Vitamin A and Infections: deficiencies of vitamin A are far more widespread in America than we like to believe. This vitamin plays a particularly important role in preventing or clearing up infections of the skin, the cornea of the eye, and the mucous membranes which line all body cavities, although it is also necessary for the production of antibodies and white blood cells.
When vitamin A is under-supplied, millions of cells in the lower layers of the skin and the surface of the mucous membranes die quickly and accumulate; cells lining the body cavities can no longer secrete mucus, which normally washes the tissues and carries the white blood cells. Whether in the skin or the mucous membranes, the accumulation of dead cells serves as food for bacteria.
A five-year study of 1,100 people revealed that individuals whose blood was consistently low in vitamins A and C contracted by far the most infections. The blood vitamin A drops sharply during many infections, is often lost in the urine, and may disappear completely during measles and high fever. Moreover, cortisone and a number of drugs rapidly deplete the body of its vitamin-A stores and tremendously increase the need for it.
Unless vitamin A is generously supplied, the body is left susceptible to more serious infections. Well known examples are kidney infections following rheumatic fever, encephalitis following measles, and endocarditis following a strep throat.
Vitamin A is given to groups of patients has shortened the duration of such infections as measles, scarlet fever, pneumonia, and infections of the eyes, middle ear, sinuses, kidneys, intestines, ovaries, uterus, and vagina.
The vitamin has proved valuable, too, in clearing up impetigo, boils, carbuncles, and open ulcers, particularly when applied locally.
Though vitamin A is usually well absorbed during infections, a water-dispersed preparation is preferable to that dissolved in oil when an illness is acute or diarrhea occurs. Physicians have given 200,000 units daily for six months with no signs of toxicity being recognized, through rarely are more than 50,000 needed daily.
Unless vitamin E is amply supplied, however, the vitamin A obtained from foods or supplements, the vitamin A already in the blood, and that stored in the liver and other body tissues is quickly destroyed by oxygen; therefore, what appears to be a lack of vitamin A may in fact be a deficiency of vitamin E.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Please note that calcium cannot be absorbed into the tissues unless you have vitamins A & D and these two vitamins must be in balance. Too much sun gives one sunburn but it is actually too much vitamin D which has gone out of balance with the A. You need vitamin D to absorb calcium into your bloodstream and the vitamin A and essential fatty acids to pull it into the tissues and cells. The best source of these nutrients is a good quality fish liver oil such as Springreen Cod Liver Oil.
Calcium is also vital in controlling infections. The special formulation of Instant CalMag-C makes it easily assimilable.
Calcium and magnesium are vital for any threats to the immune system so be sure to take Instant CalMag-C daily and increase it if any sign of infection occurs. More about that later. Click here to order Instant CalMag-C now!
With kind acknowledgment to Adelle Davis.