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What Kind of Vitamin Helps to Maintain Epithelial Cells?

Epithelial cells create your epithelial tissue. Your skin and mucous membranes are made up of epithelial tissue. Retinol (an alcohol) and retinal (an aldehyde) are often referred to as pre-formed vitamin A and are a significant part of your diet for the health of your skin and internal organs. Understanding the function, amount and forms of Vitamin A helps plan a diet that maintains healthy epithelial tissue.

  1. Significance

    • Your skin is made up of epithelial cells. They are also located in the lining of your hollow organs, according to the Mayo Clinic. Epithelial tissue is found in your lungs, digestive tract, urinary tract, reproductive organs, eyes and skin. Vitamin A is an important source of nutrition for maintaining healthy epithelial tissue everywhere in your body.

    Function

    • Vitamin A (retinol or retinal) works on epithelial cells in several ways. The vitamin acts as a barrier against bacteria. Retinol helps heal wounds by inhibiting cell migration and proliferation, according to Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. Vitamin A also keeps epithelial cells producing and excreting mucous, which keeps your organs healthy and your eyes and skin lubricated.

    Food

    • Cooked carrots help maintain epithelial cell health.

      Improve and maintain the health of epithelial cells by increasing Vitamin A intake in your diet. Add more liver, meat, eggs and dairy products to your meals. The University of Colorado states that Vitamin A is present in many animal tissues, and is readily absorbed. Liver is the richest dietary source of vitamin A. Most vegetables and fruits do not contain Vitamin A but orange-colored produce is an excellent source of retinol because the carotenoids are converted to retinol during digestion. Oranges, papaya, mango, pumpkin and carrot all contain significant levels of carotenoids. According to the Merck Manual, the retinol will be absorbed better if they vegetables are cooked and served with oil.

    Supplements

    • The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) is the average daily intake level of a nutrient for healthy individuals. Vitamin A has an RDA of 300 to 900 mcg (micrograms) per day. The amount depends on a person's age and gender. Small children require less, men require more. The most common types of Vitamin A in supplemental form are retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate and beta-carotene, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Vitamin A supplements are available as pills, capsules and in liquid form.

    Warning

    • Do not take more than the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin A unless your health care practitioner has prescribed a higher dosage. Hypervitaminosis A is a condition caused by taking too much Vitamin A. Although rare, Vitamin A toxicity can cause flu-like symptoms, nausea, headaches, fatigue, dry skin and swelling of the brain.

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