Vitamins
Lacking energy, always getting sick? Are you getting enough vitamins and minerals? Vitamins such as Vitamin C, Vitamin B and minerals such as calcium and iron are crucial for a healthy life. The vitamins and minerals information pages provide you with crucial information about vitamins and minerals, such as which foods contain them, what they do, deficiency symptoms and more.
What is it:
Vitamin A consists of three biologically active molecules, retinol, retinal and retinoic acid. Each of these compounds are derived from b-carotene (provitamin form of vitamin A).
What does it do:
Vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, mucous membranes, and skin. It is also known as retinol because it generates the pigments in the retina. Vitamin A promotes good vision, especially in dim light. It may also be required for reproduction and breast-feeding. Beta carotene, which has antioxidant properties, is a precursor to Vitamin A. Antioxidants quench free radicals, which are unstable substances that can react with and damage cells, tissues and organs. Vitamin A is found in two forms: performed vitamin A, known as retinol, and pro vitamin A, called beta carotene. Retinol is found only in foods of animal origin. Beta carotene, a carotenoid, is a pigment found in plants. Beta carotene has a slight nutritional edge, boasting antioxidant properties and the ability to help lower harmful cholesterol levels. Retinol also functions in the synthesis of certain glycoproteins and mucopolysaccharides necessary for mucous production and normal growth regulation. This is accomplished by phosphorylation of retinol to retinyl phosphate which then functions similarly to dolichol phosphate.
Symptoms of deficiency:
May result in night blindness; increased susceptibility to infections; rough, dry, scaly skin; loss of smell & appetite; frequents fatigue; lack of tearing; defective teeth & gums' retarded growth. The increased risk of cancer in vitamin deficiency is thought to be the result of a depletion in b -carotene. Beta-carotene is a very effective antioxidant and is suspected to reduce the risk of cancers known to be initiated by the production of free radicals.
Overdose/Cautions:
Signs and symptoms are:hair loss, anorexia,nausea, fatigue,gingivitis,dry skin. Acute toxicity occurs after accidental ingestion of a single large dose(100,000-300,000 UI).
Natural food sources:
Liver, milk, egg-yolk, carrots, dark green leafy vegetables yellow fruits, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, winter squashes, cantaloupe, pink grapefruit, apricots, broccoli, The more intense the color of a fruit or vegetable, the higher the beta-carotene content.