Vitamin Information Center

Vitamin A
•Found in animal foods and converted from beta-carotene in plant foods.
•Required for vision, gene expression, reproduction, embryonic development, red
blood cell production, and immune function.
•Prescription vitamin A derivatives are used to treat skin conditions (acne) and reti-
nitis pigmentosa (genetic eye disease).
•Defi ciency is rare in Canada, but common in developing countries due to malnutri-
tion. It causes night blindness, dry eyes and skin, and impaired growth.
•Drugs that deplete vitamin A: cholestyramine, colestipol, mineral oil, and neomycin.
•Supplements should be avoided by those at risk of lung cancer (smokers) or liver
toxicity (alcoholics, liver disease).
•Doses greater than 10,000 IU daily should be avoided by pregnant women due to the
risk of birth defects. Most prenatal vitamins provide 5,000 IU.
•Doses greater than 5,000 IU may increase risk of osteoporosis.
•Supplements of vitamin A beyond what is provided in a multivitamin are not rec-
ommended due to risk of toxicity. To avoid this risk, choose a multivitamin that
contains beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the liver, but is not as-
sociated with health risks.

Ninety percent of the vitamin D in your body is a result of your skin’s exposure to ultraviolet light. This makes vitamin D one of the only vitamins you don’t really have to pay for. The other 10 percent can come from a supplement or certain foods, but really a 15-minute walk is more beneficial than either of these things.

Although this is the exact opposite of what skin cancer warnings tell us, limiting that exposure to 10 to 15 minutes will keep you safe and full of vitamin D. It is a soluble fat, which means it is stored and dissolved in body fat rather than water soluble, which is not stored. Vitamin D stays in your body for months and that means taking the 15-minute walk in the sunshine will provide you with the beneficial affects of vitamin D for months to come.
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