Vitamin A Plays An Important Role
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is sometimes referred to as Retinal. Vitamin A is very important for our eyesight in addition to helping our skin look and feel healthy as well as keeping our eyes and mucous membranes moist. Vitamin A also helps to keep our immune system working properly so we can fight illness. It also helps with the process of reproduction. Vitamin A plays a large part in our vision. When we come from a dark room into the light, Vitamin A helps our eyes to adjust. Once again, our moms were right when they told us to eat our carrots so we wouldn't go blind!
1 A Day Vitamins
Benefits and Requirements of Vitamin A
Vitamin A does so many things for our bodies, there are almost too many to mention. In addition to utilizing the proteins you already have in your body; it also helps in the production and development of testosterone. Many women know the way that Vitamin A keeps the skin around the eyes looking healthy and, therefore, get health care creams enriched with Vitamin A. It's also good for keeping our intestinal tracts healthy. It helps our skin to act as a protective barrier against bacteria and viruses. Vitamin A also helps keep our white blood cells strong and healthy.
Vitamin A can be found in retinol, retinoid and cartenoids, which are organic pigments that can be found in many plants. To find out how much Vitamin A you need in your body, you can look for the retinol activity equivalent (RAE). The recommended amount of RAE regarding Vitamin A is 900 for men and 700 for women per day. The daily requirements for Vitamin A will differ from person to person, however. For instance, a grown man is going to require a different amount than a young child or a pregnant woman for that matter. It's best to seek the advice of your doctor to determine the correct amount of RAE for your body.
Vitamin A Sources
There are many excellent food sources where you can get Vitamin A including liver, eggs, and whole milk. Good sources of provitamin A carotenoids are orange fruits and green vegetables. (Remember Mom telling us "eat your vegetables"?) In an effort to keep us healthier, many food manufacturers are fortifying their foods with Vitamin A including pastries, breads, breakfast cereals, cereal grain bars, crackers and other foods. Make sure to read the label on the food item to make sure if they have Vitamin A and, if so, how much. Many people aren't aware that coffee and alcohol will deplete Vitamin A from your body so keep this in mind.