A.S.N.

Vitamin A is essential for the growth and development of the skeleton and tissues. It is an anti-infectious agent, due to its preventive action in the epithelium (a protective tissue that covers the surface of the body).

Vitamin A is also indispensable to keep the skin, teeth, hair and nails in good health.

We can only find vitamin A in animal products, but plants contain Beta-Carotene or Pro-vitamin A, which is transformed in the liver into two molecules of vitamin A.

Beta-Carotene is completely non toxic, and there is no risk to suffer from hypervitaminosis. This is not the case with the vitamin A from animal sources, which we can only take under the supervision of a doctor.

Vitamin A can also be called Retynol and plays a specific role concerning the retina of the eye. Vitamin A takes part in the elaboration of the pigments sensible to light.

People who work under conditions of intense light, that destroys vitamin A, or, on the contrary, in conditions of week light or neon light, need a much higher supply of vitamin A.

Sight problems are the first symptoms to appear when there is a lack of Beta-Carotene or vitamin A, these symptoms are:

Appearance of stains in the cornea.
Lack of lubrication of the cornea.
Swelling of eyelids.
Diminishment of night vision (very dangerous when driving at night)-
Light sensitivity (photophobia)

The lack of Beta-Carotene can cause, in long terms, a degeneration of the retina, which leads to blindness.

Vitamin A reduces the irritation caused by the use of contact lenses, and improves its lubrication and tolerance.

Vitamin A is essential for a healthy skin, as it helps to keep an elastic and smooth skin, it protects it from dryness and favours its regeneration and cicatrization.

The lack of vitamin A is shown in the skin by an atrophy of the epithelium, an accumulation of the coats of dead cells, which causes a thickening of the skin. Vitamin A improves the aspect of the skin and helps to prevent the appearance of wrinkles.

Vitamin A stabilizes the membrane of the cells and delays the development of cancer in the skin.

Vitamin A is very efficient against skin infections like fungus (athlete's foot), acne, psoriasis.

Vitamin A protects the internal surfaces of the body and mucous from infections. The mucous of the throat, nose, bladder, lungs, intestines, kidneys and vagina are protected from microbial infections by a defensive mucous created only when there is vitamin A.

Vitamin A increases the lubrication of the mucous, and thus, prevents from drying and irritating.

The ingestion of Beta-Carotene develops a protection on the surface of our body, avoiding its irritation. It is suggested to take Beta-Carotene in cases of infections difficult to cure, such as chronic bronchitis, laryngitis. In many occasions this infections are linked to a lack of vitamin A.

The lack of vitamin A is mostly present in cases of chronic hepatic, biliary or intestinal illnesses. People with diabetes need the supply of vitamin A, as they are unable to transform Beta-Carotene into vitamin A.

The recommended dose per day is one capsule a day, which contains 5.000 IU (International Unit), this is 9 mg of natural Beta-Carotene (200% CDR*)
*CDR: Recomended Dose per Day

100g of butter.
30 litres of milk.
500g of cheese.
25g of liver.
4 eggs.
1 kg of raw carrots (carrots contain a lot of Beta-Carotene, but just 1% of it is assimilated by out body).
200g of cooked carrots.
625g of tomatoes.

Vitamin A stimulates the immune system and favours the well functioning of the thymus. A lack of vitamin A reduces the immune response of lymphocytes T.

Vitamin A is a “scavenger”, this is, it takes part in the beginning of the cycle of the peroxidation.