Vitamin A is an integral part of everyone’s diet, with the recommended daily amount for adult needs being 0.7mg a day for men and 0.6mg a day for women.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin also known as retinol. It has many important functions for the human body. These include helping to maintain good vision. It also helps to keep the skin and linings of some parts of the body, such as the nose, healthy.
With such an important role to fulfil, sources of vitamin A are easy to come by. Many of the basic staples in our diets such as meat, milk, eggs and cheese are excellent sources. Other animal sources include kidney, liver, cod and oily fish. Liver is a particularly rich source of vitamin A, although this means you may be at risk of having too much vitamin A if you eat liver more than once a week. If, like some, you don’t like the taste of oily fish, a supplement like Seven Seas Simply Timeless Cod Liver Oil plus multivitamins can help support everyday good health. It’s also important to remember that some vitamin A-fuelled foods can be high in cholesterol and saturated fat levels, so it is advised to eat a balanced diet.
Another way to up your vitamin A intake is through plant based beta carotene as your body is able to convert this into vitamin A. This is especially helpful for vegetarians and vegans who consume fewer animal-based foods. The main food sources are yellow, red and green (leafy) vegetables such as spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes and red peppers. If you’re looking for something sweet opt for yellow fruit such as mango, papaya and apricots. Look out for these vibrant coloured fruit and veg.
It’s worth noting individuals may have differing daily requirements for vitamin A, and this will depend on your health status and lifestyle. For example when pregnant large amounts of vitamin A can harm your unborn baby, and you should avoid vitamin A supplements and liver based food products as these are very high in vitamin A.
Most people can get a sufficient amount of vitamin A simply by eating a balanced diet. Vitamin A deficiency in the UK is rare and more common in developing countries as residents have limited access to food sources rich in vitamin A. Vitamin A can be found in multivitamin supplements and as stand-alone supplements in all good pharmacies and health stores
Vitamins And Minerals - Vitamin A - NHS Choices. Nhs.uk, 2016. Web.
Office Of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin A. Ods.od.nih.gov. 2016. Web.