06/30/2019 / By Zoey Sky
The human body needs vitamin A to maintain overall health. But since your body is unable to produce the vitamin on its own, you need to follow a nutritious diet full of vitamin A-rich foods to prevent deficiency.
Vitamin A offers the following benefits for certain bodily functions:
There are two main types of vitamin A:
For better absorption of vitamin A, you need to include some fat in your diet. Don’t overcook foods since this reduces their vitamin A content.
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin A is as follows:
You won’t be able to convert mcg values into IU if you don’t know whether the food source contains preformed vitamin A or provitamin A. To determine the daily value (DV) of vitamin A that a serving contains, you need to know the IU and the type of vitamin A present in your food.
The recommended DV for vitamin A is 5,000 IU for adults and children aged four years and older. Take note that one IU equals 0.3 mcg for preformed vitamin A and 0.05 mcg for beta carotene from food.
The foods in the list below contain at least 15 percent of the DV in a standard serving.
Beef liver is one of the best sources of preformed vitamin A. Like humans, animals store vitamin A in their livers.
A three-ounce (oz) serving of pan-fried beef liver contains 6,582 mcg of vitamin A or a whopping 444 percent of the DV.
Liver is an organ meat that’s also full of protein and other nutrients, like choline, copper, folate, iron, and vitamins B2 and B12.
Half a cup of broccoli provides 60 mcg of vitamin A or 24 percent of the recommended DV. In addition, one serving of broccoli has only 27 calories. It is also a great source of vitamins C and K.
Vitamin C boosts your immunity and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Vitamin K is crucial for bone metabolism and blood clotting.
Carrots are full of beta carotene. Half a cup of raw carrots has 459 mcg of vitamin A or 184 percent of the DV. A portion of carrots contains only 26 calories, so snack on carrot sticks if you want to lose weight.
Carrots are also rich in dietary fiber that can help prevent constipation and boost your gut health.
Fish livers are rich in preformed vitamin A. A tablespoon of cod liver oil contains 4,080 mcg or 272 percent of the DV. Fish oils are some of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids can help prevent inflammation, boost heart health, and address depression. Cod liver oil also contains vitamin D. A tablespoon of cod liver oil has 340 percent of the DV.
Spinach and other leafy green vegetables are full of nutrients. Half a cup of boiled spinach contains 573 mcg of vitamin A or 229 percent of the DV, 17 percent of the DV for iron, and 20 percent of the DV for magnesium.
A whole sweet potato baked in its skin has 1,403 mcg of vitamin A or 561 percent of the DV.
Sweet potatoes contain vitamin A in the form of beta carotene, which helps prevent colon and prostate cancer. They are also fat-free and low in calories. Sweet potatoes contain potassium and vitamins B6 and C.
Because they are rich in fiber and have a low glycemic index, sweet potatoes can be used to manage blood sugar levels.
Follow a balanced diet that contains vitamin-A rich foods to boost your eye health, immunity, and overall well-being.
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