Why is vitamin A important

Vitamin A is a vital nutrient inside the human body. It works in correspondence with many other nutrients and helps in maintain the proper functioning of many life sustaining mechanisms going on inside the human body. The importance of Vitamin A in maintaining the visual abilities of the human body is simply colossal. The fact that humans are able to see properly even in dim light and at night time can be attributed to the presence of Vitamin A in the human body. A body devoid of the required Vitamin A levels runs a very real risk of suffering from night blindness and dryness of the eyes. A severe Vitamin A deficiency can even aggravate to lead to the decay of the cornea through ulceration, resulting in permanent blindness.

Vitamin A has a telling impact on the development of the body, as is evident from its role in the development of epithelial cells proteins and glycogen. Bone and teeth formation processes rely heavily on Vitamin A as an essential raw material. Also, this vitamin is a vital constituent of the human skin and mucus membranes. Vitamin A has a huge role in the strengthening of the immune system of the body. It performs the function of an antioxidant and aids the body’s defence mechanisms to ward off the pollutants that are present in our immediate environment. A body deficient in Vitamin A is susceptible to cancer formations and several other diseases such as respiratory abnormalities and skin disorders. The digestive system and the urinary tract in human beings also use a fair amount of Vitamin A. Also, it is believed to have an inhibitory effect on the ageing process.

The body exhibits explicit symptoms when it encounters a deficiency of Vitamin A. These symptoms are – insomnia, feeling of fatigue, dryness of eyes and hair, etc. Smokers and alcohol drinkers are bound to be susceptible to a situation where their body lacks the bare minimum amount of Vitamin A. Also, pregnant women need to be wary of deficiency symptoms. However, there are many Vitamin A rich food materials, apart from synthetic health supplements that can be used to compensate for the deficiency.