Contents
Medicinal properties of vitamin A
Healing properties of vitamin A
Main curative properties of vitamin A
- Vitamin A strengthens the immune system, making it very suitable to prevent the occurrence of many diseases, especially in the respiratory system: sore throat, flu, cold, pharyngitis, sinusitis, bronchitis. It has antibacterial properties that can be used to combat skin infections in wounds, to prevent the spread of warts or vaginal infections. A deficiency of this vitamin causes general fatigue and a greater possibility of acquiring infections.
- Vitamin A has anticancer properties. It is an antioxidant component that favors the non-appearance of cancer, especially lung, mouth, stomach, and breast cancer. It inhibits the growth of skin cancer and improves the conditions of patients with leukemia or those who are being treated with chemotherapy. The anti degenerative properties of antioxidants are useful in treating diseases like Alzheimer’s. It has also been shown it prevents the occurrence of heart diseases and helps people with lung chronic disease to breathe better.
- Vitamin A takes care of vision: Retina cells contains a molecule called retinal which is necessary to see under low conditions of light and to distinguish the different colors of things.
Retinal derives from retinol, the type of vitamin A from animal sources. People, as well as other herbivore or omnivore animals, have also the possibility of transforming carotenes into retinal. So, either by animal-food or by means of plant-food ingestion, we obtain the so precious molecule that permits us a good vision.
Retinal is also necessary for the formation of rhodopsin, a pigment that we need to convert the light into electrical signals
Vitamin A especially prevents night blindness which is the lack of vision in low light conditions. Vitamin A deficiency may even lead to many vision problems.
Antioxidant properties of vitamin A
Apart for being crucial for allowing vision, the antioxidant power of vitamin A is very interesting to keep our vision in good condition, preventing diseases such as loss of vision, myopia, hypermetropia, presbyopia, retina detachment, night blindness, macular degeneration, cataracts or glaucoma. It also helps the eyes to overcome bacterial infections such as conjunctivitis.
- Vitamin A maintains the skin and mucous membranes in good conditions: Vitamin A helps keep skin in good condition and can be useful in treating diseases that affect it: dermatitis, eczema, acne, psoriasis, dry skin, herpes,cuts, wounds, burns, etc.
A deficiency of this vitamin can be the reason for dry, scaly skin or bad teeth. Used internally, is used to improve the state of mucous membranes, preventing them to become dry and stiffened. Vitamin A promotes healing of wounds in diseases such as diverticulitis or diverticulosis.
Vitamin A promotes ulcer healing by helping to regenerate the intestinal mucosa. A deficiency of this vitamin causes lack of appetite. It is suitable for the treatment of indigestion.
- Vitamin A prevents hearing loss: Its antioxidant properties are very useful to prevent the action of free radicals on the ear. These can cause ear diseases, such as hearing sclerosis and facilitate the onset of hearing loss or deafness.
- Vitamin A is necessary for growing up: A deficiency of this vitamin reduces the growing process, mainly because of inappetence.
- Vitamin A prevents infertility : A deficiency of this vitamin can be responsible for some cases of infertility.
More information about vitamin A.
