Tag: Retinol binding protein

According to the World Health Organization, up to 500,000 vitamin A-deficient children become blind each year, a problem often linked to coexisting zinc deficiency. While the common misconception is that zinc aids the initial absorption of vitamin A, its critical role lies in helping the body mobilize and utilize this essential nutrient after it is stored in the liver.

According to the National Institutes of Health, vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that requires fat for proper absorption and transport throughout the body. This physiological fact makes dietary fat and specific transport proteins the most effective carriers of vitamin A, orchestrating its journey from your food to your cells.

According to the World Health Organization, millions of children suffer from vitamin A deficiency globally, highlighting the importance of its efficient delivery throughout the body. The crucial protein responsible for the systemic transport of this vital nutrient is the retinol-binding protein (RBP), ensuring that vitamin A reaches the tissues that need it most.

Over 70% of the body's total vitamin A reserves are stored in the liver, serving as a critical buffer against dietary inconsistencies. The complex system governing the storage and transport of vitamin A ensures a stable supply of this essential fat-soluble nutrient to all tissues for vision, immune function, and gene regulation.

The liver stores approximately 70% of the body's total vitamin A reserves. From this hepatic storage, a specific protein carries vitamin A, specifically retinol, through the bloodstream to prevent its degradation and deliver it efficiently to other tissues.

With a very short half-life of approximately 10-12 hours, Retinol-Binding Protein (RBP) is a dynamic protein that plays a crucial role in nutrient transport. Understanding what is RBP in nutrition reveals a core mechanism for how the body manages its supply of the essential fat-soluble vitamin, A.

In humans, approximately 70% of the body's vitamin A reserves are stored in the liver. The vital role of the retinol-binding protein is to mobilize and transport this stored vitamin A, known as retinol, from the liver to peripheral tissues, ensuring a steady supply for critical physiological processes.