Harvested Health

Vitamin A what's the deal?
Dr. Jodi's Health Corner

Let's talk about Vitamin A...and the nutritional relationships it's responsible for inside the body.

Vitamin A is often thought of as the "vision vitamin," and yes...it absolutely plays a critical role in healthy eyesight. But that's only one of the many jobs it performs.

Vitamin A is also involved in:

• Maintaining healthy skin and mucous membranes
• Skin remodeling and repair
• Normal bone growth and development
• Supporting the integrity of cell membranes and nerve tissue
• Assisting with adrenal hormone production
• Supporting normal thyroid function
• Helping with red blood cell production
• Supporting a healthy immune response
• Cellular differentiation and gene expression (basically helping cells know what they're supposed to become when they grow up )

What is Hypovitaminosis A?

That's simply the fancy medical term for Vitamin A deficiency.

Some recognized signs include:

• Night blindness
• Xerophthalmia (dryness of the conjunctiva and cornea)
• Bitot's spots
• Rough, bumpy skin from follicular hyperkeratosis
• During pregnancy, significant deficiency can interfere with normal fetal growth, including bone and tooth development.

What is Hypervitaminosis A?

This means too much Vitamin A, usually from excessive supplementation rather than food sources.

Possible symptoms may include:
• Joint pain
• Bone loss and increased fracture risk with chronic excess
• Muscle weakness
• Irritability or restlessness
• Fatigue
• Poor appetite
• Headaches and, in severe cases, liver toxicity

Here's where things get interesting...

Our nutrients behave a lot like kids on a playground.

Some are best friends.
Some compete for the same swing.
And a few are downright bullies.

Vitamin A's teammates include Vitamin E, Zinc, Vitamin C, and several B vitamins.

The fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) all depend on similar absorption and transport systems, so balance matters. Chronically excessive preformed Vitamin A has been associated with increased bone resorption and increased fracture risk, while Vitamin D supports calcium absorption and bone mineralization.

My point?

Nutrition isn't a collection of isolated supplements.

It's an orchestra.

If one section plays too loudly, eventually the whole performance sounds off.

That's why I ask my patients about every supplement bottle they take. I want to know whether there's a beautiful nutritional symphony playing...or a full-contact playground dodgeball tournament happening inside the body.

Sometimes improving health isn't about adding another supplement.
Sometimes it's about restoring balance.

If you take supplements regularly—especially multiple supplements or a multivitamin—when was the last time someone evaluated whether your body actually needs what you're taking?

That's one of the things I love helping people figure out.

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Dr. Jodi Barnett, ND 🫶