Vitamin A (retinol) was the first in history, therefore the first letter of the alphabet was chosen for the name. It refers to fat-soluble substances, that is, it does not dissolve in water and requires interaction with something greasy, for example, with oil. Vitamin A is very useful, so it is important to know what products it contains. It is worth noting the important property of this substance - it is able to accumulate in the body, and reserves can be stored for up to a year. That is why it is important in the summer to eat different vegetables and fruits that are rich in vitamin A.
The action of vitamin A on the body
Many people know about the positive effect of this substance on vision, but in fact, retinol has a broader spectrum of action. Children vitamin A is useful because it is necessary for good growth. It is also important for normal metabolism and for proper distribution of fatty deposits. Vitamin A participates in the normalization of the digestive, nervous, genitourinary and cardiovascular system. Retinol also responds to the health of bone tissue and teeth, and it also participates in the development of new cells. Together with vitamin E, retinol is responsible for skin health. Even vitamin A helps the body better resist the negative effects of various infections and diseases.
Where is vitamin A in which foods?
To a greater extent, the main sources of this useful substance are products of animal origin. Vitamin A is found in the liver and fat of mammals and marine inhabitants. Among all you can identify halibut, the liver and fat of which contains a large amount of retinol, and in the second and third place there is cod and salmon. It is worth noting that the amount of vitamin A in products of animal origin directly depends on what food is eaten by animals and fish.
Finding out where vitamin A is found in foods, it's worth mentioning about fruits, which although they are not sources of this substance, but at the same time contain beta-carotene, which gets into the body and activates the process of retinol production. Most of all beta-carotene in fruits that are painted in green, orange, red and yellow. Examples include tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, apples, apricots, etc.
What contains the most vitamin A:
- The first place is occupied by hawthorn and dandelion, so 100 g of plants contain 160% of the daily norm. Hawthorn is used for making different drinks, but dandelion can be added to salads or else honey is made from it.
- The next step is carrots, so in 100 g of young roots contains a daily rate of retinol.
- Skim berries are also rich in vitamin A and to cover the daily rate, you need to eat 200 g of berries.
- Among the vegetables you can select sweet peppers, broccoli and greens, so in 100 g there is only 25-30% of the daily rate of retinol. It is best to use vegetables for cooking vegetables, filling them with vegetable oil.
- The fifth position of the rating, explaining how much vitamin A is contained in the products, contains pumpkin, viburnum, mountain ash and apricot. In 100 g of these fruits contains 15-20% of the daily allowance.
The necessary daily norm of retinol is calculated individually, taking into account the sex, age, state of the organism and other factors. If to speak about average values, for men the daily norm makes 700-1000 mkg, and for women 600-800 mkg.
Knowing what kind of food contains vitamin A, it is worth noting that whenever possible the foods should be eaten freshly, since after thermal processing, preservation and marinovka, a large amount of this useful substance disappears.