Vitamin A diet benefits and Vitamin A food sources

Vitamin A is a very important nutrient for the human body - it is required for proper functioning of the body, in particular by the eyes, the immune system, the skin, the bones, the reproductive system, and in preventing diseases such as cancer and heart disease. It belongs to the retinoid family and can be found in several forms. The vitamin can also be found in an acidic and Adelhyde form.

There are a number of foods that are good sources of vitamin A. Fortified foods are of course one such source - today many foods are fortified with various vitamins that are artificially added to them. Milk that is low fat or skimmed is often fortified with vitamin A; this is done because the removed fat from the milk contains a good amount of vitamin A.


Some ready to eat meals contain vitamin A as well. You can check this out by reading the nutrition information provided on the food packaging itself.

Vitamin A that comes from animal or natural food sources is called preformed vitamin A. Once absorbed by the body, this usually gets converted to retinol, which is a very widely used formed of vitamin A. Foods like whole milk, fruits and vegetables that have bright colors, and some meats are also good sources of vitamin A. Carrot contains vitamin A in good amounts. Liver is probably the best source of vitamin A there is, and any liver will do, whether from chicken, beef, pork, turkey, or sea food). However liver should be eaten only once or twice a month, as it can contain a number of toxic substances. Red palm oil and fish oils are also good sources of vitamin A. Other foods that contain vitamin A are broccoli, pumpkin, spinach (and most other leafy vegetables), and sweet potatoes. Apart from these food sources of vitamin A, it can also be consumed in a form of nutritional supplements. These supplements are usually available in a capsule or powder form.

Vitamin A is easily lost from foods when they are cooked or stored for a long period of time. Therefore you should make sure that you keep fruits and vegetables covered or refrigerated when storing them, and better still, consume them as fresh as possible. Whenever possible, you should avoid cooking foods that contain vitamin A. Instead of cooking them, you should steam or bake foods that contain vitamin A.