Recent nutritional research has found that most people do not consume enough Vitamin A on a daily basis. This is not good, because Vitamin A is essential to good health. Major health problems can result from long-term Vitamin A deficiencies.
Vitamin A is essential from the start of life. Pregnant women must be sure to ingest enough Vitamin A, which will be more than they needed before pregnancy, because Vitamin A plays a key role in the proper physical development of a fetus. It helps to sustain proper cell differentiation, which is the specialization of cells upon division to do certain tasks, meaning that cells for the heart take on the heart’s characteristics, those for the liver take on the liver’s, those for the brain take on the brain’s characteristics and functions, and so on. Vitamin A also helps with bone growth and development, as well as in the general growth and development of the body.
Vitamin A has an important part in the quality and functioning of the body’s immune system. One aspect of this functioning has to do with the skin and body’s mucus membranes. The skin and mucus membranes serve a very important purpose for the body. They operate as barriers against bacteria and viruses, protecting against infection and disease. Vitamin A also helps to keep the skin and mucus membranes healthy, functioning, and able to serve their primary purpose.
As we all know, carrots are good for the eyes. That is because they are overflowing with Vitamin A, which is essential to vision. Believe it or not, a serious deficiency in Vitamin A can result in blindness. Many children living in poverty in third world countries throughout the world have become blind simply because of the lack of Vitamin A in their diets.
Vitamin A also helps to keep the surface linings of the intestinal, urinary and respiratory tracts healthy. This benefit offers protection from bacteria, as well has promotes proper functioning.
One of the most common units of measure for Vitamin A found on food and supplement packaging labels is the International Unit, or IU. Adult and teenage males should be consuming around 3,000 IU of Vitamin A per day. Adult women and teenage females should take in about 2,310 IU per day, 2,565 IU per day if pregnant and 4,300 IU per day when breastfeeding. For children ages 8 to 13, 2,000 IU is the recommended daily intake, with 1,320 IU being enough for those aged 4 through 7. From birth through age 3, 1,000 IU is recommended.
Taking dietary supplements to round out a healthy diet can ensure that the body receives the nutrients it needs for peak performance. However, it is always important to follow label and doctor recommendations for the proper amount to be taken for your dietary needs.
Proper nutrition is essential to achieving and maintaining health. It is much better to avoid sickness than to recover from it. Taking steps to ensure that you are getting enough Vitamin A each day is an essential part of reaching your health goals.
For the complete resource that this article came from, visit the Vitamin Professor website. Fredrik Von Hoffen, retired researcher from Belgium, maintains and constantly updates his with website with all the latest Vitamin Information [http://www.vitaminprofessor.com]. Read his detailed reports on vitamins, supplements, trace minerals, and ways to use nutrition and vitamins to sustain a healthy lifestyle.
