Vitamin A : New Study
Recently uncovered new ways a vitamin A-derived molecule can interfere with the immune system’s ability to fight cancer.
- Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin primarily stored in the liver.
- There are two types of vitamin A that are found in the diet.
- Preformed vitamin A is found in animal products such as meat, fish, poultry, and dairy foods.
- Precursors to vitamin A, also known as provitamin A, are found in plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables.
- These compounds are converted to the active form in your body.
- The most common type of provitamin A is beta-carotene.
- Foods with the highest levels of vitamin A include:
- Beef liver and other organ meats
- Some types of fish such as herring and salmon and cod fish oil
- Eggs
- Dairy products such as cheese and fortified milk
- Fortified breakfast cereals
- Orange and yellow vegetables and fruits, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, mangos, and cantaloupe
- Broccoli, spinach, and most dark green, leafy vegetables
- Vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, mucus membranes, and skin.
- It is also known as retinol because it produces the pigments in the retina of the eye.
- Vitamin A promotes good eyesight, especially in low light.
- It also has a role in healthy pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- If you do not get enough vitamin A, you have more risk of eye problems such as:
- Reversible night blindness
- Non-reversible corneal damage known as xerophthalmia
- It can also lead to hyperkeratosis or dry, scaly skin.
- Vitamin A deficiency can be treated with vitamin A supplements.
