NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
Garden of Healing® Supplement Advisor: Vitamin A and Beta Carotene
QUESTION:
Dear Garden of Healing® Supplement Advisor:
What is the difference between Vitamin A and Beta Carotene?
ANSWER:
Vitamin AVitamin A (retinol) is an essential human nutrient and fat-soluble vitamin necessary for new cell growth, healthy tissue, and vision in dim light.
Vitamin A is found naturally in many foods:
Sweet potatoes, carrots, collard greens, kale, pumpkin, spinach, sweet peppers, winter squash, apricots, cantaloupe melon, mango, liver (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish), eggs, and broccoli.
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Retinol, the animal form of Vitamin A, is a yellow fat-soluble, antioxidant vitamin with importance in vision and bone growth.
Vitamin A is stored by the body and can be toxic in extremely high doses taken over a long period of time.
Hypervitaminosis A refers to the effects of excessive vitamin A (specifically retinoid) intake. Signs of acute toxicity include nausea and vomiting, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, and loss of muscular coordination.
Beta CaroteneBeta Carotene is not a vitamin, but the body converts it into Vitamin A as needed. Beta Carotene, unlike Vitamin A, is not toxic in high doses.
Beta Carotene, sometimes referred to as Provitamin A, is know to be an efficient anti-oxidant.
Carotene is responsible for the orange color of carrots and many other fruits and vegetables.
The following foods are particularly rich in carotenes:
Sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, spinach, cantaloupe melon, turnip greens, winter squash, collard greens, cilantro, fresh thyme, Romaine lettuce, goji berries, Ivy gourd and Cassava.
Absorption from these foods is enhanced if eaten with fats, as carotenes are fat soluble, and if the food is cooked for a few minutes until the plant cell wall splits and the color is released into any liquid.
© 1996-2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.
For more articles about natural health and healing, please visit:
http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/
Garden of Healing® Supplement Advisor: Vitamin A and Beta Carotene
QUESTION:
Dear Garden of Healing® Supplement Advisor:
What is the difference between Vitamin A and Beta Carotene?
ANSWER:
Vitamin AVitamin A (retinol) is an essential human nutrient and fat-soluble vitamin necessary for new cell growth, healthy tissue, and vision in dim light.
Vitamin A is found naturally in many foods:
Sweet potatoes, carrots, collard greens, kale, pumpkin, spinach, sweet peppers, winter squash, apricots, cantaloupe melon, mango, liver (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish), eggs, and broccoli.
_________
Retinol, the animal form of Vitamin A, is a yellow fat-soluble, antioxidant vitamin with importance in vision and bone growth.
Vitamin A is stored by the body and can be toxic in extremely high doses taken over a long period of time.
Hypervitaminosis A refers to the effects of excessive vitamin A (specifically retinoid) intake. Signs of acute toxicity include nausea and vomiting, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, and loss of muscular coordination.
Beta CaroteneBeta Carotene is not a vitamin, but the body converts it into Vitamin A as needed. Beta Carotene, unlike Vitamin A, is not toxic in high doses.
Beta Carotene, sometimes referred to as Provitamin A, is know to be an efficient anti-oxidant.
Carotene is responsible for the orange color of carrots and many other fruits and vegetables.
The following foods are particularly rich in carotenes:
Sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, spinach, cantaloupe melon, turnip greens, winter squash, collard greens, cilantro, fresh thyme, Romaine lettuce, goji berries, Ivy gourd and Cassava.
Absorption from these foods is enhanced if eaten with fats, as carotenes are fat soluble, and if the food is cooked for a few minutes until the plant cell wall splits and the color is released into any liquid.
© 1996-2009 Mark Isaac Thyss/Garden of Healing®. All rights reserved.
For more articles about natural health and healing, please visit:
http://www.thegardenofhealing.com/
