7 foods with a lot of vitamin A -

7 foods with a lot of vitamin A

We give you the foods richest in carotenoids that are transformed into vitamin A and the best tips to assimilate this vitamin A to the maximum. Your eyes, your skin and your defenses will thank you.

Vitamin A is an essential vitamin for the health of the skin, eyes and, in general, the maintenance and repair of body tissues. Obtaining it from the diet is easy if we know which foods are rich in vitamin A and we know some tricks to assimilate it better, especially if we want to obtain it from foods of vegetable origin.

FOODS RICH IN VITAMIN A

Below we review some of the foods with the most vitamin A, especially foods with vitamin A in the form of carotenoids, a set of pigments that give orange, yellowish and greenish colors to foods.

To understand the figures given for the vitamin A content of these foods, it is important to know that, in order to indicate the amount of vitamin A in a food, the vitamin A content was originally expressed in IU (international units), but later it was changed to Retinol Equivalent (RE). 1 ER = 1 mcg of retinol = 6 mcg of beta-carotene = 12 mcg of other provitamin A carotenoids (such as beta-cryptoxanthin and alpha-carotene).

This is because, by “vitamin A”, we mean a set of different substances among which retinol stands out, and because in practice, the body can obtain vitamin A in two ways: as preformed vitamin A (retinol), thus already present in foods of animal origin, and as carotenoid pigments of plant origin that can be transformed into retinol in the body.

Of the approximately 600 known carotenoids, less than one tenth are of vitamin A value. The most active and quantitatively important is beta-carotene.

Other provitamin A carotenoids are alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin, which have about half the biological activity of beta-carotene.

The vitamin A-rich foods we have presented above are all rich in beta-carotene, alpha-carotene or beta-cryptoxanthin. Several of the more common carotenoids, such as lycopene, zeaxanthin and lutein have no vitamin A value.

OTHER FOODS CONTAINING VITAMIN A

As we have seen, vitamin A as such, in the form of retinol, is only found in foods of animal origin, especially whole dairy products and cheeses, which are also notable sources of saturated fats.

Hence the importance of vegetables rich in provitamin carotenoids, which can cover most or even all of our needs.

In addition to the above-mentioned plant foods and eggs, you can resort to many other foods rich in vitamin A of plant origin. This is the content in micrograms of Retinol Equivalents (RE) per 100 grams of food of some plant foods:

Green col: 830
Fennel: 783
Lamb’s lettuce: 650
Margarine: 608
Chard, sorrel: 583
Watercress: 450
Chicory: 333
Broccoli: 316
Fresh apricot: 298
Persimmon: 242
Chicory: 216
Lettuce: 105
Tomatoes: 133
Papaya: 125
Olive oil: 120
Sweet corn: 120

WHAT VITAMIN A IS FOR

Vitamin A is involved in the maintenance and repair of body tissues. It is also involved in the production of the visual purple necessary for night vision and in bone growth.

In addition, vitamin A is necessary for the correct development of the nervous system and favors resistance to infections.

It is also attributed with an antioxidant function that helps protect cells from free radical damage. It thus helps to prevent premature aging and to reduce the risk of certain diseases such as cataracts.

WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDED DAILY DOSE OF VITAMIN A?

The recommended daily allowances for vitamin A are 1,000 micrograms (mcg) for men and 800-900 mcg for women.

Vitamin A is among the vitamins most at risk of deficiency. It is therefore important to remember that a varied diet, rich in fresh vegetables, is the best guarantee that the necessary vitamin A is obtained.

HOW TO BETTER ASSIMILATE VITAMIN A

Fats, proteins, vitamin E and zinc favor the absorption and use of vitamin A and carotenoids.

Therefore, deficiency of these nutrients exerts, through different mechanisms, a negative impact on vitamin A balance. In fact, interactions between nutrients are common.

SYMPTOMS OF VITAMIN A DEFICIENCY

Vitamin A deficiency results in symptoms such as night blindness, intermittent daytime blindness, xerophthalmia (persistent dryness of the conjunctiva and corneal opacity), dry and flaky skin, and dry mucous membranes.

Other signs that have been associated are irritability, loss of appetite, fatigue and increased susceptibility to infections.

Elderly people, people who abuse alcohol, follow poor diets or suffer from absorption disorders and polymedication, especially if they take diuretics and laxatives.

Although controversial, many authors state that taking oral contraceptives can increase the daily requirement by about 200 mcg.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU TAKE AN EXCESS OF VITAMIN A

When vitamin A requirements are exceeded by more than a thousand times on a regular basis, the liver’s capacity to store this vitamin is exceeded, which can cause intoxication and alterations of the skin and mucous membranes.

This excess is usually due more to the abuse or misuse of supplements than to the consumption of foods rich in it.

ARE BETA-CAROTENE OR PROVITAMIN A SUPPLEMENTS RECOMMENDED?

Beta-carotene supplements have shown no benefit in the prevention of major chronic diseases.

The U.S. National Academy of Sciences considers that they cannot be advised for the healthy population and should only be recommended as provitamin A in at-risk populations.