Vitamin A Supplement

Vitamin A is one of the most capable and potent of all vitamins. It is a fat-soluble nutrient that is stored in the liver.

In addition, our intestinal tract is actually able to synthesize it from beta-carotene, a specific carotenoid found in many fruits and vegetables.

Carotenoids are what are responsible for the orange, yellow, purple, and red colors that are in fruit and vegetables.

There are over 600 carotenoids but only about 15 have been determined thus far to be important for human beings.

Some food sources of this vitamin are carrots, apricots, avocados, broccoli, cantaloupe, kale, nectarines, watermelons, tomatoes, squash, spinach, turnip greens, and papaya.

Of these, a baked sweet potato is the highest giving a Vitamin A IU (International Units) of 24,867 while carrots come in second place with a Vitamin A IU of 20,253.

As a general rule of thumb, antioxidant vitamins like vitamins A, C, and E are shown to be better at fighting disease like cancer from 6 to 10 a.m. versus later in the day. If you take a vitamin A supplement, we recommend you take it in the morning.  

Benefits

The health benefits of Vitamin-A are quite remarkable. First of all, it is a very potent antioxidant. Antioxidants like Vitamin-A, C, E, alpha lipoic acid, and others destroy free radicals that oxidize (hence the term "antioxidant") health cells.

Free radicals are a known culprit to aging and scientists also believe that they have a significant role to play in degenerative diseases as well. What else does it do? Here are the key benefits of Vitamin-A:

• Boosts the immune system
• Helps prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease
• It improves eyesight
• Helps with diabetes in that it helps insulin naturally regulate blood sugar levels
• Strengthens tooth enamel
• Strengthens skin preventing acne, skin sores, wrinkles, psoriasis, and boils
• Strengthens bone growth and thickness

Precautions

Vitamin A is vital for good health, but did you know that if too much is taken it's actually toxic? It's true.

According to The New England Journal of Medicine (333:1369-73, 1995), an excessive intake of Vitamin A can cause specific genetic birth defects.

Symptoms of toxicity are dry, scaly skin, hair loss, unexplained fatigue, nausea, decreased immune function, brittle and soft hand and toe nails.

So, what is the RDA for Vitamin-A?

Currently, it is 5,000 IU for men and 4,000 IU for women. Please know, we recommend you always talk to your physician before you take more than the RDA. Pregnant and/or nursing women should especially be careful. If you plan on taking any vitamin-A supplement, we advise you first consult with your doctor.

How to Choose a Good Supplement

Unfortunately, many dietary supplements on the market are synthetic or they are deliberately made with inferior ingredients. Not all of course, but many are. Even the FDA recognizes this problem with nutritional supplements.

Based on my research, I feel we can recommend to you these key points to follow when selecting a good Vitamin A supplement.

The first three apply really to any multivitamin supplement, not just to a Vitamin-A supplement.

Stick to these guidelines and you can't go wrong.

1. The supplements should be produced at pharmaceutical standard GMP registered facilities. Facilities that are GMP registered comply with the most rigid standards so as to minimize the possibility of product contaminants. (These are the same standards pharmaceutical companies in the United States are required to operate under as mandated by the FDA.) Supplements are not regulated and as such fraud is rampant with many so-called supplements containing contaminants with 1 in 5 not having the ingredients as proclaimed on the label!

2. Ensure the supplement manufacturer has a Certificate of Analysis (COA) on file for review by you the customer thus confirming the potency of the herbal ingredients listed on the label.

3. Ideally, make sure the supplement does not contain any fillers or additives such as sucrose (sugar), starch, gluten, silica (or sand basically -- used as a binding excipient) or any other artificial colors, dyes, or flavors.

4. Make sure the supplement has Vitamin E with it as they work together.

5. Choose a Vitamin A supplement that has both beta carotene and and Vitamin A. The best supplement has more than one vitamin in it. Why? Because many vitamins and minerals are co-dependent upon each other. Vitamin A is no exception.

Vitamin A Supplement Recommendation

After much research, we came across a company that offers GMP compliant, pharmaceutical grade quality supplement products.

Their flagship vitamin supplement product is scientifically formulated containing not only Vitamin-A and E, but beta-carotene as well. It has vitamins, minerals, trace and specialty minerals, and nutrient-rich enzymes.

This pharmaceutical grade quality vitamin supplement is a one-of-a-kind nutraceutical with a version just for men and one just for women.

I've been taking this supplement for more than eight years now and have experienced greater energy, better sleep, better skin tone, increased cognitive functions, and overall better health.

I hope this Vitamin A supplement web page has been helpful to you.

Yours in health,
Nutritional-Supplement-Bible.com