Vitamin A 101 – Here Are Some Quick Facts

Last updated on April 14, 2022

     We hear more about vitamins (including Vitamin A) and supplements in the media and news today than we probably ever have. Diseases like COVID, the flu, and even the common cold have been, and currently, being positively linked to many vitamins. Aside from diseases, vitamins also play critical roles in the body’s functions, and deficiencies can cause serious negative effects. There are many vitamins to discuss, but today we are talking about the powerful Vitamin A!

What is it?

    Vitamin A is a nutrient that is critical to vision, growth, cell division, reproduction, and immunity. It is also known to have antioxidant properties, which help protect cells against effects from free radicals. Free radicals are molecules produced by the body when it breaks down food or is exposed to tobacco smoke and radiation. They often play a role in heart disease and cancer, among other conditions. Basically, it is a powerhouse of a vitamin that should be included in everyone’s diet!

Where does it come from?

     Speaking of diets, how can we get vitamin A into our diets? It is actually simple because this vitamin is conveniently located in many foods available to you! It can be found in foods like spinach, dairy products, and liver. Foods that are rich in beta-carotene are green leafy vegetables, carrots, and cantaloupe. Our bodies convert beta-carotene into vitamin A. A vitamin A supplement might be useful for those with a poor or limited diet, or a specific condition. Such conditions that require an increased need for this vitamin include pancreatic disease, eye disease, or measles. 

How much do we need?

The recommended daily amount (RDA) for this vitamin is 900 micrograms for adult men and 700 mcg for women. As an example of how much food to eat to consume the right amount, 1 whole sweet potato contains roughly 1,403 mcg RAE (retinol activity equivalents) of vitamin A, and 3 oz of beef liver contains around 6,582 mcg RAE. 

Why is Vitamin A Helpful?

It has been shown to have many benefits to the body, including those listed below!

•  Vision
• Age-related Macular Degeneration
• Cancer
• Measles
• Acne
• Immune Support 
• Reproduction
• Heart Disease 

Vitamin A is an incredible vitamin essential to maintaining a healthy body that functions correctly. Thankfully, deficiency of this vitamin is rare in the United States. If you find yourself suffering from adverse health outcomes, it might be worth getting your levels checked! Because vitamin A is so readily available, it isn’t hard to maintain healthy levels daily. Aren’t we glad such an important vitamin is so easy to get?

Sources:

Mayo Clinic – https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-a/art-20365945

NIH – https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/

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