Using vitamin A as a natural remedy can be helpful in treating or preventing numerous conditions in the body. helps to prevent night blindness, as well as acne and other skin disorders. It also boosts the body's immunity, and may help to heal gastrointestinal ulcers. It is also needed for the maintenance and repair of the skin and mucous membranes.
Vitamin A also plays an important role in the formation of bones and teeth, and protects against colds, flu, and infections of the kidney, bladder, lungs, and mucous membranes.
The body also cannot utilize protein without vit A.
It also acts as an antioxidant, protecting the cells against cancer and other diseases, and is necessary for new cell growth.
It also helps to protect us from heart disease and strokes, and lowers cholesterol.
This important vitamin also slows the aging process, and is a well known wrinkle eliminator.
When applied topically in the form of tretinoin, which is the active ingredient in Retin-A and Renova, vit A reduces fine lines in the skin and helps to fade age spots.
People undergoing radiation treatment for cervical, prostate or colorectal cancer have benefitted from taking Vitamin A. Radiation induced anal ulcers can be a problem with such treatment programs, and taking a large dose of vit A (100,000 IU daily) significantly reduced these symptoms in 88% of people.
A deficiency of vit A can cause a large variety of problems.
These can include dry hair and skin, dryness of the conjunctiva and cornea, poor growth, night blindness, abscesses in the ears, insomnia, fatigue, reproductive problems, sinusitis, pneumonia, frequent colds and other respiratory infections, skin disorders including acne, and weight loss.
The carotenoids are a class of compounds closely related to vitamin A.
The presence of some of them is actually required in order for the body to be able to properly absorb vit A.
Some of the carotenoids also act as antioxidants or have other important functions in the body.
The best known subclass of carotenoids are the carotenes, of which beta-carotene is the best known.
When beta-carotene is consumed, it is converted into vit A in the liver.
Another reason for the popularity of beta-carotene is the fact that you cannot overdose on beta-carotene, while an overdose of vit A can create some toxic problems which we will discuss shortly.
Another fairly well known carotenoid is lutein. There is considerable evidence which suggests that taking larger amounts of lutein will reduce the risk of cataracts and age related macular degeneration
Taking lutein can slow the progress of these disorders, although they do not appear to reverse them once they are present.
Taking large doses of lutein has also been shown to decrease the occurance of prostate cancer.
Science has not yet discovered all of the carotenoids, but at present over 600 different ones have been documented.
It has also been shown that taking combinations of carotenoids seems to be more beneficial to the body than just taking individual ones.
Taking large amounts of vit A, more than 100,000 IU daily, over long periods of time can have toxic effects on the body, especially the liver.
Effects of vit A overdose can include abdominal pain, ceasing of menstruation, enlargement of the liver or spleen, gastrointestinal problems, hair loss, joint pain, nausea and vomiting, water on the brain, and small cracks and scales on the lips and corners of the mouth.
Taking excessive amounts of vit A during pregnancy has been linked to birth defects, including cleft palate and heart defects.
As a result, it is better to take beta-carotene during pregnancy, as it will not cause these effects.
If you do have a health problem which calls for taking large doses of vit A, taking an emulsified form will put less stress on your liver.
No overdose can occur with beta carotene, although taking large amounts may cause your skin to turn slightly yellow-orange in color.
Beta-carotene does not have the same ill effects on the body and is only harmful if your body cannot convert it into vit A.
People with hypothyroidism often have this problem.
It is important to only take natural beta-carotene or a natural carotenoid complex.
Vit A is found in animal livers, fish liver oils, and green and yellow fruits and vegetables.
Foods that contain significant amounts include, apricots, asparagus, beet greens, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, collards, dandelion greens, dulse, fish liver and fish liver oil, garlic, kale, mustard greens, papayas, peaches, pumpkin, red peppers, spinach, spirulina, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, turnip greens, watercress and yellow squash.
It is also found in the following herbs: alfalfa, borage leaves, burdock root, cayenne (capsicum), chickweed, eyebright, fennel seed, hops, horsetail, kelp, lemongrass, mullein, nettle, oat straw, paprika, parsley, peppermint, plantain, raspberry leaf, red clover, rose hips, sage, uva ursi, violet leaves, watercress, and yellow dock.
Animal sources of vitamin A are up to six times as strong as vegetable sources.
Antibiotics, laxatives, and some cholesterol lowering drugs hinder the absorption of vit A.
If you have liver disease, do not exceed 10,000 IU in pill form, and avoid taking cod liver oil at all.
If you are pregnant, do not exceed 10,000 IU of vit A.
Children should not exceed 18,000 IU for more than a month.
For most people, it is best to take beta-carotene as your source of vitamin A, as the liver only converts the amount the body actually needs into Vit A.
However, if you have diabetes or hypothyroidism, it is very likely that your body cannot convert the beta-carotene into vit A.
If this is your situation, consuming large quantities of beta-carotene will place unnecessary stress on your liver.
This information is not intended to diagnose or treat any specific condition, nor is it intended to replace the advice of your healthcare professional.
Balch, Phyllis A., CNC. "Prescription for Nutritional Healing". Garden City, NY.: Avery Publishing Group, 2006
Ritchason, Jack, ND. "The Little Herb Encyclopedia". Pleasant Grove, UT.: Woodland Health Books, 1995
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