Palmitate

Palmitate: An antioxidant and a vitamin A compound that is added to low-fat and fat-free milk to replace the vitamin content lost through the removal of milk fat. Palmitate (more formally known as retinyl palmitate) contains palmitic acid, a 16-carbon saturated fatty acid, which is the major fatty acid found in palm oil.

• The palmitic acid is attached to the alcohol form of vitamin A, called retinol, to make vitamin A stable in milk. The name “palmitate” comes from the French “palmitique” from palmite, the pith of the palm tree.

Contents

• Uses
• Other names
• References

Uses

• Vitamin A deficiency: Taking vitamin A by mouth is effective for preventing and treating symptoms of vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency can occur in people with protein deficiency, diabetes, over-active thyroid, fever, liver disease, cystic fibrosis, or an inherited disorder called abetalipoproteinemia.
• Breast cancer: Premenopausal women with a family history of breast cancer who consume high levels of vitamin A in their diet seem to have reduced risk of developing breast cancer. It is not known if taking vitamin A supplements has the same benefit.
• Cataracts: Research suggests that high intake of vitamin A in the diet is linked to a lower risk of developing cataracts.
• Diarrhea related to HIV: Taking vitamin A along with conventional medicines seems to decrease the risk of death from diarrhea in HIV-positive children with vitamin A deficiency.
• Malaria: Taking vitamin A by mouth seems to decrease malaria symptoms in children less than 3 years-old living in areas where malaria is common.
• Measles: Taking vitamin A by mouth seems to reduce the risk of measles complications or death in children with measles and vitamin A deficiency.
• Precancerous lesions in the mouth (oral leukoplakia): Research suggests that taking vitamin A can help treat precancerous lesions in the mouth.
• Recovery from laser eye surgery (photoreactive keratectomy): Taking vitamin A by mouth along with vitamin E seems to improve healing after laser eye surgery.
• Complications after pregnancy: Taking vitamin A seems to reduce the risk of diarrhea and fever after pregnancy in malnourished women.
• Complications during pregnancy: Taking vitamin A by mouth seems to reduce the risk of death and night blindness during pregnancy in malnourished women.
• Eye disease affecting the retina (retinitis pigmentosa): Research suggests that taking vitamin A can slow the progression of an eye disease that causes damage to the retina.

Other Names

3-Dehydroretinol, 3-Déhydrorétinol, Acétate de Rétinol, Antixerophthalmic Vitamin, Axerophtholum, Dehydroretinol, Déhydrorétinol, Fat-Soluble Vitamin, Oleovitamin A, Palmitate de Rétinol, Retinoids, Rétinoïdes, Retinol, Rétinol, Retinol Acetate, Retinol Palmitate, Retinyl Acetate, Rétinyl Acétate, Retinyl Palmitate, Rétinyl Palmitate, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin A1, Vitamin A2, Vitamina A, Vitamine A, Vitamine A1, Vitamine A2, Vitamine Liposoluble, Vitaminum A.

References

• Source: www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=22378
• Source: WebMD, “Vitamin A”, http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/

See Also: Vitamin A