Question

Which vitamin deficiency may cause night blindness?
1. Vitamin K
2. Vitamin E
3. Vitamin C
4. Vitamin A

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 4 : Vitamin A

The correct answer is Vitamin A.

• Night blindness is one of the first signs of vitamin A deficiency.
• In its more severe forms, vitamin A deficiency contributes to blindness by making the cornea very dry, thus damaging the retina and cornea.

• Vitamin A
  • It is an important micronutrient that is obtained from different food sources such as carrots, spinach, milk, egg, liver, and fish.
  • It is required for normal vision, reproduction, growth, and the healthy immune system of an individual.
  • Most children below five years of age suffer from xerophthalmia, a serious eye disorder, in which the child is at risk of becoming blind.
  • Vitamin A deficiency in a pregnant woman can lead to complications during pregnancy and childbirth. 
  • It is fat-soluble.  

Types of Vitamins	Deficiency Diseases	Good Sources
A (Retinol)	Night blindness	liver, cod liver oil, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, butter, kale, spinach, pumpkins, collard greens, some cheeses, eggs, apricots, cantaloupe melon, and milk.
B1 (Thiamine)	Beri-beri	yeast, pork, cereal grains, sunflower seeds, brown rice, whole grain rye, asparagus, kale, cauliflower, potatoes, oranges, liver, and eggs.
B2 (Riboflavin)	Retarded growth, bad skin	asparagus, bananas, persimmons, okra, chard, cottage cheese, milk, yogurt, meat, eggs, fish, and green beans.
B12 (Cyanocobalamin)	Anemia	fish, shellfish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk and other dairy products, fortified cereals, fortified soy products, and fortified nutritional yeast.
C (Ascorbic acid)	Scurvy	fruit and vegetables, but cooking destroys vitamin C
D (Calciferol)	Rickets	Exposure to UVB rays from the sun or other sources causes the body to produce vitamin D. Fatty fish, eggs, beef liver, and mushrooms also contain the vitamin.
Vitamin E  (tocopherol, tocotrienol)	This is rare, hemolytic anemia in newborns (destroys blood cells.)	wheat germ, kiwis, almonds, eggs, nuts, leafy greens, and vegetable oils.
K (Phylloquinone)	Excessive bleeding due to injury	natto, leafy greens, pumpkins, figs, and parsley