One of the most common signs of a lack of vitamin A is night blindness—your eyes have trouble adjusting to dim lights. The ancient Egyptians saw they could treat this by eating liver. Vitamin A was then discovered thousands of years later by two research teams in the early 1900s. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored in the fat tissues until your body needs it. Vitamin A comes in two forms: Retinol and Beta-carotene. Your body then converts Beta-carotene into Vitamin A. There are many benefits to taking vitamin A. It protects against cancer by stopping the growth of DNA in cancerous cells so they can’t reproduce. Vitamin A improves your vision; immune system by keeping cells and membranes healthy and moist so bacteria can’t grow; healthy skin, and reducing risk of heart disease.
What happens if you don’t get enough? In developing countries many children have become blind because of a vitamin A deficiency. One of the first signs of a vitamin A deficiency is not being able to see in the dark. If left untreated, a person can become blind. If you don’t get enough vitamin A, you can have a weakened immune system. This is mostly found in those who are malnourished, the elderly, and those who are always sick. Other signs of not getting enough vitamin A are dry skin, dry hair, broken nails.
It is recommended that women get at least 800mcg and men get at least 1000mcg of vitamin A each day. The best way to get the proper amounts of vitamin A is through food. There are many natural sources of vitamin A. Retinol comes from animal products and beta-carotene comes from fruits and vegetables. It can be found in yellow, orange, and green leafy vegetables (carrots, broccoli, pumpkin, peas, and squash), fruits (apricots, mango, and cantaloupe) meats, dairy, and eggs. Many foods are now being fortified with vitamin A. If you do not think you are getting enough vitamin A, a multivitamin is a good way to make sure you are getting the amount of vitamin A that you need. They fill in the gap with any vitamin you may be missing in your diet. Even with proper meal planning you can still be missing certain vitamins. Multivitamins contain the proper amount of the vitamins and minerals your body needs daily. Most of the vitamins are water soluble, so they will be flushed through your system.
Vitamin A has many benefits, especially for pregnant women. One of the biggest and most important benefits is embryonic development. This includes cell growth of the eyes and heart, healthy skin, infection resistance, and bone growth. It is important for pregnant and breast feeding women to get enough vitamin A early on the throughout the pregnancy because it is difficult to make-up vitamin A deficiencies once the baby has been born and later in life. Vitamin A also helps women recover after pregnancy, so keep taking vitamin A.
Vitamin A has many benefits. It helps our body work. By eating a well balanced diet for meats, eggs, and fruits and vegetables, you will get the proper amount to keep your eye sight healthy.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://articlepile.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites