Article: Even if you have enough fat in your diet, you still won’t absorb vitamin A well if you have a medical condition that limits your body’s ability to absorb the fats you eat. Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, disease of the liver or gall bladder, cystic fibrosis, and problems with your pancreas can affect your fat absorption. These will require treatment or additional vitamin A supplementation to get your RDA of vitamin A. How you absorb fat is also decreased if you have had part or all of your stomach removed, such as after certain kinds of weight-loss surgeries. Alcohol can interfere with your body’s ability to absorb vitamin A (and other needed nutrients).Stop drinking alcohol altogether, or limit your alcohol intake to, say, one glass daily to maintain good health and promote vitamin absorption. The prescription medication Orlistat is used to help people lose weight, but because of how it works it can interfere with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamin A. Olestra, a fat substitute sometimes added to food, can cause similar problems. Avoid these if you require a vitamin A supplement. If you are at risk for vitamin A deficiency, speak to your healthcare provider about any medications that you are taking. Some cholesterol medicines called bile acid sequestrants, like cholestyramine and colestipol, can block vitamin A absorption; another kind of cholesterol medicine, called statins, can actually help vitamin A absorption. Omeprazole (Prilosec) is used for heartburn and reflux, and can cause absorption issues, as can the antibiotic Neomycin. Switching to different medicines with your doctor's advice can help. Discuss your medicines and your vitamins with your doctor, to avoid any interactions. Say something like, “My dietician wants me to take a vitamin A supplement. Will that cause any problems with the medicines you prescribe to me?”
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Treat digestive conditions medically. Drink less alcohol. Avoid weight-loss medications. Change your medicines that block vitamin A absorption.