Evidence supporting the use of: Vitamin A (vitamin A Palmitate)
For the health condition: Night Blindness

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Synopsis

Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 5

Vitamin A (in forms such as vitamin A palmitate) has strong scientific validation for its use in supporting and treating night blindness (nyctalopia). Night blindness is often caused by a deficiency of vitamin A, which is essential for the formation of rhodopsin, a light-sensitive pigment in the retina necessary for vision in low-light conditions. When vitamin A levels are insufficient, the production of rhodopsin is impaired, leading to difficulty seeing in dim light.

Numerous clinical and epidemiological studies have demonstrated that vitamin A supplementation can reverse night blindness caused by deficiency. For example, research in populations with endemic vitamin A deficiency has shown significant improvements in night vision after supplementation. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends vitamin A supplementation as a primary intervention for preventing and treating night blindness, particularly in children and pregnant women at risk of deficiency.

The mechanism is well understood at the molecular level: vitamin A (retinol) is converted in the retina to 11-cis-retinal, which combines with opsin proteins to form rhodopsin. This process is essential for the phototransduction cascade that enables vision in low-light environments. Thus, the use of vitamin A for night blindness is grounded in both historical clinical practice and robust modern scientific evidence.

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