Vitamin A was discovered in 1913. It is fat-soluble vitamin. Vitamin A is also known as retinol or carotenoids. Vitamin A is an “anti-infective” vitamin because of its functions of supporting the immune system. It exists in several forms and not as a single compound.

What are the functions of the vitamin A?

Vitamin A aids formation and maintainance of healthy teeth, skin, skeletal and smooth muscles and mucous membranes. It produces the pigments in the eye’s retina and thus it is termed as retinol. It promotes good vision, particularly in low light. Vitamin A is also necessary for reproduction and breast feeding. It is also required for the proper functioning of our immune system.

What are the food sources of vitamin A?

Retinol or preformed vitamin A is found in sources of animal origin while carotenoid or provitamin A is found in fruits and vegetables. Our body can transform some members of the carotenoid family like alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and gamma-carotene into vitamin A. These carotenoids are sometimes referred as “provitamin A” and retinol as “preformed vitamin A.”

continue reading The Role of Vitamin A in Your Health Care

“Vitamins and Minerals” is a common term, but very few people truly understand the difference between vitamins and minerals, and what each actually means for your body and your health. Most people think of minerals as compounds that are found in the earth, such as quartz or iron. Minerals are also present in very small amounts in many of the foods that we eat, including in meat which is typically an excellent source of iron. In the same way that vitamins are a crucial element contributing to the health of your body, minerals also help the body to grow, develop and to stay healthy over time. The body requires minerals for a variety of different functions to be performed, including building up strong bones and transmitting nerve impulses through the body. Some minerals are also required to create hormones, or to maintain heart health and a healthy heartbeat.

There are many different minerals that play a large part within the body, including but not limited to the following:

• Boron
• Calcium
• Chloride
• Chromium
• Cobalt
• Copper
• Fluoride
• Germanium
• Iodine
• Iron
• Lithium
• Magnesium
• Manganese
• Molybdenum
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Selenium
• Silicon
• Sodium
• Sulfur
• Vanadium
• Zinc

There are two different kinds of minerals that your body needs for health: Macro minerals, and Trace Minerals. Macro minerals are needed in larger amounts by your body than the trace minerals, and this group of minerals includes calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride and sulfur. Trace minerals are minerals that the body does not require much of, so even though trace minerals are necessary for the body to function, only a small amount of each is actually necessary. Scientists have not yet figured out quite how much of each trace mineral is needed. Minerals in the trace mineral group include iron, manganese, copper, zinc, cobalt, iodine, fluoride and selenium.

continue reading Minerals: Why We Need Them for Better Health