Why do we’d like vitamin A?
Vitamin A is important for sustaining imaginative and prescient below conditioning of poor lighting and helps the day by day substitute of pores and skin cells. It’s also required for supporting the immune system, for development and growth of cells and for copy.
Different advantages of vitamin A embody:
- Might decrease danger of cancers
- Could also be a pores and skin anti-inflammatory for circumstances like pimples
- Contributes to bone well being
How a lot vitamin A do we’d like?
The NHS recommends an consumption of 0.7mg a day for males and 0.6mg a day for girls.
Can we’ve an excessive amount of vitamin A?
Excessive doses of vitamin A can hurt an unborn child, so should you’re pregnant or planning for a child, it’s not advisable to take dietary supplements containing vitamin A or eat meals that are extraordinarily excessive in vitamin A (reminiscent of liver or liver pâté. Converse to your GP or midwife for recommendation.
Consuming an excessive amount of vitamin A over a few years may additionally impression on bone well being.
Many multivitamins and customary dietary supplements, like cod liver oil, are excessive in vitamin A.
Converse to your GP or healthcare supplier should you’re involved about dietary deficiencies or should you’re contemplating taking dietary supplements.
Which meals are good sources of vitamin A?
Preformed vitamin A is simply present in animal sources, together with:
Alongside the above wealthy sources, plant sources include carotenoids and beta-carotene is transformed to retinol within the physique. Carotenoids give meals a vibrant yellow or orange color and are present in meals reminiscent of carrots, yellow peppers, butternut squash, pumpkin and candy potato. They’re additionally present in darkish inexperienced vegetables and fruit reminiscent of spinach, kale and lettuce.
Recipes which are excessive in vitamin A and beta-carotene:
Pumpkin soup
Liver & bacon with onion gravy
Butternut squash & sage risotto
Carrot & coriander soup
Halloumi, carrot and orange salad
Roasted candy potato and carrot soup
Butternut squash & sage risotto
Butternut squash casserole
Fish mappas
Luxe fish pie
Lamb’s liver and onions
Kale smoothie
Creamy pumpkin pasta
Prawn, pumpkin & coconut stew
Extra on nutritional vitamins and minerals
5 vitamins each lady wants
What’s magnesium?
What’s folic acid?
What’s potassium?
The very best sources of vitamin C
Am I getting sufficient vitamin D?
This content material was up to date on nineteenth October 2023.
Emer Delaney BSc (Hons), RD has an honours diploma in Human Vitamin and Dietetics from the College of Ulster. She has labored as a dietitian in a few of London’s prime instructing hospitals and is at present based mostly in Chelsea.
All well being content material on bbcgoodfood.com is supplied for basic data solely, and shouldn’t be handled as an alternative choice to the medical recommendation of your individual physician or some other well being care skilled. You probably have any issues about your basic well being, you must contact your native well being care supplier. See our web site phrases and circumstances for extra data.
