How to Increase Vitamin A Intake without Nutrition Supplements

Vitamin A deficiency usually results from malnutrition. Because vitamin A is critical to eyesight, healthy teeth and bones, and maintenance of healthy skin and mucus membranes, it prevents many chronic diseases. Vitamin A contains both retinol and carotene. Retinol is essential to healthy vision. Vitamin A deficiency can cause frequent respiratory problems, skin disorders and insomnia and disorders of the eye. Therefore, it is important to seek out foods that are rich in vitamin A.

Instructions

• 1

  Stock up on organ meats, such as liver and giblets, are the most concentrated source of retinol. Beef liver is so rich in vitamin A that it should not be eaten more that once a week.

• 2

  Eat more fruit. Yellow and orange fruits, in particular, contain high levels of vitamin A. Cantaloupe has the largest amount of vitamin A. Other fruits containing the vitamin include lemons, bananas, mangos, pink grapefruit, peaches and dried apricots.

• 3

  Eat your veggies. Orange colored vegetables, such as carrots, pumpkins and sweet potatos are the best vegetable sources of vitamin A. However, dark green leafy vegetables including spinach, collards, kale, romaine lettuce, as well as broccoli, are high in vitamin A. It is said that the darker the color, the higher the beta-carotene.

• 4

  Incorporate oils into your diet. Good sources of the retinol in vitamin A are foods rich in oils. These include eggs, cheese, oily fish and yogurt

• 5

  Sprinkle on the seasonings. Seasonings, including herbs and spices, although used sparingly are good ways to add some extra vitamin A to the diet. Herbs that have high concentrations of vitamin A include sweet basil, ginger, lemongrass, and mint. Spices include cumin and tumeric.