Lack of vitamin could lead to lowered immunity in children

School-age kids who do not get enough vitamin A are more likely to get sick with gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses, the Journal of Nutrition found. The study followed nearly 2,800 children, ages 5-12 over the course of a year in the US.

Researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and Michigan State University found that children with less vitamin A in their blood got sick more often with diarrhoea, vomiting, cough, and fever. 'No study had estimated the potential role of vitamin A alone in children between 5 and 12 age group,' said Dr Eduardo Villamor, senior author of the study.

Researchers said more research is needed to determine if vitamin A supplementation can reduce the risk or severity of infection in older children. The researchers also studied other micro-nutrients that are important to the immune system, including zinc, iron, folate and vitamin B12. But only vitamin A was related to illness. The study found that for every 10 micrograms per decilitre of vitamin A present in the blood, children experienced 18 per cent fewer days with diarrhoea and vomiting, 10 per cent fewer days of cough and fever, and 6 per cent fewer visits to the doctor. Read about the benefits of Vitamin A

Villamor said the effects of vitamin A could vary in different countries due to differences in diet and the microorganisms that cause illness. 'The age and possibly sex of children could also be factors,' he said. However, he added that it's uncertain whether giving children vitamin A pills will be an easy solution.

Five foods rich in Vitamin A

Green leafy vegetables: Veggies like spinach, broccoli, kale, etc are all great sources of vitamin A. A good way to consume them is by making a healthy broth of all of these together and drinking it in the morning. This can be your power drink of the day to energise you and also keep you healthy. It works for your skin and hair too. Read how to juice vegetables.

Carrots: You must have heard your mum asking you to eat carrots for your eyes. This is because even a single, small carrot has enough vitamin A to fulfil your daily intake. They are one of the best sources to get vitamin A. Eat them raw or add to a salad or make vegetable juice the choice is yours but eat at least one every day. Still not convinced? Read 10 reasons to eat carrots.

Pumpkin: A 100g serving of pumpkin can give you 170% of your daily vitamin A intake. It contains alpha-carotene and beta-carotene which are forms of vitamin A. These not only increase immunity but also help in skin cell renewal keeping signs of ageing at bay. Try making a healthy pumpkin apple soup.

Sweet potato: Called shakkarkand in Hindi, sweet potato is enjoyed as a snack especially during winters. The vegetable is an excellent source of vitamin A one sweet potato is enough to give you your daily vitamin A intake. It has beta-carotene which will protect you from free radical damage.

Dried apricots: Compared to the foods mentioned above, dried apricots have lesser amounts of vitamin A content. Nevertheless, they are a substantially rich source. They too have carotenoids and antioxidants and a handful of these give about 50% of daily vitamin A requirement.

With inputs by Kriti Saraswat

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Source: PTI