Vitamin A: Deficiency Symptoms, Health Benefits, Optimal Sources, and Side Effects

This fat-soluble vitamin helps keep your eyes healthy, supports immunity, fights free radicals, and is critical for fetal development.

Vitamin A is found in foods such as beef liver, sweet potato, carrots, and spinach. Illustration by The Epoch Times, Shutterstock

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin with multiple vital functions in the body. It supports normal cellular reproduction and is essential for optimal vision. In addition, vitamin A plays a critical role in the proper development of an embryo and fetus.

Vitamin A deficiency is prevalent in developing nations but rare in developed countries. Less than 1 percent of the American population was deficient in 2013. Some experts believe vitamin A toxicity from synthetic supplements is more common in the United States than deficiency.