However, we will share with you as much information as possibly can about this subject so that you no longer have any questions left un-answered by the end of this article.
About The Types Of Vitamin A And Retinol Equivalents
20 Foods High In Vitamin A
Getting adequate amounts of vitamin A from your diet should prevent the symptoms of deficiency, which include hair loss, skin problems, dry eyes, night blindness and increased susceptibility to infections. Deficiency is a leading cause of blindness in developing countries. The RDA provides enough vitamin A for the vast majority of people.
Put simply, a single daily value (DV) of 900 mcg is used as a reference on nutrition labels in the United States and Canad.
Sources Of Vitamin A
There are two main sources of vitamin A: animal sources and plant sources. Other animal sources are egg yolk (not the white) and dairy products such as milk (including human breast milk), cheese and butter.
(Note: if these oils are boiled to remove their colour the vitamin A is destroyed.). Some fruits and vegetables are easier to digest than others, and it has been shown that dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach or amaranth are harder to digest. Mashing these vegetables up after cooking makes them easier to digest.
It is important that all sources of vitamin A are not overcooked, as this can reduce the vitamin A content. Ultraviolet light can also reduce the vitamin A content of food, so drying of fruits such as mangos should not be done in direct sunlight (see page 73).
Why Do We Need Vitamin A?
Eating healthy can be a challenge.
Many packaged foods contain excess sugar, salt and fat which we are told to avoid. Staying with a plant based diet helps eliminate these concerns, but you still want to make sure you are getting a balance of nutrients. Vitamin A veggies are essential for a strong immune system, good vision, certain organ function and the reproductive system.
Liver and fish oil have the highest amount of preformed A, but eggs and milk also have some. Vitamin A rich foods also help the heart, kidneys and liver function properly. You can get Vitamin A supplements, but foods that contain the vitamin are easiest for the body to access while gathering other important nutrients.