Description:
Vitamin A prevents night blindness as well as other eye problems.
It is important for healthy skin, enhances immunity, and helps to
heal the gastrointestinal tract. Vitamin A helps to keep the mucous
membranes healthy. It is important for the proper formation of bones,
and teeth. Vitamin A protects against colds, influenza, and infections
in the kidneys, bladder, lungs, and mucous membranes. This nutrient
acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells against cancer
and other diseases. It is also important for new cell growth. Without
vitamin A the body can not utilize protein.
Complimentary Nutrients:
Phosphorus, vitamins B complex, vitamin C (helps prevent toxic
effects of vitamin A), unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), calcium, choline,
vitamin D, vitamin E, and zinc.
Antagonists:
Excessive iron, alcohol, liver disease, cold weather (inhibits
metabolism), cortisone diabetes, nitrates, strenuous physical activity
within 4 hours of consumption, coffee, vitamin D deficiency, antibiotics,
laxatives, mineral oil, and some cholesterol lowering drugs.
Health Benefits:
Benefits soft tissue, hair, skin, bones, eyes, and teeth. Helps
RNA synthesis, body tissue repair and maintenance, resisting infection,
and visual purple production (necessary for night vision).
Therapeutic Uses:
Vitamin A can be used to treat bronchitis, sinusitis, high cholesterol,
alcoholism, arthritis, asthma, colds, conjunctivitis, cystitis,
diabetes, heart diseases, acne, psoriasis, hepatitis, infections
and communicable diseases, allergies, migraine headaches, nephritis,
eczema, glaucoma, tinnitus, and tooth and gum disorders.
Vitamin Therapies should be done with the supervision of a qualified
health care professional. In the panel on the left, under ailments
you can find more information about treatments for some of these
conditions. You can also locate therapeutic information on this
site by using the search engine - click on 'Search' in the panel
on your left - and entering words relating to the ailment you are
interested in.
Deficiency Indicators:
Fatigue, sinus trouble, allergies, blemishes, dry hair, itchy and
burning eyes, night blindness, rough dry skin, joint pain, soft
tooth enamel, loss of appetite, loss of smell, and susceptibility
to infection.
Dosage:
| RDA |
Optimal Health |
Therapeutic Amounts |
| 1000 IU |
10,000 IU |
100,000 -300,000 IU |
RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) are dosages developed by the
FDA. These amounts are designed to prevent deficiency symptoms.
For optimal health it is necessary to take a larger dose. The optimal
health amounts are for adults and children weighing over 100 lbs.
Children under the age of six should be given nutritional formulas
designed specifically for young children. The therapeutic amounts
to treat special conditions are usually much higher, and should
not be taken without the supervision of a qualified health care
professional.
Be careful not to overdose on Vitamin A because it can become toxic.
Unlike water soluble vitamins, where the body excretes excessive
amounts, Vitamin A - a oil soluble vitamin, can accumulate in the
body to toxic levels.
Toxicity Symptoms: dry skin, hair loss, diarrhea, vomiting, headache,
and nausea.
Sources:
Vitamin A can be found in fish, fish liver oil, green and yellow
fruits and vegetables, and milk products. Here are some examples.
| Food |
Amount |
IU |
| Carrots |
medium, raw |
10,000 |
| Beef liver |
1/2 lb. |
22,000 |
| Spinach, cooked |
1 cup |
14,000 |
