The Power of Vitamin A

 The Power of Vitamin A: Foods Rich in This Essential Nutrient

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is involved in the vision, the immune functioning, the reproduction and cell signally processes among other functions. The body requires appropriate vitamin A to maintain a smooth skin, clear vision, as well as the body’s Natural Defense Mechanisms. This blog seeks to discuss foods that are sources of vitamin A, the role of vitamin A in the body and how people can take it.

Understanding Vitamin A

Vitamin A belongs to compounds soluble in fats, the active forms are contained in animal products: retinol, retinal, retinoic acid; provitamin A carotenoids contained in plant products, which can be converted into retinol. Some of the best-known carotenoids include beta-carotene which gives certain fruits and vegetables their orange and yellow color.

1. Sources of Retinol Vitamin A Vitamin A is obtained from food sources and these include the following Animal based sources of Vitamin A include:

Animal source foods contain fat-soluble pro-vitamin A which is retinol and that is easier for the body to use. Here are some rich sources:

1. Liver

Liver is probably the most vitamin A rich food there is, the beef liver or the chicken liver. A liver portion contains vitamin A more than the required amount needed in the body in a day.

– Beef Liver: It has very high levels of vitamin A, one hundred grams of beef liver contains 9.442 mcg of vitamin A, which is over 1000 percent of the necessary daily intake.

– Chicken Liver: Vitamin A content is found to be high in chicken liver; a 100-gram portion has approximately 3,327mcg of vitamin A which is closer to 370 % of the daily requirement.

1. Fish Liver Oils

Vitamin A is also found in fish liver oils namely cod liver oils Vitamin A and Vitamin D are provided in cod liver oil which is a famous supplement.

– Cod Liver Oil: Nutritional information of cod liver oil shows that one tablespoon (14 grams) has about 4,080 mcg of vitamin A.

1. Dairy Products

Vitamin A is found in dairy products; one can obtain milk, cheese, and butter which contain different amounts of vitamin A.

– Whole Milk: Per 1 cup serving of whole milk, labelled amount of vitamin A is stated to be 112 mcg.

– Cheddar Cheese: While 84 mcg of vitamin A can be obtained from about 28 grams of cheddar cheese.

– Butter: It is found that one tablespoon or about fourteen grams of butter provides about ninety-seven of micrograms of vitamin A.

1. Eggs

Meals containing eggs are good sources of vitamin A especially the yolk though one needs to ensure it’s included in a variety of meals.

– Egg Yolk: An average large egg yolk has it that it can contain approximately seventy-four mcg of vitamin A.

2. Natural Sources of Vitamin A as Obtained from Plant Foods

Plants foods have provitamin A carotenoids that act as a precursor which the body can metabolize to retinol. It is important to note that besides vitamin A, all these foods are laden with other vitamins, minerals, fibers, and antioxidants.

1. Carrots

Carrots are well famous for very rich with beta carotene still an important fat-soluble vitamin A.

– Carrots: It is 61 grams medium carrot contains about 509 mcg of vitamin A.

1. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are another food that is rich in this vitamin; this vegetable is loved by thousands of people worldwide. It has also a high carotenoid value hence the bright orange color.

– Sweet Potatoes: In 100 grams of medium, sweet potato 130 grams carry about 1,096 mcg of vitamin A.

1. Dark Leafy Greens

Provitamin A carotenoids are found abundantly in dark leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale, and collard green.

– Spinach: According to the same source one cup of cooked spinach has about 943 mcg of vitamin A.

– Kale: Raw kale contains more vitamin A compared to cooked kale; a cup of cooked kale contains approximately 885mcg of vitamin A.

– Collard Greens: The same collard greens contain 722mcg of vitamin A for a cup when cooked.

1. Red and Orange Bell Peppers

Bell peppers particularly the red and orange ones are good sources of beta carotene.

– Red Bell Peppers: For vitamin A, this medium red bell pepper comes with about 234mcg.

– Orange Bell Peppers: It contains 155 mcg of vitamin A per 100g of raw fruit/vegetable, meaning one medium orange bell pepper boasts contains around 155 mcg of this nutrient.

1. Apricots

The fresh apricots or apricot preserves are also beneficial for intake of provitamin A carotenoids.

– Fresh Apricots: A reference of one medium fresh apricot, 35 grams provides in total, 34 mcg of vitamin A.

– Dried Apricots: In one serving of this dried fruit, the vitamin A content is as follows: one/2 cup of dried apricots at 192mcg.

1. Mangoes

Mangoes are sweet and contain beta carotene hence regarded as rich in vitamin A.

