Vitamin A Foods
Vitamin A foods come from two different sources: animals and plants. The vitamin A found in animals is known as preformed vitamin A, or retinol. The types of vitamin A that come from plants are called provitamin A carotenoids.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that has several different functions in our bodies:
• It is required for optimum cell reproduction.
• It contributes to the maintenance of healthy eye-sight.
• It aids in proper development of bones, teeth and skin.
• It may assist with reproduction and breast feeding.
The following vitamin A foods are plant-based and provide the highest amounts of retinol:
• cheese
• cod fish oil
• cream
• eggs
• halibut fish oil
• kidney
• liver
• meat
• milk
Since all of these foods have a high amount of saturated fat and cholesterol, some lighter options, like skim milk and egg substitutes, are fortified with vitamin A to provide the necessary retinol without the high fat and cholesterol.
Colorful fruits and vegetables are the best plant-based vitamin A foods, because they are high in carotenoids, like beta-carotene:
• apricots
• broccoli
• cantaloupe
• carrots
• dark, leafy vegetables
• mango
• papaya
• peaches
• pink grapefruit
• pumpkin
• spinach
• sweet potatoes
• winter squash
The general rule with these vegetables is, the deeper the color, the more beta-carotene they contain. Fruit and vegetable sources of beta-carotene have none of the high fat and cholesterol content that is found in animal-based vitamin A foods.
Retinol, which comes from the animal-based vitamin A foods, is very well-absorbed by the body, and we use this type of vitamin A most efficiently. The plant-based carotenoids are not as easily absorbed into our bodies, but they are still an important source of beta-carotene.
A vitamin A deficiency can lead to poor growth of bones and teeth, and cause problems with eye sight. Lack of vitamin A has also been found to increase the risk for some infectious diseases.
Too much vitamin A can also be harmful, making a person sick and causing birth defects, but several hundred thousand IUs of vitamin A are required for overdose.
The recommended daily allowance of vitamin A for adults is 700 micrograms per day for women and 900 micrograms per day for men. Women who are pregnant or breast feeding usually require more vitamin A, based on the advice of their doctor.
The recommended daily allowance of vitamin A for children is as follows:
• Infants 0-6 months old: 400 micrograms (mcg) per day
• Infants 7-12 months old: 500 mcg per day
• 1-3 years old: 300 mcg per day
• 4-8 years old: 400 mcg per day
• 9-13 years old: 600 mcg per day.