What are Retinol and Carotene? How do they relate to Vitamin A?
When people first discovered Vitamin A, they figured the only way to intake this useful element was to eat many animal parts such as animal livers. Because these food sources provide us rich "performed" Vitamin A, which means we can use it immediately after eating them. The "performed" Vitamin A is called Retinol.
However, not every one of us would enjoy eating animal livers everyday. Therefore, people started to look into the different food sources, and we found the magical component from the yellow, orange and red plant foods - "Carotenes". Enzymes can easily convert some intake Carotenes into Vitamin A in our liver. And the converted amount is just enough for your health requirement.
Closer Look at Carotene - Alpha Carotene & Beta Carotene
There are many different kind of Carotenes, but for Vitamin A's concern, only two kinds of Carotenes need to be studied here - Alpha Carotene and Beta Carotene. Beta Carotene is largely contained in the yellow, orange and red color plant foods, and it is used in two areas:
1). Part of Beta Carotene converts into sufficient Vitamin A for your body needs. Since your own Enzyme does the job, therefore, only the needed amount of Vitamin A will be produced from the Beta Carotene. It is harmful to overdose Vitamin A sometimes, but it's never harmful to have excess amount of Carotenes. The non-used Carotenes are stored in the fatty tissues and ready to be converted into Vitamin A when ever it is needed.
2). The rest of the non-converted beta Carotenes can also be used to extinguish the singlet oxygen in our body, which prevents us from getting Cancer! Yes, Carotene itself is also a cancer-fighting agent. From this point of view, Alpha Carotene does a much better job than the Beta Carotene. To be precise, Alpha Carotene can be 10 times more effective in eliminating free radicals for our body.
Among the many different kinds of carotene supplements, we suggest the Carotenoid Complex supplement which contains Vitamin A as Beta-Carotene 25,000IU from Country Life. This supplement contains additional antioxidant carotenoids Lutein and Zeaxanthin, and natural alpha-carotene.
If you eat the following food regularly, then you are unlikely to be deficient in Vitamin A: Liver (Pork, Beef or other animal livers), Milk, Carrots, Spinach, Watermelon, Pumpkin, Asparagus etc.
If you are uncertain of weather your have enough Vitamin A in your body, we recommend you take some extra Beta Carotene just in case. Remember, Beta Carotene overdose is not harmful, it may turn your skin into orange color, but it's safe.
Who are likely to be deficient in Vitamin A?
1). Anyone with inadequate caloric or nutritional dietary intake or increased nutritional requirements
2). Those who abuses alcohol or other drugs
3). People with a chronic wasting illness or prolonged fever
4). Those under excess stress for long periods
5). Anyone who has recently undergone surgery
6). People with recent severe burns or injuries
7). Malnourished children with impaired immunity
Vitamin A Deficiency Symptoms
Below are possible symptoms of Vitamin A deficiency:
Night blindness
Lack of tear secretion
Changes in eyes - eventual blindness if deficiency is severe and untreated
Susceptibility to infectious diseases, especially respiratory
