Vision, immunity ... which are the best sources of vitamin A?
Vitamin A is key among those vitamins considered essential for health. Here are our recommendations for ensuring an adequate intake.
Quick recap of the vitamin’s benefits
Vitamin A is ubiquitous in human health.
It plays a role in:
- eye health (1) ;
- iron metabolism (2) ;
- skin health (3) ;
- immune system efficacy (4), etc.
It is present in several forms in the body - retinol, retinal, retinoic acid and retinyl phosphate.
Which foods are rich in vitamin A ?
Many animal-source foods
Directly-available vitamin A is actually found in animal-source products (5). These vitamin A-rich foods include:
- meat and offal - poultry, beef, lamb and veal;
- cod liver oil, mackerel, salmon and oily fish in general;
- butter, cheese (such as feta made from sheep’s milk, etc (6).
Vitamin A and plant foods
Plant-source foods primarily contain beta-carotene, a provitamin which the body easily converts into vitamin A.
So if you don’t eat animal products, there is an alternative source of vitamin A. It’s best to choose highly-coloured fruits and vegetable - in fact, beta-carotene is none other than a red-orange pigment (7).
Focus on:
- sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots;
- peppers, turnip greens, Swiss chard;
- cabbage, spinach, lettuce;
- mango, melon, papaya;
- grapefruit, nectarines, apricots, etc (8).
Which supplements can you take to prevent vitamin A deficiency?
Microalgae are rich in vitamins
Microalgae are important allies:
- chlorella is a single-celled algae that grows in fresh water. It is rich not only in vitamin A but in iron, proteins and other vitamins too, and so provides a significant boost to the immune system as well as support for the body’s detox mechanisms (Chlorella);
- spirulina is a tiny blue-green algae which is exceptionally rich in proteins, beta-carotene and other carotenoids. A perfect choice if you’re lacking in energy (Spirulina).
Carotenoid complexes
You could also try a carotenoid complex. The formulation Carottol™, for example, combines beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, astaxanthin and zeaxanthin. All these compounds are particularly helpful in protecting against problems with vision or the immune system.
Don’t forget multivitamins
Last but not least, taking a multivitamin complex (such as Daily 3) is always a good idea. If you need to, be sure to seek advice from a health professional to identify your particular requirements.
The consequences of a lack of vitamin A can be serious. A diet with plenty of brightly-coloured fruit and vegetables, along with some carefully-chosen supplements, will provide you with sufficient vitamin A to ensure you stay in the best of health!
References
- Wu J, Cho E, Willett WC, Sastry SM, Schaumberg DA. Intakes of Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and Other Carotenoids and Age-Related Macular Degeneration During 2 Decades of Prospective Follow-up. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2015 Dec;133(12):1415-24.
- https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2903/j.efsa.2009.1221
- https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1754
- Sommer A, Katz J, Tarwotjo I. Increased risk of respiratory disease and diarrhea in children with preexisting mild vitamin A deficiency. Am J Clin Nutr. 1984 Nov;40(5):1090-5.
- Clagett-Dame M, Knutson D. Vitamin A in reproduction and development. Nutrients. 2011;3(4):385–428.
- Gilbert C. What is vitamin A and why do we need it?. Community Eye Health. 2013;26(84):65.
- Khoo HE, Prasad KN, Kong KW, Jiang Y, Ismail A. Carotenoids and their isomers: color pigments in fruits and vegetables. Molecules. 2011;16(2):1710-1738. Published 2011 Feb 18. doi:10.3390/molecules16021710
- Gilbert C. What is vitamin A and why do we need it?. Community Eye Health. 2013;26(84):65.
Keywords
1 Days
Product came quickly
Product came quickly. Beyond that, too soon to know if it will be effective in my use.
Whit
2 Days
Fast and reliable service
Fast and reliable service
MONELL
7 Days
Fast delivery
Fast delivery
MONELL
8 Days
Good prices
Good prices, easy to order, and communicate with. Answers emails. Timely shipping
DOMINIC
8 Days
quick delivery
quick delivery
Barbara J
11 Days
Love this product
Love this product, works so well for my arthritis!
BLANCO Judy
14 Days
Great quality supplements
Great quality supplements, fast shipping and excellent customer service. Thank you
Romana
14 Days
fast service and shipping..best prices…
fast service and shipping..best prices for GHK-CU
Marie
14 Days
Professional
Professional, timely shipping and effective products!
Mohamad Hussein
15 Days
Fast shipping plus hard to find peptide.
Fast shipping plus hard to find peptide.
WATERS R
17 Days
Above and Beyond!
Above and Beyond!
DOMINIC
21 Days
Solid
Fast, affordable, effective.
Buyer
22 Days
The supplements made an immediate…
The supplements made an immediate impact on my microbiome. I love it.
JOHNSON Stephen
23 Days
SUPERSMART WEIGHT LOSS BOOSTER
SUPERSMART IS A GREAT CO- MPANY, GREAT PRICES,IT'S SO VERY EASY TO GET A HOLD OF AND, I RECEIVED MY ORDER IN SUCH A VERY SHORT TIME,AND BECAUSE OF THAT,I AM ALREADY LOSING WEIGHT! IT'S MAKES FOR A GREAT DAY WHEN I WEIGH MY- SEF AND I FIND OUT THAT I HAVE LOST A COUPLE OF MORE PO- UNDS.I ALSO DO THE "SPEED UP YOUR METABOLISM TRICK",WH- ERE YOU DIET ONE DAY AND ARE OFF THE NEXT,AND YOU DRINK DIET GREEN TEA AND AND EAT "DIET TYPE " OF MEALS.IT DOES HELP.I ALSO TRY TO EAT FOODS THAT "BURN CALORIES" ON "DIET DAYS".
PERFUMO Irene L
24 Days
The package arrived in good condition
The package arrived in good condition. It is too soon to say how effective the S-Acetyl-Glutathione is as I have taken only 1 capsule.
WRIGHT Connie