Vitamin A is well known as the nutrient that is needed by a person's eyeball in order to maintain good sight. Essentially, it has a unique ability to help the body process light, and see better in both low light settings and bright, highly colourful scenic views.
Scienticically: Vitamin A can be described as a fat disolveable nutrient which is kept in the liver. It plays a role in typical body expansion and advancement and keeps each of our eyes, epidermis and defense mechanisms in good health. It also performs an important function of preserving vibrant eyesight. If you suffer from night blindness and lack of ability to see in less lighted areas, it could be a result of this vitamin deficiency.
Deficiency: Another potential sign of being deficient of this vitamin is having a goose-bump appearance on your skin. If you notice this condition, talk with your doctor before taking any action.
Dietary Intake: Vitamin A, in most cases, originates from eating animal-based products,however, we are also able to obtain it through several natural ingredients present in vegetable meals, known as carotenoids. A balance of the vegetable and animal sources is a good way to keep sufficient nutrients in the body.
Dosage: Depending on your age and gender, as an adult, your body needs anywhere from 700 to 1300 micrograms of vitamin A per day in order to function properly. Keep in mind, though, that you should not exceed 3000 micrograms, as too high of a dose can be toxic to your body. Unless recommended by a doctor, taking a vitamin A supplement in not generally a good idea. The risk of these supplements is much greater during pregnancy, as high doses have been known to cause birth defects.
In Foods: If your diet is currently low in vitamin A, some animal-based foods that can increase your consumption are liver, eel, goat cheese, salmon and eggs. There are many other animal foods that contain the vitamin, but these ones hold much higher concentrations than the rest.
Vegetarian: If your preference is in the direction of a vegan or vegetarian diet, you have probably heard that carrots are one of the best sources of beta carotene and vitamin A. This is correct, but if you grow sick of eating carrots constantly, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and spinach are a great alternatives that also carry high levels of the nutrient.
Fighting Cancer: There have been many rumors over the years that beta carotene and vitamin A can help fight cancer. Though a good part of a healthy diet, there is no clear evidence to substantiate the claims of beta carotene and vitamin A can fight cancer. Any coincidental reductions in cancer while taking supplements were most likely caused by good diet and eliminating junk food and bad chemicals from the diet. It does, however, help in the body's ability to fight viral infections. Frequent viral infections can be a sign of having insufficient levels of the vitamin in your body.
Overall, a well-balanced diet with food from each food group will generally give your body sufficient levels of all the vitamins and minerals you need. Eat health, and be healthy.
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Vitamin A for Eyesight & Health
