Benefits Of Vitamin A
Vitamin A has been most popularly used in the treatment of acne. It is the feature part of an ingredient called retinol, which can be topically applied to eliminate buildup and acne. And in more extreme cases, it has been used as the main ingredient in Accutane, which works to essentially stop the production of all major oils in the skin and subsequently the body! Toxic amounts of vitamin A have been used more than once to try to achieve better results. But there are other benefits that are not as well recognized with this absolutely essential vitamin. Obviously, it’s good for the skin.
But what else does Vitamin A do?
For starters, vitamin A can help you to substantially improve the function of the immune system. With vitamin A, you will be able to get what they have called an “anti infective” vitamin, that will help you to reduce the risk of heart disease, the common cold, flu, and other problems. It has also been known to increase and improve things such as vision, bone metabolism, and of course it keeps the skin healthy as a sign of greater health as a whole.
What about a vitamin A deficiency?
When you have a deficiency of vitamin A, while an overdose can cause certain problems, the deficiency in this case is more severe. It can cause an immunodeficiency disorder that can cause night blindness. This occurs when there is little to no light, and the vision will become severely and substantially blurred. It can be slight or extreme. It has also been known to be one of the leading causes of total blindness in children, especially in third world countries. Before 1998, it was estimated that over 1 million children die each year from diseases caused or contributed to by a lack of vitamin A! Children who do not have enough vitamin A are also more likely to suffer from asthma and other related disorders.
Vitamin A Toxicity
While vitamin A is absolutely essential, we have seen what it can do in toxic amounts such as those used in Accutane. It could cause night blindness, in part because it dries out the natural oils and water in the eyes. And it has also been known to cause joint pain because of that same problem. It is most likely to cause symptoms such as irritability, nausea, vomiting, headaches, night blindness, jaundice, and muscle weakness!