Top Tips: All About Vitamin A
Vitamin A was first discovered by Polish biochemist
Casimir Funk way back in 1912. He termed the word vitamine, which was later given the name
vitamin we know today. Funk was first to discover vitamins as we know them. Since
vitamin A was the first one discovered, it was given the letter “A” in the
title of the vitamin.
Vitamin A is found in natural foods like oranges and yellow fruits. It
can also be found in vegetables like spinach. When found in
vegetables, vitamin A is water soluble, coming in the form of beta carotene. The
beta carotene form of vitamin A may be eliminated from your body through natural
processes, making it a particularly good way to get vitamin A.
The body requires Vitamin A every day to maintain healthy skin
and eyesight health. Many people say carrots
provide enough vitamin A to prevent you from developing night blindness. In fact,
ancient Egyptian doctors prescribed liver during that time, which they said
contained enough vitamin A to avoid night blindness. Vitamin A is also a well known
antioxidant. This makes it perfect to reduce the risk of cancer and slow down the aging process. Along
with these benefits, it helps to maintain a healthy immune system to boot.
To obtain the appropriate absorption of vitamin A, you will also need to consume fat believe it or not. Those
who happen to be on a restricted or low fat diet, may not be getting
sufficient levels of vitamin A from your supplements that they think. To maintain
the proper absorption of vitamin A in your diet, you will need to consume an appropriate
level of protein. Protein combines with vitamin A to make it more potent and to help it move through the entire body.
On a given day, the average person should be consume approximately 5,000 international units, or IU's,
of vitamin A. You may need to consume more or less than this depending on your age or health. As mentioned earlier, perhaps the safest form of vitamin A is beta carotene,
and it can be taken in significantly larger doses. Regardless of your age, you can
feel safe in consuming high amounts of vitamin A if beta carotene is your choice of consumption.
There can be significant problems that develop if you don’t consume enough vitamin A in your diet on a regular basis. You will ultimately end up with a
deficiency. Any deficiency is never good as it can lead to skin
problems, night blindness, and even increased infections. A prolonged
deficiency in vitamin A can elevate your risk for cancer as well. You will
also miss out on any benefits of anti aging that the vitamin might have.
If you have a deficiency you should begin taking it immediately. However, the effects
wouldn’t be the same as they would be if you maintained the appropriate
amount on a daily basis.
But, if you are getting too much vitamin A, you’ll put yourself at
risk for pain in your abdomen, joints, and bones. Even though too much or
not enough can cause you serious side effects, you should always get the right
amount in your diet. Vitamin A is very important, and should always be included
in your diet. You can find it in many foods, or take supplements that include
the well needed vitamin. If you are going to take supplements, make
sure that they provide the right amounts. As with any supplement, balance is key.
