Vitamin A helps to regulate and maintain a wide range of essential functions inside our bodies. Some of the major benefits obtained from this vitamin are listed below.
Benefits of Vitamin A
- This vitamins is needed for smooth and healthy looking skin
- Healthy eye sight
- Helps build resistance to colds
- Provides resistance to infections by keeping moist the mucous membranes that line your mouth, respiratory passage, and urinary tract
- This substance also increases our body’s immunity, thereby, helps body safeguard against cancer
- Helps the body counter damaging effects of stress
- Aids in wound healing
- Detoxifies certain poisonous chemicals
- Necessary for the normal functioning of the middle ear
- In some cases, people regained their sense of smell after taking Vitamin A
- Protects bowel and is useful in treating Crohn’s disease
- Helps build healthy teeth
- Protects the lungs
Shortage of Vitamin A in our diet can lead to the following medical problems
- excessive menstruation in females
- male infertility
- middle ear infection can arise (otitis media)
- prolonged deficiency cause abnormal dryness of the eye (xerophthalmia) which is the leading cause of blindness
- Glucoma (excessive pressure build-up in the eye, leading to total blindness)
Sources of Vitamin A
- Sweet potato
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Cantaloupe
- Kale
- Broccoli
- Winter squash
- Mustard greens
- Apricots
- Watermelon
- Lettuce
- Asparagus
- Peas
- Green beans
- Yellow corn
- Parsley
- Eggs
Chemical structure of Vitamin A
Image source: Wikipedia