Vitamin A strengthens your immune system by supporting white blood cells and the mucus membranes in your lungs, intestines and urinary tract. This helps you ward off infection and toxins (also called free radicals) that cause inflammation and disease.
Vitamin A is a nutrient the body uses to support growth, vision and cell function. It's also called retinol or retinoic acid. Vitamin A has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are substances that might protect cells against the effects of free radicals.
Retinol (depicted) and retinal play a biological role in vision, but most of the effects of vitamin A are exerted by retinoic acid, which binds to nuclear receptors and regulates gene transcription. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is an essential nutrient.
This article discusses vitamin A, including its benefits, food sources of the vitamin, and the effects of deficiency and toxicity.
Vitamin A is the name of a group of fat-soluble retinoids, primarily retinol and retinyl esters [1, 2]. Vitamin A is involved in immune function, cellular communication, growth and development, and male and female reproduction [1-3].
The two main forms of vitamin A in the human diet are preformed vitamin A (retinol, retinyl esters), and provitamin A carotenoids such as alpha-carotene and beta-carotene that are converted to retinol.
Vitamin A is important for the eyes and skin, the immune system, and for normal growth. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is absorbed with fats in your diet and stored in your body's fatty tissue. Vitamin A is used to treat vitamin A deficiency.
Vitamin A offers many health benefits, from skin health to immune support. Learn more about benefits and possible risks of vitamin A supplements.