Retinol

Retinol, the most useful form of vitamin A, (along with retinal and retinoic acid) is a fat-soluble, antioxidant vitamin important in vision and bone growth. It is sometimes used in the treatment of severe acne. As can be seen from the structure, this is a compound synthesized from isoprene. A deficiency of vitamin A is not only disease causing, but it can kill. On the other hand, overdoses of vitamin A are also lethal. The livers of certain animals, especially those adapted to polar environments, often contain amounts of vitamin A that would be toxic to humans. The first documented death due to vitamin A poisoning was Xavier Mertz, a Swiss scientist who died in January 1913 on an Antarctic expedition that had lost its food supplies and fell to eating its sled dogs. Mertz consumed lethal amounts of vitamin A by eating the dogs' livers. The liver of the polar bear also has enough vitamin A to kill a human being. Deficiency of Vitamin A can cause night-blindness, and pale, dry skin.\nVitamin A is found in carrots, spinach, milk and eggs.\nVitamin A gets destroyed at about 40 degrees Celsius, hence these foods must be consumed raw in order to avail maximum benefit. External links:\n* http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/cc/vita.html\n* HREF="http://www.talkwellness.org/vitamina.html" class="external">Vitamin A information Category:Vitamins\n\n\n\n