The "Twin" Vitamin

Assuming that we don’t get enough Vitamin D, and are actively trying to improve that in our diets what else do we need to know?

Lets talk for a moment about Vitamin A. It too is a fat-soluble vitamin, which the liver stores for future use; and it depends on at least small amounts of fat in order to be absorbed. It must also have just the right amount of protein to function. Americans eat far too much protein found in red meats. Therefore high protein diets need extra Vitamin A.

Vitamin A is essentially a twin vitamin. What this means is in the following example. “Preformed A can be found in butter, meat fats and fish oils; and once digested it's ready to go into action. Performed Vitamin A is found in leafy green vegetables. Vegetables with yellow or orange colors such as sweet potatoes contain the largest amounts of Vitamin A, where turnips contain almost none.

To accomplish this conversion you have to have a healthy bile flow and plenty of fat-splitting enzymes in the intestines. You also have to have the proteins necessary for vitamin A to be merged into the bloodstream, then transported to its target. If your body lacks any of these things you will still be deficient in vitamin A no matter how much you consume.

Many conditions interfere with both the conversion and the assimilation: Diabetes or other serious diseases, for instance. Too much iron, and even physical exertion after eating can deplete our resources. Vitamin A is quickly depleted by the same things, which use up other vitamins; alcohol, smoking, drugs, air pollution, surgery, any emotional or physical stress. One particularly dangerous enemy of vitamin A is mineral oil. Never use the stuff; it can damage your intestinal tract, and it will dissolve and waste, your fat-soluble vitamins.

Vitamin A is absolutely essential. Its presence in our bodies means the difference between sickness and health. This vitamin stands guard against infections; it is vital to the entire immunity system, which rejects and fights off disease. Vitamin A is also responsible for: healthy eyes, healthy teeth and bones, and every aspect of our sexual health. And for the complete epithelial system, which means every tissue in our bodies, especially the skin.

From head to toe you have been covered with a fine and sensitive sheath, both to protect you and to give you pleasure. For it is through the skin you experience the sense of touch, of comfort and caressing. Oh, the skin is such a marvel I'd like to write a whole chapter about it.

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