There are so many things we don’t know about oils, vitamins, minerals, and many other related health products available out there. What they are, why we need them, where they came from. Wanting to find out more about these substances can be pretty difficult. Most of the write-ups that tell us about them can be boring. Most of the time, you end up having to scroll your way through paragraph after paragraph just to find something interesting.
But now you don’t have to!
Follow our ‘Did you know?’ to find out 20 interesting facts about the different vitamins, minerals, or oils available out there to help your body and mind. All easy to remember and laid out here for you to find!
20 interesting facts about vitamin A
1. Vitamin A was first discovered in 1912 by biochemist, Frederick Hopkins, when an unidentified factor was present in milk that rats needed for growth. It wasn’t until 1920 that the unidentified factor was referred to as ‘Vitamin A’.
2. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning that excess vitamin A can be absorbed and stored in your body tissues (your body fat) or liver for later use.
3. Vitamin A is the generic name used for a group of compounds called retinol, retinal and retinyl esters.
4. There are 2 types of vitamin A present in our foods –
a) Preformed vitamin A – which is found in animal products such as liver, milk, fish, and eggs.
b) Pro-vitamin A carotenoids – which are found in plant products such as broccoli, kale, spinach, mango, oranges, and carrots.
5. Vitamin A is available as a liquid, tablet, powder and oil.
6. When suffering from acne, vitamin A can be prescribed for topical or oral use as it has the ability to reduce inflammation and redness.
7. Vitamin A is needed by the body for good vision, colour vision, low light vision and overall eye health.
8. Vitamin A protects the cornea (outer layer of the eye).
9. Vitamin A protects the conjunctiva (membrane that covers the white surface of the eye).
10. Vitamin A can protect the eye against early development of age-related eye diseases.
11. Vitamin A is very important for pregnant women as it helps with foetal tissue development and foetal growth.
12. It’s very important for the health of the placenta in a pregnant woman.
13. Vitamin A is not only important for a woman who is pregnant, but also for the man involved as it supports reproductive health. It helps with both sperm and egg production.
14. It’s also needed to support the immune system by promoting white blood cell growth. Vitamin A helps produce T cells and B cells of the immune system which help protect the body against disease.
15. Vitamin A is important for bone strength alongside calcium and other necessary vitamins and minerals. Keeping up your bone strength can help increase your mobility and reduce the risk of serious injury.
16. Vitamin A is a strong antioxidant and protects the body from free radical damage which can cause a multitude of illnesses.
17. Vitamin A, along with other vitamins, can help protect the body against cancer by reducing the risk of its development.
18. Vitamin A protects body tissues such as the skin, lungs, inner ear, and bladder.
19. The recommended daily amount (RDA) of vitamin E is –
- Men – 900 mcg
- Women – 700 mcg
20. Vitamin E deficiency can lead to –
- High levels of inflammation causing compounds in the body
- Blindness in children
- Risk of measles
- Risk of diarrhoea
- Anaemia in pregnant women
- Pregnancy complications
- Slow foetal growth
- Acne
If you know any more interesting things about vitamin A, let us know on our forum and social media! Share some of your thoughts with others and start a conversation.
DISCLAIMER
Before you start any new diet, health programme, exercise routine, and ingest or topically use any oil, vitamin, mineral, product or compound, it is very important to consult your doctor, therapist or do a patch test to make sure you do not have any adverse reactions.
We do not offer any form of medical or psychological advice. The information in our wellbeing articles are offered for educational purposes only. Our wellbeing articles are not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease. Thank you.
