Vitamin A: Foods Containing It and Health Benefits

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Vitamin A is essential for our body, protecting us from solar radiation, preserving mucous membranes and helping healing. But its primary function focuses on the benefits it exerts on the eyes and vision.

What is vitamin A

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored in the liver. It was the first vitamin that was known, because the Egyptians already related it to vision loss and treated patients with animal liver.

Vitamin A of animal origin is called retinol and is what produces retinal pigments in the eyes. On the other hand, if vitamin A comes from vegetables, its active ingredient is carotene, especially beta-carotene, which is a powerful antioxidant.

What is vitamin A for?

The adequate intake of vitamin A translates into innumerable benefits for the body, among which are:

– It is essential to maintain good vision and prevents problems such as glaucoma, cataracts, twilight blindness or conjunctivitis.

– It favors the development of the bones keeping them in good condition.

– As an antioxidant, it prevents cancer as well as cellular aging.

– It is essential to maintain mucous membranes, in addition to repairing the skin, nails, hair and enamel of the teeth.

– It plays a vital role in reproduction, ensuring that gestation develops normally.

– In the immune system prevents infectious diseases offering greater resistance of the organism.

Problems due to lack of vitamin A

The consequences of vitamin A deficiency quickly become apparent.

– Lack of vision, eye dryness, corneal ulcers.

– Stunting.

–    Defective teeth.

– Frequent infections.

-Sterility.

– Brittle nails.

– Fragile hair.

– Dry skin.

-Fatigue.

What foods contain vitamin A

Some animal foods have large amounts of retinol. The most abundant in this vitamin A is liver, beef, chicken or fish. It is also found in egg yolks and dairy products such as cheese or butter.

Beta-carotene present in foods of plant origin has a greater presence in orange, dark green, yellow or reddish vegetables. For example, the carrot has high amounts of this vitamin, as well as chard, broccoli, cabbage, pumpkins, tomato or peppers.

On the other hand, fruits also contain a large amount of beta-carotene, which once ingested is transformed in the liver into vitamin A. Fruits such as melon, banana, apples, plums, oranges, strawberries or currants are an essential source.

Vitamin A, being essential for the proper functioning of the body, can cause some problems if it exceeds the necessary consumption. Vomiting, weight loss, blurred vision, migraines, weakness, liver injury and central nervous system disorders may occur. However, this rarely happens if the body picks up vitamin A directly from food and not from vitamin supplements.

As with all vitamins, that an excess of them can be harmful to health, the recommendation is a responsible, healthy and varied diet that provides the daily amounts of vitamins that the body needs.

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