​Vitamin A
Picture of fruits and vegetables with vitamin AVitamin A has many health benefits
​Do you have sufficient Vitamin A?
Let’s take a look at what vitamin A is all about and then we will determine the best way to obtain it:
Most people get enough from the foods they eat. Deficiency is rare in the United States, with the exception of some premature infants who may have low levels for the first year of their life.
 
Vitamin A - 
  • Helps promote skin growth.
  • About half of the vitamin A that we need can be provided by Beta-carotene in fruits and vegetables. Beta-carotene is what makes them red, yellow, and orange.
  • Beta-carotene, a fat soluble compound, is converted in the liver to vitamin A. This type is referred to as a provitamin.
  • Helps the liver flush out toxins.
  • Improves vision.
  • Bone maintenance and reproductive health.
  • Stimulates the renewal of skin.
  • Reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
  • Vitamin A turns into a purple pigment in the retina so we can see at night.
  • Helps to strengthen the immune system.
  • Reduces bile and fat in the liver – thus helps to prevent obesity and diabetes.
  • Important for the production of insulin-producing cells during fetal development.
  • Found in plants with carotenoids.
Deficiency of Vitamin A
  • Vitamin A deficiency can cause rashes, dermatitis, and eczema.
  • Vitamin A deficiency may cause the outer segments of our eyes’ photoreceptors to deteriorate and impair vision. A condition called xerophthalmia which is the inability to see in low light may lead to blindness if not treated. This is a common symptom for young children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding women in many underdeveloped countries.
  • Vitamin A deficiency could lead to the destruction of beta cells in adults.
  • Most people get enough from the foods they eat. Deficiency is rare in the United States, with the exception of some premature infants who may have low levels for the first year of their life.
​
Picture
Sources of Vitamin A
Think green leafy, yellow and orange vegetables for the healthy way to get this vitamin.

Carrots are well known for abundant levels of beta-carotene but this nutrient can also be found in leafy green vegetables, bell peppers, spinach, squash, broccoli, and sweet potatoes. Beta-carotene is part of the carotenoid family.

Fruits that contain higher levels of vitamin A include cantaloupe, apricots, and mangos.

Carrots are loaded with vitamin A and juicing is an excellent way to quickly get the nutrients to the cellular level in our bodies. 
​
The standard American diet would include eating “organ meats” as a source of vitamin A, but cholesterol can be a problem along with digestion issues. The major source of vitamin A for those on the SAD diet (standard American diet)  would be from dairy products.

Go to a Healthy Diet for more information!
Vitamin A warnings
10,000 units, 1 or 2 daily. This dosage should normally not be exceeded. Vitami A is one of the few nutrients which, in excessive amounts, can cause toxicity. Because it is fat soluble, it stays in the body's fat tissues rather than washing out readily. Prolonged over-dosage (more than 100,000 units daily for adults) can lead to hair loss, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, skin problems, fatigue, headaches and liver enlargement.

However, it must be noted that vitamin A is one of the most frequently missing nutrients in processed foods, and supplementation in order to correct long-standing deficiencies is frequently required. 
Additional Sources:
[1] National Institute of Health, office of dietary supplements
Michael Donaldson, Hallelujah Acres
JAMA. 2002;287(1):47-54.doi;10.1001/jama.287.1.47
​[2] Food & Behavior Barbara Reed Stitt