Do you know about Vitamin A benefits for skin?

Vitamin A Benefits are countless. Right from eye, skin, bones, every part of your body needs vitamin A.

When we talk about vitamin A the first thing comes to our mind is eye health. It helps to keep your retina healthy which prevents major problems like night blindness.

It also helps to keep your eyes moist and reduces the risk of Glaucoma and Cataract. Vitamin A helps in improving vision but it is not the only benefit of it. Today we will discuss 17 vitamins A benefits you must know about.

 

What is Vitamin A?

Vitamin A is a Fat Soluble vitamin. It also acts as an antioxidant in our body. It plays a very important role in Vision,  Cell Division, and Growth.

Due to its antioxidant properties, it helps in antiaging, strengthens the immune system, prevents cancer tumors and helps in the maintenance of all the vital organs.

Source of Vitamin A

Vitamin A has two primary forms: One that is used directly by our body called “Active Vitamin A” or “Retinoids” and second is “Pro Vitamin A” or “Carotenoids” which is converted to active vitamin A i.e. Retinol by our body.

Active vitamin A can be obtained from animal sources like meat, fish, poultry and dairy foods etc.  On the other hand provitamin, A can be obtained from colorful foods like Veggies, Fruits etc. Vitamin  A which comes in capsule form is called as Palmitate.

If you wear spectacles you must have got an advice from someone or the other to eat fish or carrots. My hubby wears glasses and has to undergo my weekly so-called punishment, a glass of carrot juice every week :D. It is advisable to include vitamin A rich foods in your daily diet. If you reach out to your doctor for vitamin A related queries she will advise you to take it from natural resources than relying on supplements.

Vitamin A Deficiency

Vitamin A deficiency is very rare in India. Generally people with bowel diseases, pancreatic disorder etc suffer from vitamin A deficiency. It can be found more in alcoholic people because toxic substances in alcohol obstruct body from absorbing Carotenoids and converting them to Retinol.

If you find any vitamin A deficiency symptoms consult a doctor immediately. There are medical tests available to detect the deficiency and it can be cured by prescribing vitamin A supplements.

In the United States, the Vitamin A deficiency is found commonly in young children and pregnant women. The common deficiency symptoms are that of Xerophthalmia. The people suffering from xerophthalmia experience night blindness or an inability to see in the low light.

Vitamin A Benefits

1. Improves Vision

Retinol is an important component that keeps our eyes healthy. It helps in keeping your eyes moist (fights dry eyes), improves night vision and keeps your retina healthy. Glaucoma is caused by high pressure on your eyes, if you take the proper amount of vitamin A and do eye exercises regularly you can avoid Glaucoma.

You can also try yoga exercises for improving your eye health along with foods rich in vitamin A. There is a variety of Vitamin A rich foods which include both veg and non-veg sources but if you still don’t like any of them you can take supplements. But it is strictly recommended to take them only by consulting a doctor. Since Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, it can be stored in your body for a long time.

Vitamin A takes care of almost all the aspects of your eyes so it is one of the most important vitamins for your body. Very low levels of vitamin A can cause blindness (1)

2. Builds Immunity

You might be aware of the two types of blood cells in our body, Red Blood Cells, and White Blood Cells. White Blood Cells are called fighters in our body because they fight against all the viruses and bacteria attacking our body. Vitamin A helps to strengthen this immune system by enhancing the activity of White Blood Cells.

Since Vitamin A is an antioxidant vitamin, it reverses the aging effect and makes your cells strong and immune.  It helps in fighting diseases. Even if you fall sick you recover easily and quickly. Inflammation, wound healing is all the magic done by vitamin A. Immunity builds up is one of the most important vitamin A benefits.

3. Lower levels of Bad Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in your blood. There are two types of cholesterol good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. Bad cholesterol increases the heart attack risk and Vitamin A helps reduce it.

There are many foods which are helpful in lowering the levels of Bad Cholesterol. Increased Cholesterol levels lead to more heart-related diseases. Sedentary Lifestyle and Junk Food has caused the increase in levels of cholesterol even in youngsters today.

4. Prevents Skin Diseases

People suffering from vitamin A deficiency face rough and dry skin problems. Vitamin A helps in keeping your skin smooth and retain moisture. It also helps in repairing the damaged skin. Deficiency of Vitamin A also causes acne. Many medicines which doctors prescribe for skin related problems contain Vitamin A in it.

It is also recommended to include fruits like orange to people suffering from skin problems so that its intake should increase. Skin protection one of the most important vitamins A benefits. It is also very important to follow a perfect skincare routine for glowing skin.

5. Fights inflammation

You might notice people suffering from food allergies have low levels of vitamin A. Vitamin A has anti-inflammatory properties as it is an antioxidant. It helps your body fight the allergies and keeps it healthy. Foods rich in Vitamin A are also antioxidant-rich foods.

6. Prevents Urinary Infections

Vitamin A helps in keeping the line of the urinary tract in shape. It helps in preventing urinary infections and urine stones. Kegel exercises are also very helpful in urinary incontinence and some bladder-related problems.

