Who Needs Vitamin A?

Vitamin A is required by the human body on a daily basis, and is involved in maintaining healthy skin and good vision. The old wive’s tale about carrots being good for your eyes actually contains some truth. Carrots are high in Vitamin A, and there are still many people who claim that carrots provide enough vitamin A to prevent night blindness. Even in ancient Egypt, doctors are known to have prescribed liver for the same reason, as liver is very high in Vitamin A as well.

Vitamin A is also known as an antioxidant, a very important feature. Antioxodants have been proven to scavenge ion our bodies for ‘free radicals,’ damaged and deprived molecules which cause havoc to your health and immuse system, and in the long term cause diseases such as cancers. Vitamin A and other vitamins are extremely helpful in fighting free radicals, and thus in helping to prevent cancer and fight aging. Along with these benefits, Vitamin A helps your immune system as well.

Food sources for Vitamin A include fruits such as oranges and other orange and yellow fruits, as well as green and yellow vegetables, including spinach (high in many vitamins), and in fats. When found in vegetables, vitamin A is soluble in water, in the form of beta carotene. The beta carotene form of vitamin A can be eliminated from your body through natural processes, making it an excellent form of vitamin A.

To get the proper absorption of vitamin A, you’ll need to consume fat. Those of you who happen to be a low fat diet or just can not get adequate amounts of vitamin A supplements that you may think. To get the proper absorption of vitamin A in your diet, you will need to consume high levels of protein. Protein combines with vitamin A to make it stronger and help it move through your body.

On a typical day, experts say an adult should consume approximately 5,000 international units (IU) of vitamin A. Depending on your health and your age, of course, you may need to consume more or less. The surest way to vitamin A is beta carotene as mentioned above, and this is a safe way as well as you cannot overdose on healthy vegetables.

If you do not consume enough vitamin A in your diet, you end up with a deficiency. This usually results in skin problems, increased risk of infection, and possibly even impaired vision, especially at night. A prolonged deficiency of vitamin A can increase your risk for various cancers as well. Although you should begin to consume Vitamin A immediately if you have a deficiency, the effects would not be the same if it was up to date with the correct amount on the day to day – it will take time to correct the imbalance, and damage done may never be fully repaired.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you’re getting too much vitamin A, you place yourself at risk for joint pain and discomfort in other areas, such as the abdomen. Ensure you take a vitamin supplement with optimal amounts of quality Vitamin A if you feel your diet may be deficient in this important nutrient.

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