About Vitamin A foods

In the quest for a healthy diet, there are ideal foods rich in Vitamin A that Kenyans can partake of.

Vitamin A plays a crucial role in the maintaining of strong bones, improved vision, gene regulation, clear skin, cell differentiation and immune function.

It also helps the skin and mucous membranes repel bacteria and viruses more effectively.

Therefore the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) is 900 mcg for men, 700 mcg for women and 300-600—mcg for children and adolescents.

Here are the best Vitamin A foods:

Animal Products

1. A slice of Beef Liver- 713% DV per serving

2. 1 teaspoon Cod Liver Oil – 150% DV per serving

3. 1 large Hard-Boiled Egg – 8% DV per serving

Vegetable Products

4. 1 cup of Cooked Sweet potato – 204% DV per serving

5. 1 cup of Cooked Kales – 98% DV per serving

6. 1 medium cooked carrot – 44% DV per serving

7. 1 large Raw Red Pepper – 29% DV per serving

Fruits that are high in Vitamin A

8. 1 medium mango – 20% DV per serving

9. 1 medium Pink or Red Grapefruit – 16% DV per serving

10. 1 wedge of Watermelon – 9% DV per serving

Vitamin A is the blanket term for retinoids, biologically active compounds that occur naturally in both plants and animal tissues.

The Vitamin A that occurs in Animal sources is fat-soluble and in the form of retinoic acid, retinal and retinol. These retinoids are very bioavailable and stored in our human tissues. Therefore too much animal-derived vitamin A can build up in the body and become toxic.

On the flipside, the Vitamin A that occurs in fruits and vegetables is in the form of provitamin A also known as carotenoids. These carotenoids must be converted by the human body into usable retinoids. Carotenoids are water-soluble and do not accumulate in the body so toxicity is rare.

Effects of Vitamin A deficiency

Signs and symptoms of Vitamin A deficiency