Vitamin A for Body
Growth and Health

Looking to vitamin A for body growth and health is a very prudent move on your part.  Vitamin A, which is a fat-soluble vitamin, is crucial for the development and maintenance of strong bones and teeth.  A vitamin A supplement also helps maintain clear vision and promote healthy skin.  The combination of vitamin A and carotenes (plant-based forms of fat-soluble Vitamin A) carry out a number of important functions.

Somewhere between 30 and 50 carotenes, of the over 600 carotenes identified to-date, have been found to involve Vitamin A activity.  This is why carotenes are included in the discussion of Vitamin A. These carotenes are brightly colored plant pigments that are naturally occurring, and are important in the photosynthesis process.  It is the carotenes that help protect plants, as well as the body, against the potentially damaging effects of antioxidants.

By donating an electron, antioxidant vitamins can neutralize the power of free radicals.  Said another way, the free radical's ability to oxidize cells is eliminated.  Oxidation of the body's cells is virtually the equivalent of rust forming on a car.   It is once the cells inside the body start becoming oxidized, that serious health complications often result.  Heart disease, arthritis, macular degeneration, Alzheimer's disease and cataracts are just some of the more well-known health conditions that can result.

Due to vitamin A's role in the support of healthy skin, this vitamin has been labeled the 'anti-aging' vitamin.  Its ability to ward off wrinkles has made vitamin A an ingredient in many popular wrinkle creams available on today's market.  Also, it is vitamin A that helps keep the mucous membranes inside the lungs, throat, mouth, eyes, digestive tract, bladder, kidneys, and reproductive system healthy.  This is why it is thought that Vitamin A boosts the body's immune system.

Sufficient levels of Vitamin A are also necessary to help keep your blood healthy and increase the production of RNA.  It is the RNA, as part of the cell, that includes the instructions for life. When RNA is rapidly reproduced it stimulates new cell creation so that the old and worn out cells can be replaced more efficiently.

And last but not least, a vitamin A supplement helps to lower cholesterol levels and assist with hormone production. 

What are the Best Sources of Vitamin A 

As you may know, fish liver oil is one of the finest naturally-occurring sources of Vitamin A. Halibut and cod are great sources, too. Also, Vitamin A is found in fruits and vegetables, milk and eggs. Fruits with high vitamin A levels include nectarines, cantaloupes, apricots, mandarin oranges, plums, watermelons and mangos.

Don't forget that dark green and brightly-colored vegetables are excellent sources of Vitamin A for body and health.  Some of these vegetables include kale, escarole, collard greens, chicory, broccoli, endive, romaine lettuce, peas, red pepper, carrots, pumpkin, turnips, squash, sweet potato and tomatoes.  

Ideally, adults should strive to consume 5,000 IU of Vitamin A each and every day.

Vitamin A Deficiencies

It is when the body doesn't get a sufficient amount of Vitamin A, that the first indication is a deterioration in vision.  It is generally the ability to see clearly at night or in dim light that is hampered.  Night blindness, and the possibility of  dry eyes, are typical symptoms.  Various other diseases that may result from insufficient levels of Vitamin A include skin disorders like acne and psoriasis. 

It is a poor diet that frequently is the cause of this type of vitamin deficiency. The aged and those living in under-developed parts of the world are generally the most susceptible to this condition. 

I am sure that the facts provided above for vitamin A have you a little concerned as to whether you are consuming enough of this essential vitamin.  If you believe that it really makes sense to include a good quality nutritional multivitamin supplement in your regular diet, you're with the majority of people.  

The easiest and most convenient way to buy your nutritional multivitamin supplement is to find a discount vitamin and mineral retailer - online.   Multivitamin supplements are available in a number of forms - tablet, pill, and liquid.  They even come in a pack a day vitamins package to make the task of taking your supplements even easier. 

Remember to take your vitamin A for body growth and health -  You'll be one step closer to having the body that you desire!