Vitamin A

A; it’s the first letter of the alphabet and in the absolute logic of early scientists, it was one of the first vitamins ever discovered and isolated just over 100 years ago.
Even with a long history of understanding its necessity, approximately 40 per cent of Canadian adults do not meet their requirements for vitamin A from food. It is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for the function of the immune system, vision, reproductive health and cell communication.
Vitamin A is one of the most common deficiencies around the world, with disastrous consequences including blindness, a weakened immune system and death.
Pre-formed vitamin A is only found in animal sources like liver and fish, but the body can convert it from a plant pre-cursor called "beta-carotene". Beta-carotene can be found in yellow and orange vegetables including yellow peppers and carrots, however it’s absorption and activity is much lower than pre-formed vitamin A.
This is why a supplement might be a good option, because they can provide the high quality, pre-formed vitamin A your body absorbs and uses best.
When considering a vitamin A supplement, it’s really important to speak with a health care practitioner to see if it is right for you. Particularly for pregnant and breast-feeding women, having the right levels of vitamin A (and not too much) is very important.
Speak with your health care practitioner about vitamin A.