You need vitamin A in the body to produce a hormone that helps you to see in the dark. It also plays a huge role in the proper functioning of the reproductive system and by helping to ward off infections. Bacterial and viral infections are prevented from entering because vitamin A keeps the mucous linings of the mouth, ears, eyes and nose moist and enables healing after infection or inflammation.

Vitamin A also helps to strengthen your bones and keep your skin healthy. It is a powerful antioxidant which slows down the activity of cancer causing free radicals. As vitamin A is fat soluble it is found more commonly in fatty animal products like milk, cheese, liver, oysters, fatty fish like herring, mackerel or anchovy, dark green vegetables as well as orange and yellow ones also contain high concentrates of beta-carotene, the provitamin A.

Vitamin A cannot be easily destroyed and is quite resistant to the effects of heat and light. Some forms of it, like carrots, will need cooking to release it from protein bonds. It is a good idea to take a vitamin E supplement along with vitamin A so that it can be more readily absorbed by the body.

Deficiencies of vitamin A are blindness, and poor growth of children in developing countries. The reproductive system fails in adults and they are prone to dry skin, gingivitis and susceptible to infection. If you take too much vitamin A, you could risk hair loss, skin, liver damage and dryness of the lips which is the first sign. Children that suffer from overdose also experience vomiting, headaches and double vision.