Benefits and Sources of Vitamin A
You should eat fruits, vegetables and healthy food every day. They are good sources of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. An important vitamin is vitamin A. You will find out why you need it and what are the good sources of vitamin A.
Vitamin A is fat-soluble vitamin. There are two forms of vitamin A, retinol and beta-carotene. Your body can convert beta-carotene into retinol. You can find both kinds in foods.
Vitamin A is essential for healthy skin, bones and eyes. It is also works as a cell-protecting antioxidant.
Excess vitamin A is stored in your body. Too much vitamin A supplement can result in birth defects, liver damage and nervous system disorder. Large doses of beta-carotene supplements can increase the risk if lung cancer. This is only true for the artificial vitamin A found in supplements.
If you eat vitamin A rich food, you don’t have to worry about negative side effects. Good sources of retinol are butter, cheese, milk, egg yolks. You can find beta-carotene in dark leafy greens, bright red, yellow and orange vegetables and fruits such as oranges, pineapple, apricot and cantaloupe. A medium carrot has 173% and a cup of milk has 10% of your daily recommended dose of vitamin A.
