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Vitamin A is actually a family of vitamins. It comes in several forms, the most active of which is retinol. Most of what you would have read about vitamin A in food are in the form of retinol or provitamin A carotenoids that can be converted to retinol vitamin A. The best-known carotenoids is beta carotene. We also share with you below some vitamin A benefits, how vitamin A works, and a few more vitamin A facts. Vitamin A BenefitsThe most famous benefit of vitamin A is that it helps us see better, keeping the cornea moist and protecting it from damage. It is common to relate vitamin A to good night vision, which is perhaps where the value is most noticeable. For instance, vitamin A promotes bone growth, tooth development and helps with the reproductive process. It is also helpful in maintaining healthy hair, skin, mucous membranes and other surface linings. It is also instrumental in the process of cell division and cell differentiation, whereby a cell is given properties of what it will become. Vitamin A also helps protect against disease, helping the cells lining the lung to remove dangerous organisms. It also has been linked to decreased risk of breast, lung and skin cancer. Good sources of Vitamin AWe said above that we most often see vitamin A as bright orange. This is true to a large extent in plant sources, which are in the form of beta carotene. For instance, some of the very best sources of beta carotene are carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, winter squash, mangoes, papayas, peaches and cantaloupe. But there are other sources, some of which are dark green like beet greens, broccoli, Swiss chard and spinach. Most milk products and egg yolks also have significant quantities of "preformed" vitamin A (retinol), as do some fish. Perhaps the most concentrated source of retinol vitamin A is liver – calves live, chicken liver, pork liver, any liver. |
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