A fun fact to start the week: Vitamin A gets its name because it actually was the first vitamin to be officially named. Aside from this honor, vitamin A is pretty important for your daily health.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that's traditionally stored in the liver.Traditionally, vitamin A is found in animal products as well as orange and yellow fruits and vegetables. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin A is between 3,000 and 10,000 IUs and sticking to the amount recommended by your doctor is important. Consuming more than the recommended amount can lead to decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, headache, irritability, dry or cracking lips and skin and hair loss.
Here are 10 ways you can use vitamin A in your daily life to keep yourself healthy:
1. Gum Protection -- Vitamin A is needed for the healing of inflamed gum tissues. This vitamin is responsible for maintaining the mucous membranes and soft tissue of the gums. For this reason, vitamin A is often found in toothpaste.
2. Breast Cancer Prevention -- Premenopausal women who get high levels of vitamin A from their diet seem to be at a lower risk of getting breast cancer than other women. However, it's unclear whether taking a vitamin A supplement will have the same effect.
3. Strengthening Eyesight-- As previously mentioned, vitamin A is found naturally in orange and yellow fruits and vegetables, usually in the form of beta carotene. Beta carotene is known to improve and protect eye health, especially the ability to see in changing light conditions. Topical applications of vitamin A eye drops can provide relief from dry-eye disorder.
4. Acne Fighter -- Vitamin A is a common ingredient in many prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) acne treatments, usually in the form of retinol. This vitamin helps promote cellular turnover, keeping pores clear. Getting enough vitamin A in your daily diet can actually improve the overall health of your skin. On the reverse spectrum, a lack of vitamin A can be a cause of acne.
5. Anti-aging Treatment -- The retinol form of vitamin A has also been proven effective in lightening unsightly liver spots, sun damage and acne scars as well as winkles and fine lines. Used topically, this nutrient can help you turn back the clock.
5. Boost Fertility-- Vitamin A promotes higher quality cervical fluid which is vital for sperm movement throughout the fallopian tubes. Taking regular vitamin A supplements helps ensure the cervical fluid will be at optimal conditions for the nourishment of the sperm. Vitamin A not only improves the quality of the sperm, but can also increase the amount of fertile fluid produced in the cervix.
6. Improve Gastrointestinal Ulcers -- If you suffer from painful ulcers, consuming more vitamin A helps heal the mucus membranes which can be ruptured as the result of an ulcer.
7. Immunity Booster -- Since we know vitamin A keeps skin and mucus membrane cells moist and healthy, it's not hard to see the impact vitamin A has on immunity. If the membranes within the nasal passages stay moist, this inhibits bacteria and viruses from taking a root and making you sick.
8. Gene Transcription -- The retinoic acid associated with vitamin A acts as a hormone to affect gene expression and influences many physiological processes as a result of cellular differentiation.
9. Abetalipoproteinemia -- Abetalipoproteinemia is a rare inherited disorder of fat metabolism. An abnormality in fat metabolism can result in a malabsoprtion of various essential vitamins, including vitamin A. Vitamin A helps restore the vitamin deficiency as well as ward off degeneration of the retina which could result in a loss of vision.
As mentioned before, speak with your doctor before adding more vitamin A to your daily routine in the form of a supplement and follow dosage instructions carefully. Pregnant women should avoid vitamin A in high doses as it can cause spontaneous abortion or serious birth defects.
If you believe taking a vitamin A supplement is right for you, explore the wide variety available from eVitamins. Have a great week!
Products you may like:
Nature's Way Vitamin A Why you may like this product? This supplement contains 10,000 IU of pure Vitamin A. Vitamin A is crucial for a variety of uses including cell membrane integrity, bone formation and vision.
Nature's Plus Vitamin A Why you may like this product? This supplement contains
10,000 IU of vitamin A with
the added benefit of lemon
grass oil. The capsule is
specially designed for equal
dispersion throughout the day.
Las declaraciones hechas sobre vitaminas, suplementos, procedimientos u otros artículos vendidos a través de este sitio web no han sido evaluadas por eVitamins o por la Food and Drug Administration de Estados Unidos. Éstos están destinados para diagnosticar, tratar, curar o prevenir enfermedades. La información proporcionada en este sitio es sólo para fines informativos. Como siempre, por favor consulte con un médico o un médico autorizado antes de comenzar cualquier dieta, ejercicio o suplementos, antes de tomar cualquier vitamina o medicamento, o si usted tiene o sospecha que puede tener un problema.