What is the
importance of vitamin A?
Vitamin A, a
fat-soluble vitamin, plays essential
roles in vision, growth, and
development; the development and
maintenance of healthy skin, hair,
and mucous membranes; immune
functions; and reproduction.
IMPORTANT
NOTE: Fat soluble
vitamins do not leave your body if
you take too much. It is possible to
overdose on vitamin A and
become very ill. Please watch
dosages carefully. Never give
children vitamin A unless
your health care practitioner
recommends it. (Vitamin A in
a children's multi vitamin is OK)
How do you know
if you need more Vitamin A?
Prolonged deficiency
of vitamin A may result in
inflammation of the eyes, poor
vision, and night blindness. There
is an increased susceptibility to
infections, especially of the
respiratory tract, in the form of
frequent and prolonged common colds.
Vitamin A deficiency may lead to
lack of appetite and vigor,
defective teeth and gums, skin
disorders such as
acne, boils and premature
wrinkles. When vitamin A is present
in insufficient amounts, the mucous
membranes of the nose, throat and
mouth, the bronchial tubes, lungs,
intestinal tract, kidneys and vagina
are greatly affected. Eventually the
mucous membranes of the entire body
lose their ability to secrete the
normal quantities of mucus needed to
protect them from irritation, and
the body degenerates rapidly. Other
deficiency symptoms include retarded
growth in children, dry and dull
hair, dandruff, excessive
hair loss,
ridged nails, and a poor sense
of taste and smell.
If you don't
get enough Vitamin A, you are more
susceptible to infectious diseases
and vision problems. However, large
doses of Vitamin A can be toxic.
Large doses
can also cause abnormal fetal
development in pregnant women.
How much vitamin A do you
need?It is impossible for anyone to tell
you how much of any particular
vitamin you need. We have read many
articles and reports on this subject
and no two are alike. There are too
many variables involved. Your age,
your height and weight, your health
and lifestyle, etc. The best way for
you to decide which supplements you
need is to read these pages and make
note of any health problems you may
be having which could be associated
with a vitamin deficiency. Then
start taking a small dose. If your
symptoms don't go away after a week
or two, increase your dosage.
Continue this until your symptoms
are relieved and stay with that
dosage.Guideline is for a 150
pound adult:
- Men: 10,000 - 25000 IU
- Women: 10,000 - 25000 IU
Do not take Vitamin A for
extended periods of time. Every
other day for 2 weeks then a week
off is recommended. Take time to
notice if your dosage is making the
changes you expected before
continuing.
Always consult your doctor or
midwife during pregnancy and
lactation.
Always start small and work your
way up, if needed. Please be careful
when dealing with fat soluble
vitamins as your body retains these
for extended periods of time. It is
possible to take to much of these
types of vitamins.
How to get enough vitamin A?
A good source of
vitamin A contains substantial
amounts of vitamin A and/or
carotene in relation to its
calorie content and contributes at
least 10% of the U.S. RDA for
vitamin A in a serving.
Eating a variety of
foods that contain vitamin A
(and carotene) is the best
way to get an adequate amount.
Healthy individuals who eat a
balanced diet rarely need
supplements. In fact, too much
vitamin A can be toxic. Select
foods that contain excellent to good
sources of vitamin A each
day. Such as the following:
|
Sweet
Potato |
Carrot |
Kale |
Mango |
Turnip
Greens |
|
Milk |
Romaine |
Egg |
Tomato |
Red Bell
Pepper |
|
Orange |
Papaya |
Broccoli |
Apricot |
Green
Bell Pepper |
|
Spinach |
Cantaloupe |
|
|
|
If you eat an
abundant quantity of the above
foods, you will not have to
worry about supplementing your
diet with extra Vitamin A.
If you don't eat much of the
above foods, you might consider
adding a supplement.
|
