Vitamin A – No, we’re not writing out the alphabet with this series. It’s just that clever scientists determined a simple system for identifying the various vitamins necessary for life functions, so the alphabet approach seemed useful.
The first vitamin I’d like to introduce you to is Vitamin A. Retinol (preformed vitamin A) is fat soluble while beta carotene (provitamin A) is water soluble and therefore, non-toxic—it doesn’t accumulate in the body, but is excreted when it’s not needed.
Foods Containing Vitamin A
Where can you find vitamin A besides in pill-form? It’s found in apricots, asparagus, beetgreens, broccoli, butter, butternut squash, cantaloupe, carrots, cheese, dandelion greens, eggs, fish, fish liver oil, green & yellow fruits and vegetables, green olives, liver, mango, milk products, papaya, parsley, prunes, red pepper, snap beans, spirulina, spinach, sweet potatoes. As a matter of fact, one cup of raw carrots provides 10,000 IU of vitamin A, while one cup of cooked spinach is loaded with 14,000 IU. So eating some of these foods can give you the nutrients you need, provided the food you’re eating actually possesses those nutrients in the first place. That’s another story for another time.
Anti-Vitamins
Some factors in our lives, though, are “anti-vitamins”—they keep us from reaping the benefits of vitamins and work against us. For example the following can inhibit vitamin A utilization in our bodies: alcohol, coffee, cold weather, cortisone, diabetes, vitamin D and zinc deficiencies, too much iron, infections, laxatives, liver disease, mineral oil, nitrates, strenuous physical activity within four hours of consumption of vitamin A, sugar and tobacco.
Minerals That Work with Vitamin A
Believe it or not, some other nutrients are beneficial in working with vitamin A such as B complex, choline, vitamin C (helps prevent toxic effects of vitamin A), vitamins D, E, F, as well as the minerals calcium, phosphorous, and zinc.
Why Is Vitamin A So Good For You?
Your body needs vitamin A for healthy bones, eyes, hair, immune system function, skin, soft tissue and teeth. It works as an antioxidant on the cellular level and is necessary for the repair of body tissues and maintenance—so you can more readily resist infection. Vitamin A is a nutrient for the cornea of your eyes, permeability of membranes, RNA synthesis, sex hormone synthesis (fertility/impotence), thyroid and adrenal gland stimulation, visual purple production which is necessary for night vision. That’s why your mother always told you to eat your carrots.
Signs of Vitamin A Deficiency
If you suffer from acne, allergies that won’t go away, appetite loss, blemishes, colds, dry hair, eye sties, fatigue, insomnia, itching/burning eyes, loss of smell, night blindness, rough dry skin, sinus trouble, soft tooth enamel, and are increasingly susceptible to infection—you’re probably deficient in vitamin A.
Using Vitamin A Therapeutically
Therapeutic applications of vitamin A include treating alcoholism, relief from arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, as well as cancer prevention, and managing high cholesterol numbers. Also when a cold strikes or conjunctivitis flares up, vitamin A may help. Cystitis, diabetes, eczema, gallstones, glaucoma, heart diseases as well as hepatitis, infections of all sorts and communicable diseases are relieved when a vitamin A regimen is started. Migraine headaches may become less frequent also as well as nephritis (kidney ailment), psoriasis, sinusitis, tinnitus, tooth and gum disorders and ulcers are all manageable with vitamin A supplementation.
Vitamin A Toxicity
As an oil-soluble vitamin, the toxicity symptoms of vitamin A are ankle swelling, appetite and weight loss, dry scaly lips, dry shedding skin, fatigue, hair loss, nausea, throbbing headaches, and vomiting. So if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms and have been on a vitamin A regimen over 50,000 IU per day, stop the dosage and give your body a break. Your liver has to process that vitamin A and it can’t if you continue dosing in such high amounts. Also, if you notice the palms of your hands turning orange, you probably have too much beta carotene in your diet. Cut back on the carrots until your skin returns to normal.
Quality Counts
A word to the wise: Don’t try to cut corners when it comes to vitamin/mineral supplementation. There are some great companies out there putting out quality products, but then you have the cheaper versions. Settle only for quality because your health is at stake. You either pay now or you pay later.
