Vitamin A is the name given to a group of related compounds (retinol, retinal and retinoic acid) that have certain actions in the body. Vitamin A, like other vitamins, is required in small amounts by our bodies to function and develop properly. Because we cannot synthesize vitamin A, we must obtain it through our diets.

 What Does in the Body?

Vitamin A is used for two functions in the body. Used in the eye, it is a component of the eye's light-sensitive parts, containing rods and cones that allow for night-vision or for seeing in dim-light circumstances. Vitamin A (retinol) occurs in the rods.

Another form of Vitamin A, retinoic acid, is used in the body for regulating the development of various tissues, such as the cells of the skin, and the lining of the lungs and intestines

Where is it found?

The best sources of vitamin A are eggs, milk, butter, liver, and fish, such as herring, sardines, and tuna. Plants do not contain vitamin A, but they do contain beta-carotene and other carotenoids. The best sources of beta-carotene are dark-green, orange, vegetables, carrots.

Recommended Daily Intakes: men 10 mg, women 0.8 mg, pregnancy: 0.8 mg, lactation 0.8 mg.

Symptoms Of Deficiency/Side Effects

Vitamin A deficiency occurs with the chronic consumption of diets that are deficient in both vitamin A and beta-carotene. When vitamin A deficiency, it tends to happen in alcoholics or in people with diseases that affect the intestine's ability to absorb fat. The earliest symptom of vitamin A deficiency is night blindness.