57,000 IU of retinol.

Vitamin A increases the risk of lung cancer in smokers. This became known after a large-scale study conducted by doctors from the University of North Carolina: more than 77 thousand people over the age of 50 regularly took vitamin A supplements for about 4 years. As a result, it was found that retinol and beta-carotene, even in moderate doses, increase The risk of cancer in smokers is one and a half times. At the same time, vitamins were previously positioned as a means of cancer prevention.

Scientists have found that an overdose of vitamin A leads to the destruction of liver cells. Due to the toxic effects of retinol healthy cells organs are reborn into adipose tissue, and fatty liver hepatosis develops, especially in men and women with diabetes mellitus. At long-term storage symptoms of fatty hepatosis is complicated by cirrhosis of the liver.

On a note

The use of vitamin A in parallel with certain medicines may be dangerous. In particular, we're talking about about tetracycline antibiotics and anticoagulants. Simultaneous use tetracyclines and preparations with retinol leads to intracranial hypertension– increased intracranial pressure. In combination with anticoagulants, such as Heparin, Warfarin or Phenylin, vitamin A increases the risk of bleeding.

In conclusion, a short summary: for many people, the words “vitamins” and “health” are links in the same associative chain. But the principle “the more the merrier” in the case of vitamin A can play a very important role. cruel joke. Vitamin A in the form of pharmaceutical preparations should be taken only in case of its deficiency, and the therapeutic dose should be determined by a doctor, because uncontrolled use of retinol preparations can be simply dangerous.

Be healthy!

Interesting video about vitamin A, its benefits and possible harm to human health

The dangers of hypervitaminosis...

If a person lacks vitamin A, a number of health problems arise. back side medals - an overdose of vitamin A, which is very dangerous at any age.

Similar situation It occurs rarely, but hypervitaminosis A does occur.

Sources of retinol (vitamin A) include liver, fish roe and fat, as well as organ meats, dairy products and eggs. If you eat too much of these foods, retinol will begin to accumulate in the liver. In plants (carrots, tomatoes, bell pepper etc.) contains carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, which almost never causes poisoning, since it is easily absorbed and quickly eliminated from the body.

Foods containing vitamin A

Vitamin A overdose is characterized by a number of clinical signs:

  • increase in liver size;
  • inflammation of the cornea of ​​the eye;
  • development " night blindness»;
  • vomiting and nausea, and sometimes diarrhea;
  • yellowness of the palms and feet, mucous membranes;
  • dryness and flaking of the skin;
  • hair loss, brittle nails;
  • facial skin hyperemia;
  • Women may experience disruption of the menstrual cycle and problems with the reproductive system;
  • lack of appetite;
  • drowsiness, irritability, weakness and lethargy;
  • headache;
  • decreased erection and libido in males;
  • loss of skin sensitivity.

In addition to the listed symptoms, an unsteady gait, convulsions and tachycardia may appear, severe dizziness, decrease blood pressure. It is important to note that bone fragility increases, and this is fraught with fractures.

During pregnancy, such hypervitaminosis leads to pathologies of fetal development, so special diet therapy cannot be avoided. The diet should be dominated by a lot of vegetables and fruits, and the amount of fatty animal foods should be reduced.

The main danger of retinol overdose in children is that hydrocephalus develops. In babies under one year of age, the fontanel bulges. Older children experience headaches, fever, and agitation. The situation requires urgent medical attention.

Video

The main causes of vitamin A overdose

Why there may be an excess in the body of this vitamin? Acute hypervitaminosis develops due to a one-time excess permissible dosage, which provokes a bright, sharp clinical picture. Sometimes it occurs chronic form poisoning when retinol accumulates in the body due to systematic, prolonged use. Chronic overdose has less pronounced manifestations, but causes no less harm and damage, and its consequences can be very serious.

Provoking factors:

  • simultaneous intake of vitamin A and food that is rich in retinol;
  • excessive consumption of eggs, liver and other offal;
  • independent and uncontrolled increase in dosage multivitamin complex purchased at a pharmacy;
  • taking suspicious dietary supplements;
  • high sensitivity to retinol, which causes an allergic reaction;
  • individual intolerance to the component, which is accompanied by metabolic disorders.

It is important to avoid self-medication and take any medications only as prescribed by your doctor.

