SEE What the Antioxidant Vitamin A Can Do For You!

April 14th, 2010

beta carotene

Vitamin A is the antioxidant most responsible for good eye health.  Retinol is a form of Vitamin A, and is the substance which is absorbed when you eat animal foods.  Carotenes also function as Vitamin A when they are converted by enzymes found in animals and herbivores.   Though you can eat some of your recommended daily intake, supplementing Vitamin A can make sure you do not become deficient in this essential antioxidant.  Always check with your physician on your individual needs, especially if pregnant.

Night blindness is the leading issue associated with Vitamin A deficiency.  Other problems include bumps on the skin and constant viral infections.  Alcohol, Coffee and too much Iron can deplete the supply of Vitamin A that you store in your liver.  Most findings show that deficiencies are prevalent in people who are not eating enough animal meat or foods that are fortified with Vitamin A  such as egg yolks, milk, carrots, mangoes, spinach, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, liver, bell peppers, apricots, turnips. 

One carrot = approximately 200% of your daily recommended intake for Vitamin A.  But in a society where people can go weeks without even touching a vegetable, you can see why the supplementation has become important.  A popular supplement is in the form of Beta Carotene like NOW Natural Beta-Carotene (25,000 IU) 180 sgels which combines Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Lecithin.  Remember, Beta Carotene is a fat soluble food source of Vitamin A, so it is a good choice when trying to add Vitamin A to your diet.

Leave a Reply