Many people are unaware of what vitamin A really is? To keep it simple, it is a vitamin essential for bone growth, vision, and cell division.

The immune system and lymphocytes also benefit greatly from this vitamin as it helps to fight infections more effectively. Vitamin A is something we all need but only in certain amounts as taking too much can damaging effects. This is because vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin and thus stored in the body. Birth defects and illness can occur if too much vitamin A is consumed.

Just as having too much vitamin A is bad taking too little also has it's bad side. Hyperkeratosis is a common sign of vitamin A deficiency. This looks similar to a goose-bump and is caused by excessive production of keratin. This can lead to night blindness and a couple of other nasty symptoms.

Now that we know what to look out for on the negatives, it's time to see the benefits of taking this extraordinary vitamin. We all know that it is great for our vision but not everyone knows that it also helps maintain healthy mucous membranes and skin repair. Mucous membranes are found in your eyelids, nasal passage, urethra, lips, anus, and in your ears. It's important to keep these areas clean and healthy as they are the first line of defence against infection.

Vitamin A can be found in a number of sources mostly commonly dark green and yellow vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, and carrots. It is also found in animal products such as, liver, eggs, cheese, milk, and butter.

Eating the right amount can prove difficult as many of us are not eating the recommended daily intake of vegetables. Often times people don't know how to cook vegetables to make them taste the way they want and others have no interest. Whatever the reason is, a supplement can benefit all of us inducing those who eat plenty of the above items. To give you an idea of how much you take, adult males should take 900mcg per day and women 700mcg per day. Children will often require around 400mcg each day.

Finding a good supplement is very difficult with so many different companies offering a new drug or supplement each day that claims to be better than the last. When choosing a supplement, brand new and expensive doesn't necessarily mean it's better. I have been taking supplements for most of my life and through experience I have found that brands that have been around for a while and are appropriately priced do the best job. Don't be tricked in to buying fancy products from slick salesmen. Do your research and find one that is suited to you. To save you the trouble of searching all over the internet, I have provided a link below where you can buy a good quality vitamin that won't break the bank.