Vitamin A, or retinol, is a vitamin that occurs naturally in both plant and animal tissues. It is indispensable for good health and is especially abundant in foods such as carrots, apricots, broccoli, mangoes, spinach, kale, and liver. In addition to treating vitamin deficiency problems, vitamin A has many preventive and therapeutic benefits.
Immunity
Vitamin A plays an important function in the body’s immune system. It keeps skin and mucous membranes nourished, and when membranes are nourished, they remain resistant to cell damage. The vitamin is also essential to the health of white blood cells that fight off infection in the body.
Vision
Vitamin A is the key to good vision. It allows a person to see in the dark better. Furthermore, vitamin A is believed to be effective against cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, dry eye disorder, and other ocular diseases.
Cancer prevention
Vitamin A prevents cancer by inhibiting DNA production in cancerous cells. It also has the potential to slow down tumor growth in established cancers and keep leukemia cells from dividing.
Most people already receive the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A from their diets. However, physicians still recommend vitamin A supplements for those who have vitamin A deficiencies. Vitamin A deficiency may be caused by digestive disorders or very poor diet.