« "And your boyfriend’s name is Evel, and he lives up in the sky” | ::: | Do you love me enough to shoot me? »
Vitamin A
Part of Wolfie’s Nutrition Guide : An occasional series
As with most of the popular vitamins, there is one thing that everyone knows about vitamin A. That is that vitamin A is good for your eyesight - at least, everyone knows that carrots are good for your eyesight (you never see a rabbit with glasses, after all) and carrots are one of the dietary sources of vitamin A.
As well as being good for eyesight, vitamin A is also good for:
- Healthy skin
- Tissue growth and bone development
- Growth and functioning of the reproductive system
- Mucous membrane integrity
- Proper immune system function
Vitamin A comes in two natural forms; the animal form - retinol - is also referred to as “pre-formed” vitamin A, while the vegetable form - beta carotene - is turned into retinol by the body as and when it requires it. There is some suggestion that if a pregnant woman consistently takes a high level of retinol (over 7,500iu per day), there is a risk of birth defects. The statistical risk is very small, but because of it pregnant women are advised to take beta carotene rather than retinol supplements to achieve their vitamin A intake. It is important to make sure you get enough vitamin A when pregnant, as it is important for growth and development of the foetus.
Vitamin A is what is known as a fat-soluble vitamin, which means that it is stored in the body rather than flushed away like water-soluble vitamins, such as vitamin C. That means that your body hold into any retinol that it is given but, if given beta carotene, it will only convert it to retinol if it does not already have enough in store.
So how much do I need?
As with all things nutritional, opinion is divided. The EU RDA is 800?g, or around 7,500iu per day. Because of prevailing legislation in the UK, most supplements that contain retinol will have a maximum of 800?g. To take a higher amount than this you’ll either need to take several tablets, or take a beta carotene supplement. The optimum intake range is from 7,500iu to 20,000iu per day.
Comments
I think you know what to do....
Wolfs Stuff
Wolfs Helpers
-
