Facts About Vitamin A

"Vitamin A" is the blanket term for retinoids, biologically active compounds that occur naturally in both plant and animal tissues. It is important for many functions, including these facts about vitamin A:

Supporting bone growth, reproduction and immune system health

Helping the skin and mucous membranes repel bacteria and viruses more effectively

Promoting healthy vision

Slowing declining retinal function in people with retinitis pigmentosa

Vitamin A is fat soluble, and has potential for toxicity if supplementing with retinols. The best natural food sources of vitamin A are their pre-cursors, the carotenoids, found in fruits and vegetables, including carrots, spinach, kale, butternut squash, cantaloupe, mangoes, pumpkins and sweet potatoes. In supplement form, I recommend 15,000 IU of mixed carotenoids daily. Look for products that contain beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lycopene, astaxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin as part of an antioxidant formula.