Vitamin A (Retinol)

Carotenoids and vitamin A

Vitamin A is an fat-soluble antioxidant vitamin that accumulates in the liver. This vitamin is essential for growth and development, helps to maintain good vision, protects the body against infection and improves skin health^{1, 2}. It also plays a key role in the reproductive system, cell functions and immune system².

We can obtain two types of vitamin A from food: preformed vitamin A (retinol, retinyl ester, retinal, 3-dehydroretinol and retinoic acid) of animal origin, or provitamin A carotenoids, which are found in fruit and vegetables³.

Carotenoids are pigments synthesised by algae, plants and photosynthetic bacteria. There are more than 600 types, and human beings acquire them through diet. Carotenoids include those known as provitamin A carotenoids (α-carotene, β-carotene and β-cryptoxanthin), which are converted to retinol in the liver⁴. Provitamin A also has the advantage of converting to vitamin A only when the body needs it, avoiding any toxicity from consuming too much vitamin A.

Vitamin A is necessary for the development and maintenance of several tissues, including the skin and hair. Vitamin A has been found to induce the anagen, or hair growth, phase⁵. Vitamin A also helps to maintain healthy looking skin: retinol applied topically helps to decrease the effects of photoaging⁶, and one study has demonstrated the efficacy of administering vitamin A orally to treat sun-damaged skin⁷.

What is dunaliella?

Dunaliella (Dunaliella salina (Dunal) Teodoresco) is a green algae that tolerates high concentrations of salt. This algae contains carotenoids, primarily β-carotene (90% of the total carotenes) and also lutein (5%). When subjected to stress conditions, it can also hold large amounts of β-carotene in its chloroplasts (up to 40% of its dry weight)⁸.

Our product: Dry extract of dunaliella algae standardised to contain 30% β-carotenes.

Scientific name: Dunaliella salina (Dunal) Teodoresco

Part used: Whole algae