7. Reduces Cancer Risk

I have read stories about cancer being cured by drinking carrot juice. I don’t know to what extent it is true but vitamin A surely reduces a certain form of cancer risk. Being an antioxidant it helps to heal the breaking of tissues resulting in good condition of body cells and prevents the growth of cancerous tumors.

Here is an informative video from LivingNowLifeCoach

 

8. Slows Ageing

Vitamin A helps to keep your skin healthy. It can help in reducing the wrinkles, in turn, reducing the free radical effect. Anti-aging property is one of the most important vitamin A benefits for your body. Vitamin A rich foods can also be called Anti-aging foods.

9. Healthy Pregnancy

A normal level of vitamin A helps in a healthy pregnancy. It helps in increasing the immunity which is important for pregnant women. In many cases, pregnant women take multivitamin supplements to meet their vitamin requirements.

But an excess of vitamin A is dangerous for the fetus. So it is advised to avoid taking vitamin A supplements, instead, you can include Vitamin A rich foods in your diet on a regular (once or twice a week) basis.

10. Promotes Strong Bones

Vitamin A helps in to promote strong bones. Since Vitamin A helps cell division, it also helps in the development of a strong skeleton and bones. Strong bones are important for the overall growth of a child. Consumption of Calcium-rich foods is also very important for strong bones. Calcium along with vitamin A, D etc helps in proper growth of strong bones.

11. Fights Respiratory Infections

Vitamin A has the properties to strengthen the body against any kind of infection. It helps to keep your respiratory tract healthy and fight infections.

There are many cases of pneumonia in children which are reported because of the weak immune system. Vitamin A helps in strengthing the immune system resulting in the low number of deaths due to such deadly diseases.

12. Healthy Reproductive System

Vitamin A helps in to keep your reproductive system healthy. It also helps in the development of vital organs of the embryo. All-trans Retinoic Acid is a form of vitamin A and it supports both the male and female reproductive system. This acid is important for the embryonic development as well.

If the mother is vitamin A deficient it can lead to various health problems for the fetus.

13. Treats Measles

Vitamin A deficiency can cause measles. Maintaining a normal level of vitamin A helps to treat measles.

WHO has recommended an oral dose of 200,000 IU of Vitamin A per day (a couple of days only) to the children with measles. This is recommended in the Vitamin A deficient areas. So if you are finding this problem get your vitamin A levels tested and if found deficient consult your doctor for supplement dosage.

14. Lowers Risk of Acne

Acne is a skin disorder. If your skin produces excess oil it combines with dust to form an acne. Vitamin A helps to keep your skin healthy and control the oil secretion that helps in preventing acne.

15. Repairs Tissues

Vitamin A is an antioxidant, it helps in repairing the tissues and maintain glow on your skin. Adequate levels of vitamin A help to keep your skin healthy and away from any skin diseases. Repairing tissue is one of the important vitamin A benefits.

16. Promotes Muscle Growth

Healthy bones lead to healthy muscle growth. When vitamin A is present in right quantity children grow strong bones resulting in normal muscle growth. Protein-rich diet and strength training is also very important to promote Muscle Growth

17. Fights Dry Eyes

Vitamin A is important for eye functions. It helps to keep the eye moist and fights dry eyes.

Dry eyes can result in various eye related problems. If you feel irritation in eyes or experience dryness, consult your ophthalmologist. Initially, a lubricant is prescribed but if your dry eye problem is not solved get the vitamin A test done.

Excess Vitamin A Side Effects

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. Excess vitamin A will act as a toxic for your body. If you are taking vitamin A supplements it is advisable to get the dosage monitored by a doctor. Excess vitamin A can cause problems like

• Vomiting
• Bone or joint pain
• Headaches
• Loss of appetite
• High fever
• Stomach pain
• Increased sensitivity of skin to sunlight
• Irritability
• Increase in frequency of urination

For detailed information, you can read this post on vitamin A side effects (2).

Frequently Asked Questions on Vitamin A Benefits

Q: What Does Vitamin A Do to The Human Body?

Ans: Vitamin A is one of the vital amines required by your body to have strong immunity, normal vision, and reproductive health. With an adequate amount of Vitamin A, vital organs of your body like the heart, kidney, lungs function properly.

Q: How Does Vitamin A Help Your Skin?

Ans: Vitamin A has antioxidant properties which help in keeping your skin healthy. It saves your skin from damage, keeps it wrinkle free and save you from various deadly problems like skin cancer.

Q: What Are the Side Effects of Vitamin A?

Ans: If you are taking Vitamin A medication be careful about the dosage. The side effects of vitamin A are

1. A headache
2. Vomiting and Nautica
3. Confusion
4. Lever Damage

Q: Why is Vitamin A Good For Your Skin?

Ans: Vitamin A helps in producing healthy skin cells. Retinol and retinoic acid are vital components of cell production and growth. Fibroblasts are stimulated with Vitamin A which helps in skin firm and healthy.

These are some important benefits of vitamin A. Make sure you and your family are not vitamins A deficient. Post a comment below to let me know if you liked today’s article or any suggestions.