Vitamin A

Vitamin A is famously known as a vision enhancing nutrient. This nutrient was first isolated in 1930, and is the first fat-soluble vitamin to be discovered.

How is Vitamin A acquired?

Your body acquires some of it's vitamin A from animal fats. Another way your body acquires vitamin A is synthesizing it in the intestines from the beta carotene as well as other carotenoids which can easily be found in some fruits and vegetables.

Most of the Vitamin A is stored in your liver, while small amounts can also be found in most of your body tissues which is in chemical form called retinoid.

What are the benefits of vitamin A?

Vitamin A can benefit you by:

	Maintaining healthy eye site.
	Improving your body' s resistance to different types of infections.
	Maintaining healthy skin.
	Maintaining healthy mucous membranes.
	Maintaining other surface linings such as the intestinal tract and urinary tract and respiratory tract.
	Improves the fighting of infection' s actions of the lymphocytes.
	Important for bone growth.
	Important for cell division.
	Important for human reproduction.

Recommended Intake of Vitamin A:

The RDA is for men is 5,000 IU daily.
The RDA is for women is 4,000 IU daily.

How can low levels of Vitamin A affect me?

Low levels of this vitamin can affect you by:

	Reducing resistance to infections in your body.
	Developing flaky scalp.
	Lack of vitamin A can contribute to heavy or prolonged menstrual periods.
	Risk of night blindness.
	Risk of total blindness.

How can excessive levels of vitamin A affect me?

Please note that it is almost impossible to get too much of this vitamin from natural foods. Excessive levels of this nutrient usually comes from taking supplements that contain "performed" vitamin A. Excessive levels from vitamin A can cause some very serious health problems.

Toxicity of this vitamin include symptoms of:

	Dry and cracked skin.
	Brittle nails.
	Hair loss (excessive).
	bleeding gums.
	nausea and fatigue.
	weight loss.

Other cautions you should know:

Never take vitamin A with acne drugs such as isotretinoin. This could lead to high levels of vitamin A in your blood, which in turn could lead to some serious health risks.

Don't take more than 5,000 IU of vitamin A daily during pregnancy. Amounts over this level could lead to birth defects. It is recommended to use birth control when consuming doses greater than 5,000 IU. Please continue to use birth control for no less than a month more from the time you have also stopped taking that level of dosage. 

How much vitamin A is too much?
Great question. Too much of this vitamin can lead to
some seriouse side effects.

Why is vitamin A important?
Vitamin A is very important for maintaining
healthy cell structures in your eyes.