INFORMATION ON VITAMIN A
Vitamin A is a family of essential, fat-soluble nutrients, vital for supporting vision, skin, healthy bone growth and the immune system.
It also plays an important role in reproduction, cell division and cell differentiation, as well as maintenance of the heart, lungs, kidneys and other organs.
There are two basic forms of vitamin A (retinoids and carotenoids) with both providing unique health benefits.
Preformed vitamin A (or retinoids) is found in foods from animal sources and is often called "true" vitamin A, as it is nearly ready for the body to use. The most important provitamin A carotenoid is beta-carotene, a precursor for vitamin A. The body needs to convert beta-carotene to vitamin A for use.
To support biological functions - both provitamin A and preformed vitamin A has to be metabolized in the cells, into the active forms of vitamin A, which is retinal and retinoic acid.
As an antioxidant vitamin A may help reduce the risk for certain cancers, fight off infection and sustain the immune system.
How it works:
The various forms of vitamin A are absorbed by mucosal cells in the duodenum.
Both retinyl esters (preformed vitamin A) and provitamin A carotenoids are converted to retinol, which is oxidized to retinal and then to retinoic acid. Most of the body's vitamin A is stored in the liver in the form of retinyl esters.
POPULAR USE & PUBLISHED BENEFITS bbbb
- Vision and eye health
- Skin health
- Immune enhancer / disease fighter
- Antioxidant
- Healthy bone development
WHOLE FOODS
- Cod liver oil
- Liver (turkey, beef, pork, fish, chicken), tuna fish
- Dandelion greens, sweet potato, carrot, broccoli, kale, spinach, pumpkin, collard greens, peas, tomatoes, seaweed, squash, romaine lettuce, sweet red pepper
- Butter, chedder cheese, egg, milk
- Melon, apricot, papaya, mango, tropical fruit
RECOMMENDED USE
- Range: 733 - 3000 IU daily
- Popular use: 1500 IU daily
- Once daily dosing
- Should be taken with meals containing fat