SupraLife
Products with Vitamin A: Ultra Body Toddy®, Total Toddy™, Sports Toddy™,Maxum Essentials™, Kid's Toddy™, Formula Plus™
Functions
of Vitamin A
- One of the most
important functions of this vitamin, and one of particular interest,
is that it maintains the health and well being of the epithelial
tissues of the body. These are generally the tissues that line
the openings, skin and mucous membranes. All glands and their
duct systems come under the protection of Vitamin A. Since these
areas are the first potential sites for bodily invasion by outside
microbes, we must maintain these sites in optimal health.
- Vitamin A aids
in the growth and repair of body tissues, especially bones.
- Proper formation
and maintenance of tooth enamel and gums are a vitamin A process.
- Vitamin A prompts
the secretion of gastric juices necessary for proper digestion
of proteins.
- Vitamin A maintains
the proper health of sex glands and the uterus.
- Night vision and
the general maintenance of the eye is a function of vitamin A.
- Vitamin A aids
in the synthesis of RNA.
Vitamin A: What is it?
- Vitamin A is a family of fat-soluble vitamins. Retinol is
one of the most active, or usable, forms of vitamin A, and is
found in animal foods such as liver and eggs and in some fortified
food products.
- Retinol is often called preformed vitamin A. It can be converted
to retinal and retinoic acid, other active forms of the vitamin
A family .
- Some plant foods contain darkly colored pigments called provitamin
A carotenoids that can be converted to vitamin A. In the U.S.,
approximately 26% and 34% of vitamin A consumed by men and women
is provided by provitamin A carotenoids .
- Beta-carotene is a provitamin A carotenoid that is more efficiently
converted to retinol than other carotenoids . For example, alpha-carotene
and b-cryptoxanthin are also converted to vitamin A, but only
half as efficiently as beta-carotene (1). Lycopene, lutein, and
zeaxanthin are other carotenoids commonly found in food. They
are not sources of vitamin A but may have other health promoting
properties. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) encourages consumption
of carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables for their health-promoting
benefits.
- Vitamin A plays an important role in vision, bone growth,
reproduction, cell division and cell differentiation, which is
the process by which a cell decides what it is going to become.
- It helps maintain the surface linings of the eyes and the
respiratory, urinary, and intestinal tracts (9). When those linings
break down, bacteria can enter the body and cause infection .
Vitamin A also helps maintain the integrity of skin and mucous
membranes that function as a barrier to bacteria and viruses
).
- Vitamin A helps regulate the immune system. The immune system
helps prevent or fight off infections by making white blood cells
that destroy harmful bacteria and viruses. Vitamin A may help
lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that fights infections,
function more effectively.
- Some carotenoids, in addition to serving as a source of vitamin
A, have been shown to function as antioxidants in laboratory
tests. However, this role has not been consistently demonstrated
in humans . Antioxidants protect cells from free radicals, which
are potentially damaging by-products of oxygen metabolism that
may contribute to the development of some chronic diseases
When can vitamin A deficiency
occur?
- Vitamin A deficiency rarely occurs in the United States,
but it is still a major public health problem in the developing
world.
- At least 3 million children develop xeropthalmia, damage
to the cornea of the eye, and 250,000 to 500,000 go blind each
year from a deficiency of vitamin A . Most of these children
live in developing countries. Night blindness is one of the first
signs of vitamin A deficiency. In ancient Egypt it was
known that night blindness could be cured by eating liver, which
was later found to be a rich source of vitamin A . Vitamin A
deficiency contributes to blindness by making the cornea very
dry and promoting damage to the retina and cornea(23).
Vitamin A deficiency diminishes
the ability to fight infections.
- In countries where immunization programs are not widespread
and vitamin A deficiency is common, millions of children die
each year from complications of infectious diseases such as measles.
. When there is not enough vitamin A, cells lining the lung lose
their ability to remove disease-causing microorganisms. This
may contribute to the pneumonia associated with vitamin A deficiency
.
