Improving vision, facilitating normal bone growth, helping in the reproduction process and maintaining skin health are the important functions of vitamin A. Apart from this; vitamin A guards the body against harmful radicals and also works as an antioxidant. This may help prevent the body in getting affected by cancer to a certain extent.
Sources
The body can derivevitamin A immediately from various animal and dairy products such as eggs, milk, meat and liver. This vitamin is available in the active form and is known as retinol. The other type of vitamin A, beta-carotene, can be found in vegetables and fruits. Beta-carotene gets converted to retinol once it enters the body.
Side-effects of Deficiency
Compared to developed countries, vitamin A deficiency is more common in developing countries. Xerophthalamia, an eye disorder can be due to lack of vitamin A in the body. It affects the skin by causing disorders and it is also dangerous for women who are pregnant. Lower resistance power, dryness of skin and growth problems is few other conditions caused due to deficiency of vitamin A.
Dangers
Large or extra amounts of vitamin A during pregnancy could result in birth defects in children born. This is the reason why doctors advise against consuming a lot of dairy and animal products, rich in vitamin A, during pregnancy.

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