Many people think, the benefits of vitamin A for the eyes only. When in fact, vitamin A also serves to protect the body from the evil of cancer cells. In addition, vitamin A can also help in the formation of hormones in the body. Vitamin A is a vitamin that is essential for gene transcription and maintain healthy skin and vision. Vitamin A is found in two main forms, retinol and carotene.
Retinol is vitamin A preformed which can be found in animal food sources. Our bodies can convert the plant carotenoids such as alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and gamma-carotene that can be found in fruits and vegetables into vitamin A. Thus, carotenoid called provitamin A. Eggs, milk, carrots, broccoli, pumpkin, beef liver, sweet potato and spinach are good sources of vitamin A. This vitamin is stored in fat tissue and liver in the body. Vitamin A serves for several purposes in the human body.
Functions of Vitamin A
Vitamin A is one of the most important vitamin for maintaining healthy skin and mucous membranes. This vitamin is one of the significant factors for the growth of healthy hair. Even for the skin, this vitamin has many benefits, for which is included in skin care products. It can be very beneficial for acne prone skin and dry. It helps the skin to retain moisture, and thus making it soft and supple. It can also fight the signs of aging such as wrinkles and fine lines.
Vitamin A takes part in gene transcription, cell growth, embryonic development and reproduction. It is also a powerful antioxidant that helps neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals on cells and tissues. In addition it helps the immune system to fight infectious pathogens. Because of its antioxidant properties, may decrease the risk of several diseases including cancer and heart disease. Even people who have high blood cholesterol levels benefit from vitamin A. In addition, these vitamins make moist mucous membranes, and help the healthy growth of teeth and bones. Children with respiratory problems can also benefit from this vitamin.
Incredible benefits of vitamin A
- Vitamin A is beneficial to inhibit breast cancer cells: According to a recent study issued by expert scientists from the United States, they revealed that vitamin A may be useful both in inhibiting the growth of breast cancer cells. The workings of Vitamin A itself is not directly perceived but retinol (the first derivative of Vitamin A) is able to assist the body in inhibiting the cancer cells.
- Boost immunity: Vitamin A content of retinyl acetate containing retinyl palmitate and, both content can be useful to prevent infections that may occur from a wide variety of small organisms that harm our body healthy.
- Inhibit the aging process: antioxidants produced from vitamin A, making this good vitamin in warding off free radicals that can damage the structure of the skin work. Until the results can inhibit the aging process.
- Optimize fetal development: Pregnant women need the intake of Vitamin A in the body. This is due to the nature of Vitamin A which is very easy to water and fat soluble, so it is useful for the fetus in the womb. Functions of Vitamin A for pregnant women is a substance that helps the development of eye cells, helps bone growth of the fetus, and helps maintain healthy skin, and can help the healthy development of the fetal heart.
- Keeping antioxidant activity: The vegetables that we consume, such as spinach, carrots and broccoli will generate the Beta Carotene, which is one form of vitamin A that can be digested by our bodies. So that these compounds are compounds with antioxidant activity that can counteract free radicals. The compound is a lot of free radicals derived from the oxidation reactions in the body and in the environment of pollutants that enter the body. Antioxidants in the body can prevent damage to the genetic material (DNA and RNA) by free radicals so that the rate of mutation can be suppressed.
