About Vitamin A:
Vitamin A is actually the generic term for a group of fat-soluble compounds such as retinol, retinal, and retinyl esters. These fat-soluble compounds are found in both plant and animal foods.
Benefits of Vitamin A:
- It’s a potent antioxidant.
- It’s essential for eye health and it prevents against certain eye diseases.
- It may protect against certain cancers.
- It’s vital for fertility and fetal development.
- It boosts your immune system.
Vitamin A Toxicity:
Getting too much vitamin A can be dangerous, toxic, and can lead to serious side effects. Vitamin A can even be fatal if it’s ingested at extremely high doses. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for men is 900 mcg, for women its 700 mcg. Although, for women, RDA can vary depending on if you’re pregnant or lactating. RDA is easily reached if you’re following a whole-foods diet.
Secret: Vitamin A has many great benefits if you stick to the recommended daily allowance. If RDA is exceeded, it can result in serious side effects and can even be fatal in very high doses. Vitamin A supplements should be avoided unless otherwise prescribed by a doctor.