Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a yellow crystalline compound, soluble in fat and is essential in the human diet. Contributing to the development and maintenance of different cell tissues, especially epithelial, mucus and retinal rods. Deficiency that causes hardening and roughening of the skin and mucous membranes, night blindness, and decreased effectiveness of the immune system. Studies in animals and humans have shown that the absence of vitamin A result in impaired synthesis of hemoglobin, causing anemia. When discussing the course of a protective effect against the onset of squamous cell carcinoma of vitamins, for example, skin, bladder and lung.

Vitamin A is present in the normal diet in two ways: as a retinyl ester (retinol), and the beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A). In the first form, retinol, is found in abundance in fish liver oils, especially cod, egg yolks, butter, beef liver of animals, etc., while in the form of beta-carotene is found in yellow vegetables, orange and red, such as carrots, pumpkin , papaya, etc.. However, the most effective absorption and fast are the first, the retinyl ester.