Vitamin A News and Research

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Vitamin A is a nutrient that the body needs in small amounts to function and stay healthy. Vitamin A helps in vision, bone growth, reproduction, growth of epithelium (cells that line the internal and external surfaces of the body), and fighting infections. It is fat-soluble (can dissolve in fats and oils). Vitamin A is found in liver, egg yolks, and whole milk dairy products from animals and in fish oils. It can also be made in the body from a substance found in some fruits and vegetables, such as cantaloupes, carrots, spinach, and sweet potatoes. Vitamin A is being studied in the prevention and treatment of some types of cancer. Also called retinol.

The Role of Vitamin A in the Pathogenesis of Psychiatric Disorders

A group of researchers in Newcastle has been investigating the part that vitamin A plays in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders.

12 Mar 2024

Study Paves the Way to Targeted Treatments for Stargardt Disease

A recent study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry revealed the key to a protein that commonly causes blindness.

5 Apr 2023

Study examines the role of dietary vitamin A in preventing or treating AAP

Consuming a diet rich in vitamin A or its analogs may help prevent children and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) reduce their risk of developing painful pancreas inflammation during chemotherapy treatment.

16 Mar 2023

RXR: A key protein in the balanced production of different blood cells

In the regulation of hematopoietic stem cells—which are the immature stem cells that produce all the blood cell lineages—the cell protein retinoid X receptor (RXR) is an important element.

19 Dec 2022

Tweaking carotenoids found to improve plant growth and increase yield

Manipulating the content of carotenoids, such as ß-carotene, has been found to improve plant growth and increase yield and tolerance to abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity.

8 Mar 2022

Researchers identify a gene that could help improve flavor and shelf-life of tomatoes

Buying tomatoes and other fruits in the grocery store is always a gamble because, however good they look, they are often firm but lack flavor.

26 Oct 2021

New method can efficiently convert plant matter into high-value bioproducts

A team of scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign developed a bioprocess using engineered yeast that completely and efficiently converted plant matter consisting of acetate and xylose into high-value bioproducts.

18 Aug 2021

New sunscreen is coral-safe and offers higher UVB/UVA protection

According to a new study reported in Nature Scientific Reports, Methylene Blue, a century-old medication, can be a very efficient, broad-spectrum UV irradiation protector that absorbs UVA and UVB, repairs ROS and UV irradiation-induced DNA damage, and is safe for coral reefs.

31 May 2021

Scientists engineer probiotic yeast to produce beta-carotene in the guts of mice

Researchers have genetically engineered a probiotic yeast to produce beta-carotene in the guts of laboratory mice. The advance demonstrates the utility of work the researchers have done to detail how a suite of genetic engineering tools can be used to modify the yeast.

13 Apr 2021

Retinoic acid induces synaptic plasticity in the human brain

Neuroscientists agree that a person's brain is constantly changing, rewiring itself and adapting to environmental stimuli. This is how humans learn new things and create memories. This adaptability and malleability is called plasticity.

1 Apr 2021

Researchers produce microalgae biomass with high content of carotenoid pigments

Scientists from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) have successfully produced microalgae biomass that has a high content of carotenoid pigments, which is suitable for the food sector.

9 Feb 2021

Study: Vegan diet has broad effect on children's metabolism

The study concludes that vegan diet has a broad effect on children's metabolism. Serum biomarker levels for vitamins A and D, cholesterol forms and essential amino acids were significantly lower in children on vegan diet compared to age-adjusted omnivores.

22 Jan 2021

Researchers find link between BCO1 enzyme and bad cholesterol level

Carrots are a good source of beta-carotene, which is a precursor of vitamin A. But to get the full health benefits of this superfood, you need an active enzyme to produce this vitamin.

14 Dec 2020

Gene editing technology can introduce diversity, improve nutrition of tomatoes

Whether tomatoes are fresh, cooked, juiced, or sun-dried, they are arguably one of the most multipurpose fruits on Earth.

2 Dec 2020

Scientists discover link between two signaling pathways crucial to growth of colon cancer

In breakthrough colon cancer research, scientists at ChristianaCare's Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute have discovered a link between two key signaling pathways crucial to the development and growth of colon cancer. The study is published today in the journal PLOS ONE.

29 Oct 2020

Plant genetic engineering can help address micronutrient malnutrition

More than two billion people worldwide suffer from micronutrient malnutrition due to deficiencies in minerals and vitamins.

19 Oct 2020

Identifying genetic factors that mitigate the risk of diabetes

A rice-based diet is a traditional food among certain east-Asian population and has ushered in several genomic adaptations that may play a role in obesity.

22 Sep 2020

Novel technique of biofortification converts leaves into nutrient stores

A new collaborative study led by researchers from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) at the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) in Barcelona and the Institute for Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology (IBMCP) in Valencia describes a promising strategy to improve the nutritional benefits of crops.

18 Aug 2020

A new method to fortify shellfish for tackling human nutrient defiiciencies

Cambridge scientists have developed a new way to fortify shellfish to tackle human nutrient deficiencies which cause severe health problems across the world. The team is now working with major seafood manufacturers to further test their microencapsulation technology, or "Vitamin Bullets".

20 Jul 2020