42 Foods Rich In Vitamin A

About Vitamin A

Vitamin A refers to a group of compounds called retinoids; they are fat soluble, meaning they can be stored in the body and used as necessary, especially during periods of low dietary vitamin A.

There are two main types of vitamin A that are available to us in dietary form and they are:

• preformed vitamin A such as retinol, which is found in meat, dairy and eggs
• provitamin A carotenoids like beta-carotene that tend to be found in plant-based foods

This important vitamin plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy vision and protecting the eyes from damage because it is an essential building block of a compound called rhodopsin, a protein that allows the retina to effectively absorb light.

Vitamin A also helps with proper development of cells and the maintenance of major organs such as the heart and lungs.

Why Is Vitamin A Important?

Vitamin A is important for helping to maintain healthy vision and preventing age-related macular degeneration. Indeed, there are a few studies that show how important vitamin A consumption is in helping to maintain healthy vision including a 2012 study. The study showed how post-bariatric patients who were experiencing a vitamin A deficiency and, therefore, impaired vision, made almost complete recoveries after supplementation with vitamin A.

At present there is a mixed bag of views regarding the effectiveness of vitamin A in helping to prevent certain types of cancer, some studies have shown that it is not remotely effective, whilst others show that it is. That said, a 2014 review looked into the effects of vitamin A supplementation on the risk of developing bladder cancer. The conclusion drawn was that vitamin A is highly effective at reducing this risk, although the researchers agree that further investigation needs to be conducted in this area.

Measles can be a debilitating childhood disease that can result in death, especially in developing countries, but a Cochrane review found that supplementation with extremely high doses of vitamin A for two days did significantly reduce the number of children under the age of two who died from the disease, as well as helping to reduce the instances of adverse effects from measles.

Recommended Intakes

RAE is the abbreviation for “Retinol Activity Equivalents” and refers to the fact that the bioavailability of vitamin A varies depending upon the source.

RAE allows for a general guideline to be created in relation to the amount of Vitamin A that your body needs from all sources, since the body converts all forms of vitamin A into retinol regardless of the source. One RAE is equivalent to one microgram of retinol.

For infants under the age of twelve months there is no set guideline, only a suggested adequate intake of 400mcg RAE of vitamin A per day for those under six months and 500mcg RAE per day for those between the ages of seven and twelve months.

Between the ages of one and thirteen years old, the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A is the same for both male and female youngsters. Children between the ages of one and three years should be getting around 300mcg RAE per day of vitamin A, four to eight year olds need about 400mcg RAE and nine to thirteen year olds require 600mcg RAE.

From the age of fourteen onwards, all males require around 900mcg RAE of vitamin A per day; for females the guideline is 700mcg RAE, except when pregnant or breastfeeding.

Young women aged between fourteen and eighteen who are pregnant should be getting around 750mcg RAE a day; those who are breastfeeding need about 1,200mcg RAE.

Women who are nineteen years or older and pregnant require about 770mcg RAE whilst breastfeeding women need around 1,300mcg RAE.

Vitamin A Deficiency And Inadequacy

Generally speaking, a deficiency of vitamin A is incredibly rare in developed countries and tends to be an issue for people in developing nations. That said, there are groups of people in developed countries who are at risk of experiencing inadequate levels of vitamin A and they include:

• Premature Babies – most instances of vitamin A inadequacies occur during the early stages of life for infants born in developing countries, especially premature babies. Such babies have very limited stores of vitamin A in their liver and their levels of retinol tend to remain low throughout the first year of life.
• Infants, Young Children and New Mothers in Developing Countries – because access to foods containing sources of vitamin A is limited in poorer countries, many pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are unable to provide their babies with the necessary vitamins in their breastmilk; they, themselves, are also likely to experience inadequate levels of vitamin A. These issues can continue on into early childhood.
• People with Cystic Fibrosis – vitamin A is a fat soluble compound that is absorbed by the body and converted into retinol, but people who have cystic fibrosis are usually unable to properly absorb fat thanks to issues with their pancreas. This in turn can lead to an inadequacy in the levels of vitamin A in their bodies.

The most common symptom associated with vitamin A deficiency or inadequacy is called xerophthalmia, which is responsible for causing night blindness. A deficiency in vitamin A can also lead to low levels of iron in the bloodstream and increases the risk of death from infections like measles.

Risks And Warnings

It is worth noting that because vitamin A is fat soluble, it can be stored in the body for use at times when dietary vitamin A is lacking, which does mean that there is the risk of overdosing. However, occasional instances of consuming too much vitamin A are unlikely to cause issues, but consistently consuming too much vitamin A can result in symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, pain in the bones and joints, intracranial pressure, coma and even death.

Overdosing on vitamin A is actually quite difficult to do unless there is regular consumption of foods with high levels of it, however people who regularly take supplements, in particular supplements with high doses of vitamin A, are the ones most at risk of experiencing unsafe levels and the associated conditions.

It is understood that the beta-carotene forms of vitamin A, which are found primarily in plant-based foods, are not associated with adverse effects, instead it is the preformed vitamin A that is present in meat, eggs and dairy products that can cause toxicity.

There are also certain medications that can interact negatively with vitamin A including some weight-loss medications and retinoids that are created from vitamin A and used to treat a range of conditions primarily relating to the skin. If you are in any doubt about the safety of using vitamin A supplements whilst taking certain medications, you should speak to your doctor.