In a nutshell
Key sources:
Turkey liver
Beef liver
Carrot
Sweet Potato
Kale
Essential for:
Eyes
Vision
Skin
Teeth
Bones
Immunity
Reproduction
Growth
Anti-aging
Vitamin A
What is vitamin A? It is a fat-soluble vitamin- necessary for healthy eyesight, including color vision and night vision. It is also important for healthy teeth, bones, and skin, immune and reproduction systems, cells growth. This vitamin may play a role in the prevention of certain cancers and cataracts.
Vitamin A is essential for the immune defense of the mucous membrane ...
"A" is essential for the immune defense of the mucous membrane, including the gut and respiratory passages through which the viruses infiltrate into the body. It makes vitamin A especially crucial for the immune defense under coronavirus outbreak.
Vitamin A can repair damaged skin!
Photoaging is the result of the UV radiation impact on our skin. The photoaging effect looks like "natural" aging but is caused by accumulated exposure skin to UV of sunlight. The symptoms of photoaging include wrinkles, pigment spots, and skin "thickness" and appear on skin areas usually exposed to sunlight like face and hands.
A large number of studies have been carried out and have proven that the topical use of vitamin A can "repair" damaged skin. That is why a variety of anti-aging face creams contain forms of this vitamin. However, many people prefer to use natural sources rich with vitamin A and other antioxidants for topical use. In this case, organic cold-pressed Sea Buckthorn oil is top-rated. Sea Buckthorn oil is rich with carotenoids, vitamin E and α-linolenic acid (omega 3).
Forms of the vitamin
Two principal forms of this vitamin are the retinol, such as retinyl acetate (a natural form of the vitamin), and the carotenes, such as beta carotene. Retinol is a true vitamin while carotenoids and carotenes are considered to be provitamins. These provitamins are metabolized in the body into the true vitamin form. This vitamin is fat soluble: exaggerated intake likely to lead to hypervitaminosis.
Vitamin A deficiency
Deficiency of vitamin A is not common in developed countries. Deficiencies can cause blindness, with the first stage being night blindness. Cornea loses its ability to adjust to low light levels. Recurrent conjunctivitis, or inflammation of the eye. Without enough of this vitamin, the body is unable to fight infection properly. Those affected with illnesses have a greater risk of developing serious complications and side effects. Growth and development can be slowed, infertility and other reproductive problems. The following skin problems also are associated with vitamin A deficiency: dry skin, acne and eczema, wrinkles and other signs of aging, skin cancer.
Vitamin A overdose
As this vitamin is stored in the body, it is possible to take too much and lead to overdose. Symptoms include nausea, headache, irritability, loss of appetite, loss of hair, skin peeling. Fatigue, blurry vision, and abdominal tenderness caused by enlarged organs, such as the spleen and liver. Overdose of this vitamin can be fatal. It typically occurs from taking too many vitamin supplements. However, certain food products, such as cod liver oil, may contain large amounts of this vitamin as well and should be used in moderation.
Daily Recommended Intake
Daily Recommended Intake. Healthy individuals aged 14 and older need different doses depending on their gender. Females should get 700 micrograms (μg) and males 900 micrograms (μg) of this vitamin- 3,000 IU (international units of vitamin A equivalent). It is always best to get your vitamins and minerals from natural sources. Retinol (true vitamin) is found in meat sources, while beta-carotene (provitamin) is found in plant sources. Retinol is also available in certain topical creams, such as those to treat acne and anti-aging creams.
Sources of vitamin A
The following foods have high amounts of vitamin A:
• cod liver oil (100g) - 30000 μg of vitamin A equivalent
• turkey liver (100g) -8058 μg of vitamin A equivalent
• beef, pork liver (100g) - 6500 μg of vitamin A equivalent
• chicken liver (100g) - 3296 μg of vitamin A equivalent
• carrots (100g) - 835 μg of vitamin A equivalent
• sweet potato (100g) -709 μg of vitamin A equivalent
• butter (100g) - 684 μg of vitamin A equivalent
• kale (100g) - 681 μg of vitamin A equivalent
• spinach (100g) -469 μg of vitamin A equivalent
Other important sources of Vitamin A:
• pumpkin; pea; broccoli; tomatoes;
• apricot; papaya; mango;
• cheddar cheese; milk;
• eggs.
Why "A"?
Why "A"? This vitamin is labeled "A", not for creative purposes, but simply because it was the first vitamin to be discovered by science. Researchers found that there were other nutrients in food that were important to human health other than proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Elmer McCollum isolated this vitamin in 1912, as did Lafayette Mendel and Thomas Burr Osborne in independently run research in 1913.