It is a reader-friendly overview of Vitamin A. For extra particulars, see our well being skilled reality sheet on Vitamin A.
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What’s vitamin A and what does it do?
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that’s naturally current in lots of meals. Vitamin A is essential for regular imaginative and prescient, the immune system, and replica. Vitamin A additionally helps the guts, lungs, kidneys, and different organs work correctly.
There are two various kinds of vitamin A. The primary sort, preformed vitamin A, is present in meat, poultry, fish, and dairy merchandise. The second sort, provitamin A, is present in fruits, greens, and different plant-based merchandise. The most typical sort of provitamin A in meals and dietary dietary supplements is beta-carotene.
How a lot vitamin A do I want?
The quantity of vitamin A you want is determined by your age and intercourse. Common every day advisable quantities are listed beneath in micrograms (mcg) of retinol exercise equivalents (RAE).
What meals present vitamin A? – “what does vitamin a do”
Vitamin A is discovered naturally in lots of meals and is added to some meals, similar to milk and cereal. You may get advisable quantities of vitamin A by consuming a wide range of meals, together with the next:
What sorts of vitamin A dietary dietary supplements can be found?
Vitamin A is accessible in dietary dietary supplements, normally within the type of retinyl acetate or retinyl palmitate (preformed vitamin A), beta-carotene (provitamin A), or a mix of preformed and provitamin A. Most multivitamin-mineral dietary supplements include vitamin A. Dietary dietary supplements that include solely vitamin A are additionally obtainable.
Am I getting sufficient vitamin A?
Most individuals in the USA get sufficient vitamin A from the meals they eat, and vitamin A deficiency is uncommon. Nevertheless, sure teams of individuals are extra probably than others to have hassle getting sufficient vitamin A: