What does it do?
The better question really is what doesn’t it do? Alongside playing a role in the growth and development of cells and maintenance of body tissue, skin and teeth, A is also essential for normal vision (hence its name retinol, for the part it plays in the eye’s retina), gene regulation, reproduction, infection resistance, cell membrane metabolism and structure. Because it’s required for maintaining the epithelial cells that line the respiratory tract and other organs, it also plays an important role in the normal formation and maintenance of the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs.
Give a dose of vitamin A to a child suffering night blindness, and full sight can be regained within days. Supplementing children deficient in vitamin A in low income countries can drastically slash death rates from measles. All frankly incredible for something not typically regarded as a medicine.
What’s the story?
Although the effects of vitamin A can be downright miraculous, in excess it has the potential to be one of the more toxic of the vitamins, to the extent that pregnant women are told to avoid eating liver and avoid vitamin A supplements as this organ is the body’s main store for vitamin A. Interestingly enough however, an excess of beta-carotene (in food form, mind!) doesn’t have any harmful effects, although you may find your skin temporarily turns a rather fetching shade of yellow or orange if you eat too much….
How much do I need?
Adult women aged 19 and beyond (including 50+ year olds) need 600 mg per day.
Adult men aged 19 and beyond (including 50+ year olds) need 700 mg per day.
What are good sources?
Foods rich in Vitamin A include liver, fish, dairy products (milk, cheese, butter etc), orange or yellow coloured vegetables like sweet potato, carrots, and mango, and green leafy veg. As a rule of thumb, any fruit or vegetables that are yellow or orange coloured is a signal (an orange flag?) that beta-carotene is present, and therefore vitamin A.
Any ideas for using those ingredients?
roast butternut squash with chorizo/liver alla venziana/spicy mango salsa/orange, pistachio and feta/tuna and avocado poke/chickpea, carrot, harissa and kale/mackerel with black olives, capers and tomato/sardine and apple salad
References
British Nutrition Foundation (2021) Nutrition Requirements. Available here.
Price, C. (2016) The Vitamin Complex. London, Oneworld Publications, pp. 99 - 102.
Sudfeld, C.R et al. (2010) Effectiveness of measles vaccination and vitamin A treatment. International Journal of Epidemiology, 39 (1), pp. 48-55. Available here.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2016), National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements, Vitamin A - Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Available here.