Vitamin A Quckie

Welcome to the first quickie blog post.  These posts aren't meant to be the end all on the topics they'll be talking about.  It's more of a collection of quick bursts of information, hence the name.  These posts will be me for me than anything else, but I figured, instead of just writing these up and keeping them on my PC, I'd share them with the world.  I'm planning on this being an on going series that gets updated every Monday.  :D

Why do we want some Vitamin A?

Vitamin A is an essential vitamin that: promotes cell regeneration and division which means healthy skin, gums, teeth, and mucus membranes; assists the immune system by stimulating and production and activity of white blood cells (Harvard School of Public Health/HSPH, n.d.); is crucial for the health formation and maintenance of major organs like the heart, lungs, and kidneys (National Institutes of Health/NIH, 2013); aids sight, especially for lower light situations; and may play a key role for breastfeeding.

What is Vitamin A?

There are actually two forms of vitamin A that I am currently aware of, active vitamin A (also called retinol or preformed vitamin A) and precursor/proformed vitamin A like beta-carotene.  Precursor vitamin A is created in the body through chemical reactions as the body breaks down one compound.  This form of vitamin A is not toxic, even at high intake levels (/HSPH, n.d.).  Active vitamin A, however, is a different story and should be capped at 3,000 micrograms, though "...intakes this high may increase the risk of hip fracture or interfere with the beneficial actions of vitamin D" (HSPH, n.d.). 

Where do we get active vitamin A?

A leading source is from fortified foods, like breakfast cereals, and supplements.  It is recommended that people use a supplement that uses a precursor vitamin A, like beta-carotene, instead of an active version.  Another high source is animal based, especially beef liver which can give up to 444% DV in 3oz (NIH, 2013).

Where do I get precursor vitamin A?

FRUITS and VEGGIES!  A serving of sweet potatoes pack a whopping 561% DV of vitamin A while a serving of cooked frozen spinach contains 229% (NIH, 2013).

How does my body absorb vitamin A?

Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin, meaning you need to eat the sources with some fat for your body to do much of anything with it.  This is another reason why I add Greek yogurt to my green smoothies, or coconut oil if I'm not using Greek yogurt.  

References

Harvard School of Public Health (n.d.). Vitamin A. Retrieved from http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-a/.

Medicine Plus (February 18, 2013). Vitamin A. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002400.htm.

National Institutes of Health (June 5, 2013). Vitamin A - Health professional fact sheet.Retrieved from http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/#h3.