Sources of Vitamin A
Sources of Vitamin A...
The results of two national surveys conducted in the 1990s and continuing through today suggest that many Americans don't include enough vitamin A sources in their daily diets.
The variety of foods that contain vitamin A is extensive, and includes fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat and grains that most people like.
The FDA recommends that the average adult man include 900 micrograms of vitamin A in his daily diet. Adult women need 700 micrograms daily, with the need increasing to 770 for pregnant women, and 1200 micrograms daily for a nursing mother.
The best way to make sure that you're getting the recommended amount of vitamin A is to increase the food sources of vitamin A that you eat.
Foods that provide between 10 and 19% of the recommended daily value of vitamin A are considered good food sources of vitamin A.
Excellent sources provide 20% or more of the DV in a single serving, and foods that provide less than 5% are low sources. The FDA makes the point that even low sources of vitamin A contribute to a healthy diet, however.
Animal liver is one of the most concentrated sources of vitamin A available. It also is stored in a very usable form for the human body.
- Beef liver, 3 oz, cooked 610%
- Chicken liver, 3 oz, cooked 400%
Vitamin A is also available in some other animal products, though not in the same concentrations.
- Whole milk, 1 cup 6%
- Cheddar cheese, 1 ounce 6%
- Fortified fat-free milk 10%
- Egg, 1 whole 6%
Vegetable sources can be good for vitamin A too, but are not absorbed as easily by the body as animal, but the variety makes it far easier to include them in your diet.
- Carrot, 1 medium, raw 400%
- Carrots, 1/2 cup boiled 380%
- Sweet potato, 1/2 cup cooked 140%
- Spinach, 1/2 cup cooked 115%
- Spinach, raw, 1 cup 40%
- Peas, frozen, boiled, 1/2 cup 10%
Firm-fleshed orange and dark yellow fruits are tasty food sources of vitamin A. Generally, the darker the fruit, the higher the concentration of vitamin A.
- Cantaloupe, 1 cup, cubed 100%
- Peach, raw, 1 medium 10%
- Peaches, canned, 1/2 cup 10%
- Apricots, canned, 1/2 cup 10%
- Papaya, 1 cup, cubed 8%
Supplemental sources
Some adults with disorders that affect the absorption of fat by the body should consider taking vitamin A supplements, and vegetarians who don't eat animal products at all should seek alternate sources of vitamin A as well.
If you are pregnant or nursing, even though your demands go up, make sure you talk to your doctor before taking supplements of any kind.
One of the best supplemental sources of vitamin A is cod liver oil, which provides 400% of the DV in one tablespoon. Vitamin supplements that contain beta carotene or other sources of usable vitamin A are also recommended.
Extra caution is recommended for Vitamin A because this is one vitamin that can be toxic if too much is taken.
We here at Nutritional Supplement Info personally take a comprehensive health supplement called Total Balance, which contains almost 70 powerful health nutrients.
Among them are Vitamin A and Beta Carotene.
|