Women At Risk From Vitamin A Deficiency

Bad news for polar bears.

"Almost half of UK women could be suffering from a lack of vitamin A due to a previously undiscovered genetic variation, scientists at Newcastle University have found.

The team, led by Dr Georg Lietz, has shown that almost 50 per cent of women have a genetic variation which reduces their ability to produce sufficient amounts of vitamin A from beta-carotene.

Vitamin A - also known as retinol- plays a vital role in strengthening our immune system, protecting us against common infections such as flu and winter vomiting.

Vitamin A also helps to maintain healthy skin and mucus linings such as inside the nose and the lungs."

And if Al Gore thinks they are endangered now - just wait.