The human body requires Vitamin A to maintain healthy skin and good eyesight. First discovered in 1912 by a polish biochemist named Casimir Funk, he called it vitamine . He was the first to discover vitamins as we call them today. Vitamin A was the first one discovered hence the letter A in the title.
Vitamin A is found in natural foods like oranges, yellow fruits, vegetables, spinach and fats. Vitamin A in vegetables is water soluble and comes in the form of Beta Carotene. Beta Carotene is used up in the body by natural processes.
Every day the body requires Vitamin A to maintain healthy skin and good eyesight. Carrots provide a good source for vitamin A and prevents you from getting night blindness. Also known as an antioxidant, it prevents cancer and helps the immune system.
Consuming fat helps with absorbing vitamin A. For people who are on restricted diet or low fat, they may not be getting the right amount of vitamin A from the supplement that they take. To get maximum absorption of A vitamins in your diet, you will need to add a high level of protein to your diet. Protein combined with A vitamin make it stronger and helps it move through the body smoothly.
On a daily basis one should be consuming around 5000 international units (IU) of vitamin A. The most important source of vitamin A is Beta Carotene as mentioned above, and you can consume this in much larger doses no matter what your age may be.
Not having enough A vitamin in your daily diet will mean you can end up with a defficiency which is not a good thing. This can result in skin problems, increased infections and even night blindness. A prolonged defficiency in A vitamin can cause risks of cancer. Vitamin A also has anti ageing benefits.
Too much Vitamin A is also not so good as it can lead to oain in joints, abdomen and bones. So you should always get the right amount.
Vitamin A is an essential part of your daily diet and you should find it in many food or supplements. If you are taking supplements, make sure that they provide the right amounts with no side effects.