Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an essential role in maintaining vision, body growth, immune function, and reproductive health (1Trusted Source). Getting adequate amounts of vitamin A from your diet should prevent the symptoms of deficiency, which include hair loss, skin problems, dry eyes, night blindness, and increased susceptibility to infections (1Trusted Source). Deficiency is a leading cause of blindness in developing countries. In contrast, most people in developed countries get enough vitamin A from their diet (1Trusted Source). The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) is 900 micrograms (mcg) for males, 700 mcg for females, and 300–600 mcg for children and adolescents (2). The RDA provides enough vitamin A for the vast majority of people. Put simply, a single daily value (DV) of 900 mcg is used as a reference on nutrition labels in the United States and Canada (3Trusted Source). This article lists 20 foods that are rich in vitamin A, plus an additional 20 fruits and vegetables rich in provitamin A. Share on PinterestMarija Savic/Stocksy United
Foods high in vitamin A
Vitamin A1, also known as retinol, is only found in animal-sourced foods, such as oily fish, liver, cheese, and butter.
Here are some of the best sources of vitamin A1.
1. Beef liver, cooked
3.5 ounces (oz), or 100 grams (g), contains 7,730 mcg of retinol, or 859% of the DV (4Trusted Source).
2. Lamb liver, cooked
3.5 oz (100 g) contains 7,780 mcg of retinol, or 864% of the DV (5Trusted Source).
3. Liver sausage (liverwurst)
3.5 oz (100 g) contains 8,310 mcg of retinol, or 923% of the DV (6Trusted Source).
4. Cod liver oil
1 tablespoon (tbsp), or 14 g, contains 4,080 mcg of retinol, or 453% of the DV (7Trusted Source).
5. King mackerel, cooked
3.5 oz (100 g) contains 252 mcg of retinol, or 28% of the DV (8Trusted Source).
6. Salmon, cooked
3.5 oz (100 g) contains 69 mcg of retinol, or 8% of the DV (9Trusted Source).
7. Bluefin tuna, cooked
3.5 oz (100 g) contains 757 mcg of retinol, or 84% of the DV (10Trusted Source).
8. Goose live pate, canned
1 tbsp (13 g) contains 130 mcg of retinol, or 14% of the DV (11Trusted Source).
9. Goat cheese
1 oz (28 g) contains 80 mcg of retinol, or 9% of the DV (12Trusted Source).
10. Butter
1 tbsp (14 g) contains 95 mcg of retinol, or 11% of the DV (13Trusted Source).
11. Limburger cheese
1 oz (28 g) contains 96 mcg of retinol, or 11% of the DV (14Trusted Source).
12. Cheddar cheese
1 oz (28 g) contains 74 mcg of retinol, or 8% of the DV (15Trusted Source).
13. Camembert cheese
1 oz (28 g) contains 68 mcg of retinol, or 8% of the DV (16Trusted Source).
14. Roquefort cheese
1 oz (28 g) contains 83 mcg of retinol, or 9% of the DV (17Trusted Source).
15. Eggs
One large (50 g) hard-boiled egg contains 75 mcg of retinol, or 8% of the DV (18Trusted Source).
16. Trout, cooked
3.5 oz (100 g) contains 100 mcg of retinol, or 11% of the DV (19Trusted Source).
17. Clams, canned
3.5 oz (100 g) contains 101 mcg of retinol, or 11% of the DV (20Trusted Source).
18. Cream cheese
1 oz (28 g) contains 86 mcg of retinol, or 10% of the DV (21Trusted Source).
19. Oysters, canned
3.5 oz (100 g) contains 98 mcg of retinol, or 11% of the DV (22Trusted Source).
20. Whole milk
1 cup (237 milliliters) contains 76 mcg of retinol, or 8% of the DV (23Trusted Source).