– Mangoes: As admitted by the food nutrition label, one cup of sliced mango comprising of 1 cup has a Vitamin A value of 89mcg.

3. Fortified Foods

To ensure that people get enough vitamin A in their body, manufacturers add vitamin A to many foods. Supplements become particularly useful in areas where the stock of the vitamin A is limited.

1. Fortified Cereals

A significant amount of vitamin A is added to breakfast cereals meaning that you will be taking this vitamin even if you are not directly eating foods rich in it.

– Fortified Cereals: The same has vitamin A content which has been fortified that one serving alone can give at least 10% to 50% of the daily requirement.

1. Fortified dairy & plant – based milks

Dairy milk or plant-based milk including almond milk, soy milk and oat milk normally contain added vitamin A.

– Fortified Milk: Consuming one cup of fortified milk can enable one to access a recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, which stands at 149m cg.

4. Vitamin A Rich Foods and Their Health Benefits
5. Improved Vision

This preparation is also essential in healthy vision as we earlier noted that vitamin A is important in the vision of human beings. It contributes for the formation of rhodopsin that is a pigment in the retina of the eye to absorb light. Intake of products containing vitamin A helps in the control of night blindness and instances of the macular degeneration, which are known to affect senior citizens.

1. Enhanced Immune Function

Vitamin A usually boosts the immunity by helping to strengthen the protective linings on surfaces such as the eyes, respiratory tracts and the gut through which pathogens are usually prevented from invading the body. IL-6 also has its participation in the synthesis and operation of white blood cells.

1. Healthy Skin

Without preheat illness vitamin A is crucial for skin health. It is involved in the production and growth of cells and its product’s called retinoids are widely used in cosmetic products including acne and psoriasis. Vitamin A is important in maintain healthy skin and consuming foods with this vitamin can contribute to an individual getting a natural glowing skin.

1. Reproductive Health

It also plays a great role in fertility. For men this is to support the production of sperms while in women it is essential in the reproductive cycle of the woman, normally during the time of conception and fetal development. It is also necessary for proper nutrition especially during pregnancy and for the proper development of the fetus.

1. Bone Health

Generally, vitamin A plays a role in bone tissue formation because it controls bone metabolism together with vitamin D. This one plays a role to build and support the bones as well as prevent breakages and bone disorders.

1. Antioxidant Properties

Beta carotene and other provitamin A carotenoids have antioxidant active that assumes the role of shield against free radicals that may harm the cells. It reduces the risks of the chronic diseases such as heart diseases and cancer through the fighting of the free radicals.

5. It is also important to note how you can introduce foods rich in Vitamin A in your diet.

It is rather simple to integrate foods containing vitamin A into your diet plan. Here are some tips and meal ideas to help you get started:

1. Breakfast

– Introduce a bowl of fortified breakfast cereal in the morning.

– This must be preceded by a glass of fortified milk or a smoothie of mango and spinach, where the mango provides the bulk as supplies dominate.

1. Lunch

– It is useful to have a meal of greens, such as the kale or spinach, red bell pepper strips and shredded carrots.

– For lunch have a vegetable soup that is prepared with sweet potatoes, carrots and collard green.

1. Dinner

– Take grilled liver as a serving or a fish of the day/ salmon or cod.

– It is recommended and good to add a side dish of cooked spinach or kale on the plate.

1. Snacks

– Consume dried or fresh apricots as this is one of the best foods to eat.

– Consume carrot sticks with a hummus dip or a yogurt-based dip.

1. Desserts

– You can prepare a sweet potato pie or a mango sorbet for a tasty as well as healthy dessert.

https://www.healthline.com/

6. Conclusion

Vitamin A is one of the fat-soluble vitamins that play an important role in vision, immune system, skin, reproduction and bone health. This means that for one to be able to make sure that his or her body is saturated with this vitamin, he or she will have to see to it that he or she takes foods that has this vitamin into his or her diet BALDWIN (2010).

Liver, fish liver oils, dairy products, and eggs give bioavailable retinol as do foods of plant origin like carrots, sweet potatoes, dark green leafy vegetables, bell peppers, apricots, and mangoes which contain provitamin A carotenoids which the body can convert to retinol. Further, it is possible to meet the body’s daily vitamin A needs through the intake of fortified foods.

Always take your balanced diet that is rich in nutrients to enable proper nutrition of the body organs. Remember to please always seek the help of a doctor before changing your diet largely to avoid adverse side effects if you are in any way unwell or if you are pregnant. It is therefore important to ensure that you get to eat vitamin A foods so that you can be in a position to benefit from its effects towards a healthy lifestyle.