Vitamin A dosage

As for the daily requirement of retinol, for adults it is on average 700-900 mcg (0.7-0.9 milligrams), and for children - about 350-800 mcg (0.35-0.8 milligrams). The maximum permissible daily dose of the drug for adults is 3000 mcg (3 milligrams). Exceeding the specified dose leads to poisoning with severe complications.

Remember: for severe physical activity, infectious and chronic diseases, stress and mental tension, the need for retinol increases significantly. The vitamin intake also increases during pregnancy, since most active ingredients redirected to the full development of the fetus.

What to do if you overdose on retinol

If there is a suspicion of acute intoxication vitamin A, it is important to urgently induce vomiting and rinse the victim’s stomach. These steps can be performed even at home. After this, be sure to drink Activated carbon. To do this, you will need about ten tablets, which should be crushed and dissolved in 200 milliliters of water. You can use any other sorbent (Lactofiltrum, excellent sorbent Enterosgel, Polyphepan, etc.).

If in home medicine cabinet There are hepatoprotectors (Heptral, Essentiale, Karsil, etc.), you need to give a tablet of one of these drugs to the victim.

Taking magnesium sulfate (a saline laxative) will speed up the removal of excess retinol from the digestive tract.

If, after gastric lavage, diarrhea and vomiting persist, and convulsions occur, then you should immediately call “ ambulance».

Further therapeutic measures carried out by a doctor: 5 ml of solution is injected intravenously or intramuscularly ascorbic acid. In some cases, glucocorticosteroids are used - Prednisolone, Dexamethasone.

Treatment of chronic overdose involves the use of measures intensive care in a hospital setting.

Possible consequences of hypervitaminosis A

Acute overdose of the drug usually does not cause severe consequences. Leads to them chronic intoxication, which develops with a long course of treatment with high doses of retinol.

These consequences include:

  • liver failure;
  • renal failure;
  • acute pancreatitis;
  • in children - increased intracranial pressure, hydrocephalus;
  • among women - hormonal imbalance with menstrual irregularities;
  • V severe cases- coma and death.

Conclusion

The use of high doses of vitamin A without a doctor's prescription is unacceptable. Frequent and large quantities of animal products containing retinol can lead to poisoning. Plant food, rich in carotene, you can eat without restrictions, however, if yellow discoloration of the skin appears on the palms and soles, you should temporarily exclude these products from your diet.

For normal functioning, a person needs a rich set of vitamins. One of them is retinol, better known as vitamin A. Its importance for the body is enormous, since it is involved in a huge number internal processes. By its structure, this substance is fat-soluble and can accumulate in the body. At the same time, an overdose of vitamin A is much more dangerous phenomenon rather than its lack.

Why does overdose occur and its symptoms.

As a rule, an excess of vitamin A is sufficient rare condition, which is extremely difficult to provoke only by eating food, since the content of this substance in food is not so high. Excess vitamin A occurs when consuming large doses synthetic analogue, several times higher than the daily norm of 0.5–0.9 mg, depending on the gender and age of the person.

In this case, hypervitaminosis can be chronic, caused by long-term use, or acute.

Define similar condition quite simple, since it is accompanied big amount negative signs. Vitamin A overdose has the following symptoms:

  • increased peeling of the skin;
  • headache;
  • joint pain;
  • nausea;
  • weakness;
  • disruption of the digestive system;

Manifestation similar symptoms An overdose of vitamin A makes it possible to promptly determine the degree of its excess and take appropriate measures, and begin treatment on time.

Briefly about vitamin A, its benefits and overdose, on video:

The danger of excess and its treatment.

The danger of vitamin A, or rather its overdose, lies not only in the formation of several negative factors. Long-term use large doses of the substance have a toxic effect on the body, leading to various kinds disorders such as blurred vision, an increase in the size of the spleen, changes in the structure of the liver and others.

An excess of this element during pregnancy is especially dangerous, since it has bad influence on the formation and development of the fetus.

At acute poisoning vitamin A must be taken emergency measures: induce vomiting, rinse the stomach and call an ambulance immediately. The patient will then be treated in a hospital, which usually lasts 3 to 5 days.

As for chronic condition, then the situation here is much more complicated, since long-term exposure to increased doses does not pass without leaving a trace. To normalize the functioning of the body, it will take time, during which you should completely review your diet, eliminating from it all foods containing vitamin A. Your doctor or nutritionist will help you figure out the menu and foods that can be taken and which cannot.