Vitamin A

I read this information from Organic Chemistry. Vitamin A or retinol helps to maintain the health of mucous membranes and the skin, so many anti-aging creams contain vitamin A. A deficiency of this vitamin leads to a loss of night vision. Vitamin A may be obtained directly from the diet. In addition, β-carotene, the orange pigment found in many plant including carrots, is readily converted to vitamin A in our bodies. Ingesting a moderate excess of vitamin A does not cause any harm, but a large excess causes headaches, loss of appetite, and even death. Early Arctic explorers who ate polar bear livers, which contain an unusually large amount of vitamin A are thought to have died from consuming too much vitamin A.