Health and Wellness: Vitamin A Facts and Information

Today's lifestyle demands high levels of energy, activity and productivity from people of all ages. This naturally means less time to rest the body and to eat healthy, well balanced meals. We normally just eat whatever is the easiest and quickest food that we can pick up or cook. In this process our body is deprived of many vitamins and minerals that it needs to function at the optimum levels required of it. One of these essential vitamins is vitamin A. 

Vitamin A is fat soluble and naturally occurs only in animal food. However, carotenoids that contain alpha, beta and gamma carotene are found in many fruits and vegetables. Our bodies can then covert these carotenes into vitamin A. The fruits and vegetables that contain high doses of carotenes are sweet potatoes, carrots, apricots, broccoli, mangoes, red peppers and cantaloupe. The added advantage of eating these foods is that the body converts the required quantity of vitamin A from the carotenes and the rest circulates through the body as antioxidants.

If you are unable to incorporate the foods that either contain vitamin A or the carotenes that will lead to its production, you can take it as a supplement in tablet or capsule form. You can get this from a medical practitioner, a pharmacy or from online stores. Buying it online also gives you the added advantage of having many brands and forms of vitamin A to choose from or a list of physical conditions from which you can identify yours and the correct supplement for it.

Vitamin A has the following health benefits:

Vitamin A boosts the body's immunity by guarding the 'entry points' of infection such as the mucous membranes and the respiratory and urinary tracts and by helping with the creation of white blood cells.

Vitamin A helps with the improvement of night vision and prevents conditions such as cataract and glaucoma.

When vitamin A is converted into retinoic acid, it protects bones and teeth and helps to form Dentin which contributes to strong teeth.

Vitamin A is good for the skin because it prevents wrinkling, acne, psoriasis and dryness.

Vitamin A will give your entire body a healthy boost so make it a part of your food or supplement regimen.