Vegetables high in vitamin A Your body can produce vitamin A from carotenoids found in plants. These carotenoids include beta-carotene and alpha-carotene, which are collectively known as provitamin A. However, about 45% of people carry a genetic mutation that significantly reduces their ability to convert provitamin A into vitamin A (24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source). Depending on your genetics, the following vegetables might provide considerably less vitamin A than indicated. 1. Sweet potato, baked 1 cup (200 g) contains 1,920 mcg retinol activity equivalents (RAE), or 213% of the DV (26Trusted Source). 2. Butternut squash, baked 1 cup (205 g) contains 1,140 mcg RAE, or 127% of the DV (27Trusted Source). 3. Kale, cooked 1 cup (118 g) contains 172 mcg RAE, or 19% of the DV (28Trusted Source). 4. Collard greens, cooked 1 cup (190 g) contains 722 mcg RAE, or 80% of the DV (29Trusted Source). 5. Turnip greens, cooked 1 cup (144 g) contains 549 mcg RAE, or 61% of the DV (30Trusted Source). 6. Carrots, cooked 1 cup (155 g) contains 1,280 mcg RAE, or 142% of the DV (31Trusted Source). 7. Sweet red pepper, raw 1 large (164 g) sweet red pepper contains 257 mcg RAE, or 29% of the DV (32Trusted Source). 8. Swiss chard, cooked 1 cup (175 g) contains 536 mcg RAE, or 60% of the DV (33Trusted Source). 9. Spinach, cooked 1 cup (180 g) contains 943 mcg RAE, or 105% of the DV (34Trusted Source). 10. Romaine lettuce, raw 1 cup (47 g) contains 205 mcg RAE, or 23% of the DV (35Trusted Source).
Fruits high in vitamin A
Provitamin A is generally more abundant in vegetables than fruits.
However, a few types of fruit provide good amounts, as shown below.
1. Mango
1 cup (165 g) contains 89 mcg RAE, or 10% of the DV (36Trusted Source).
2. Cantaloupe
1 cup (160 g) contains 270 mcg RAE, or 30% of the DV (37Trusted Source).
3. Grapefruit
Half a grapefruit (154 g) contains 89 mcg RAE, or 10% of the DV (38Trusted Source).
4. Watermelon
1 cup (155 g) contains 43 mcg RAE, or 5% of the DV (39Trusted Source).
5. Papaya
1 cup (165 g) contains 78 mcg RAE, or 9% of the DV (40Trusted Source).
6. Apricot
Two apricots (70 g) contain 67 mcg RAE, or 7% of the DV (41Trusted Source).
7. Tangerine
One tangerine (109 g) contains 37 mcg RAE, or 4% of the DV (42Trusted Source).
8. Nectarine
One nectarine (140 g) contains 29 mcg RAE, or 3% of the DV (43Trusted Source).
9. Guava
Two guavas (110 g) contain 34 mcg RAE, or 4% of the DV (44Trusted Source).
10. Passion fruit
Two passion fruits (36 g) contain 23 mcg RAE, or 3% of the DV (45Trusted Source).
How do you meet your vitamin A needs? You can easily meet your requirements for vitamin A by regularly eating some of the foods listed in this article. Many foods also contain added vitamin A, including cereals, margarine, and dairy products. Since vitamin A is fat-soluble, it is more efficiently absorbed into the bloodstream when eaten with fat. Most animal-sourced foods that are rich in vitamin A are also high in fat, but the same doesn’t apply to most plant sources of provitamin A. You can improve your absorption of provitamin A from plant sources by adding a dash of oil to your salad. However, as mentioned above, some people have a genetic mutation that makes the conversion of provitamin A into vitamin A much less efficient (24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source). Because of this, people following a vegetarian or vegan diet should take supplements or make sure to eat plenty of the fruits and vegetables listed above. Fortunately, foods abundant in vitamin A are usually easy to come by and most are an excellent addition to a healthy diet.
fuente: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-high-in-vitamin-a
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