- There is increased interest in subclinical forms of vitamin
A deficiency, described as low storage levels of vitamin A that
do not cause overt deficiency symptoms. This mild degree of vitamin
A deficiency may increase children's risk of developing respiratory
and diarrheal infections, decrease growth rate, slow bone development,
and decrease likelihood of survival from serious illness . Children
living in the United States who are considered to be at increased
risk for subclinical vitamin A deficiency include:
* toddlers and preschool age children,
* children living at or below the poverty level,
* children with inadequate health care or immunizations,
* children living in areas with known nutritional deficiencies,
* recent immigrants or refugees from developing countries with
high incidence of vitamin A deficiency or measles, and
* children with diseases of the pancreas, liver, intestines,
or with inadequate fat digestion/absorption (9)
Vitamin A deficiency can
occur when vitamin A is lost through chronic diarrhea, and through
an overall
inadequate intake, as is often seen with protein-calorie malnutrition.
- Low plasma retinol concentrations indicate depleted levels
of vitamin A. This occurs with vitamin A deficiency but also
can result from an inadequate intake of protein, calories and
zinc. These nutrients are needed to make Retinol Binding Protein
(RBP), which is essential for mobilizing vitamin A from your
liver and transporting vitamin A to your general circulation
.
- Iron deficiency can also limit the metabolism of vitamin
A, and iron supplements provided to iron deficient individuals
may improve vitamin A nutriture as well as iron status .
- Excess alcohol intake depletes vitamin A stores. Also, diets
high in alcohol usually do not provide recommended amounts of
vitamin A . It is very important for anyone who consumes excessive
amounts of alcohol to include good sources of vitamin A in his
or her diet. However, Vitamin A supplementation may not be recommended
for individuals who abuse alcohol because alcohol may increase
liver toxicity associated with excess intakes of vitamin A (1,26
). A medical doctor would need to evaluate this situation and
determine the need for vitamin A supplementation.
.
Deficiency
Symptoms of Vitamin A
- The eyes are obvious
indicators of Vitamin A deficiency. One of the first symptoms
is night blindness. Other eye indicators of vitamin A deficiency
include dry, itchy and inflamed eyeballs.
- Susceptibility
to colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections, especially of
the respiratory and urinary tract, are indicators of vitamin
A deficiency. Sinusitis and abscesses in ears and mouth are also
common symptoms, as well as general repeated infections.
- Acne.
- Rough, dry, scaly,
prematurely aged skin.
- Sensitivity to
light.
- Reproductive difficulties.
Ultra Body Toddy™ with
Cell Shield™
Full Spectrum Nutrition
for Active Adults
 Ultra Body ToddyÆ with Cell Shield™ is the
ultimate liquid dietary supplement for the non-stop lifestyle
of the 21st Century. Ultra Body Toddy™
is also a full spectrum nutritional liquid, but with added specialized
nutrients that make it a truly cutting edge supplement. In addition
to the base organic plant-derived trace and major minerals, 16
vitamins, 18 amino acids and the phytonutrients
found in Total Toddy™,
we have added specialized nutrient co-factors such as the antioxidants
citrus bioflavonoids and dimethyl glycine. And if that's not
enough, we also added the power packed antioxidants and free
radical scavengers in Cell
Shield™. Ultra Body Toddy™
is not only the most potent Full Spectrum liquid supplement available,
is is also the most potent Full Spectrum cellular protection
as well. This unique and powerful product is the one choice
for anyone wishing to make the most of a healthy, active lifestyle.
Item #81099-32 oz. -Wholesale: $39.75
Suggested usage: One ounce per day per 100 lbs. body weight,
in divided amounts with or after meals, either undiluted or mixed
with fruit or vegetable juice. (For children ages 2 to 12 we
recommend using Kid's Toddy™.)
Shake well before using, Refrigerate after opening.
|
True
Health