The One Deficiency Behind Dry Eyes, Dry Mouth, and Bumpy Arms

The One Deficiency Behind Dry Eyes, Dry Mouth, and Bumpy Arms00:00

If you have gritty dry eyes, a dry mouth, or rough skin on the back of your arms with little bumps, most people treat each issue separately with lotions, creams, or treatments that only address the tip of the iceberg rather than the root cause. There is one vitamin deficiency behind all three of these problems.

The eyes, the mouth, and the skin all need vitamin A as a base nutrient to work correctly. This applies primarily to mucous membranes and the lipid barrier, which is a fat barrier that protects the skin.

The Eyes and the Mucous Layer00:30

The eyes have three different layers: an inner mucous layer, a water layer, and an oil layer on top. The most critical layer is the mucous layer, which acts like Velcro that holds the tear in the eye and prevents it from drying out. The cells that control this mucus run on vitamin A, which helps regulate the layer of skin over the body and internally as well.

Vitamin A and Skin Health01:01

If there is not enough vitamin A, rough skin can develop along with various growths on the external part of the body, such as a corn on the foot. Vitamin A has everything to do with keeping tissue soft and wet, maintaining the right amount of mucus, and ensuring skin does not turn into "toad skin."

The Beta-Carotene Mistake01:33

The single biggest mistake people make with vitamin A is thinking that beta-carotene is vitamin A. Many consume large amounts of carrots and sweet potatoes thinking they are getting enough vitamin A, but this is not the right type. Beta-carotene is a precursor that is supposed to turn into retinol, but most people do not convert a lot of beta-carotene into vitamin A. You would have to consume a massive amount of carrots to get retinol, and people do not consume pounds of carrots every day.