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Vitamin
A and Carotenoids
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[Vitamin
A: What is it? | What foods provide Vitamin
A?]
[Recommended Dietary Allowance]
[When can vitamin A deficiency occur?]
[Who may need extra vitamin A to prevent a
deficiency]
[Vitamin A, beta carotene and cancer
| Too much vitamin A]
[Too many carotenoids | Selected
food sources for Vitamin A]
[References]
What
is the health risk of too many carotenoids?
Nutrient toxicity traditionally refers to adverse health
effects from a high intake of a particular vitamin or mineral. For example,
large amounts of the active form of vitamin A (naturally found in animal
foods such as liver but also available in dietary supplements) can cause
birth defects.
Provitamin A carotenoids
such as beta-carotene are generally considered safe because they are not
traditionally associated with specific adverse health effects. The conversion
of provitamin A carotenoids to vitamin A decreases when body stores are
full, which naturally limits further increases in storage levels. A high
intake of provitamin A carotenoids can turn the skin yellow, but this
is not considered dangerous to health38.
Recent clinical trials
that suggested a greater incidence of lung cancer and total mortality
(death) in current smokers who supplemented their diet with 20 mg of beta-carotene
per day have raised concern about the safety of beta-carotene supplements.
However, conflicting studies make it difficult to interpret the health
risk. For example, the Physicians' Health Study compared the effects of
taking 50 mg beta-carotene every other day to a placebo (sugar pill) in
over 22,000 male physicians and found no adverse health effects39.
Also, a trial that tested the ability of four different nutrient combinations
to inhibit the development of esophageal and gastric cancers in 30,000
men and women in China suggested that after 5 years those participants
who took a combination of beta-carotene, selenium and vitamin E had a
13% reduction in cancer deaths40. One point
to consider is that there may be a relationship between alcohol and beta-carotene
because "only those men who consumed more than 11 g per day of alcohol
(approximately one drink per day) showed an adverse response to B-carotene
supplementation" in the lung cancer trial13.
The Institute of Medicine
did not set a Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), the highest level of
daily nutrient intake that is likely to pose no risk of adverse health
effects, for B-carotene or carotenoids. Instead, they concluded that B-carotene
supplements are not advisable for the general population. As stated earlier,
however, they may be appropriate as a provitamin A source or for the prevention
of vitamin A deficiency in specific populations13.
Selected
Food Sources of vitamin A
As the 2000 Dietary Guidelines for Americans state,
"Different foods contain different nutrients. No single food can supply
all the nutrients in the amounts you need"41.
The following tables suggest dietary sources of vitamin A and provitamin
A carotenoids. As the tables indicate, liver, eggs and whole milk are
good animal sources of vitamin A. Many orange fruits and green vegetables
are good sources of provitamin A carotenoids. Including these foods in
your daily diet will help you meet your daily need for vitamin A. In addition,
food manufacturers fortify a wide range of products with vitamin A. Breakfast
cereals, pastries, breads, crackers, cereal grain bars and other foods
may be fortified with 10% to 15% of the DV for vitamin A. It is important
to read the nutrition facts panel of the food label to determine whether
a food provides vitamin A.
If you want more information
about building a healthful diet, refer to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans
and the Food Guide Pyramid.
Table
of Selected Animal Sources
of Vitamin A18 |
| Food
|
IU
|
%DV
* |
|
Liver, beef,
cooked, 3 oz
|
30,325
|
610
|
|
Liver, chicken,
cooked, 3 oz
|
13,920
|
280
|
|
Egg substitute,
fortified, 1/4 c
|
1355
|
25
|
|
Fat free milk,
fortified w/ vitamin A, 1 c
|
500
|
10
|
|
Cheese pizza,
1/8 of a 12" diameter
|
380
|
8
|
|
Milk, whole,
3.25% fat, 1 c
|
305
|
6
|
|
Cheddar cheese,
1 oz
|
300
|
6
|
|
Whole egg, 1
medium
|
280
|
6
|
|
Swiss cheese,
1 oz
|
240
|
4
|
|
Margarine, soft,
corn oil, 1 tsp
|
165
|
4
|
|
Yogurt, fruit
flavored, low fat, 1 c
|
120
|
2
|
| *
DV = Daily Value. DVs are reference numbers based on the Recommended
Dietary Allowance (RDA). They were developed to help consumers determine
if a food contains a lot or a little of a specific nutrient. The DV
for vitamin A is 5,000 IU (1,000 RE). The percent DV (%DV) listed
on the nutrition facts panel of food labels tells adults what percentage
of the DV is provided by one serving. Percent DVs are based on a 2,000-calorie
diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie
needs. Foods that provide lower percentages of the DV will contribute
to a healthful diet. |
Table
of Selected Plant Sources
of vitamin A (from beta-carotene)18
Plant
sources such as beta carotene are not as well absorbed as animal sources
of vitamin A. |
|
Food
|
IU
|
%DV
*
|
|
Carrot, 1 raw
(7 1/2")
|
20,250
|
410
|
|
Carrots, boiled,
1/2 c slices
|
19,150
|
380
|
|
Carrot juice,
canned, 1/2 c
|
12,915
|
260
|
|
Mango, raw,
without refuse, 1 fruit
|
8,050
|
160
|
|
Sweet potatoes,
1/2 c Junior mashed
|
7,430
|
150
|
|
Spinach, boiled,
1/2 c
|
7,370
|
150
|
|
Cantaloupe,
raw, 1 c cubes
|
5,160
|
100
|
|
Kale, boiled,
1/2 c
|
4,810
|
100
|
|
Vegetable soup,
prepared with equal volume water, 1 c
|
3,005
|
60
|
|
Pepper, sweet,
red, raw, 1/2 c sliced
|
2,620
|
50
|
|
Apricots, without
skin, canned in water, 1/2 c halves
|
2,055
|
40
|
|
Spinach, raw,
1 cup
|
2,015
|
40
|
|
Broccoli, frozen,
chopped, boiled,
1/2 c
|
1,740
|
35
|
|
Apricot nectar,
canned, 1/2 c
|
1,650
|
30
|
|
Oatmeal, instant,
fortified, low sodium, dry, 1 packet
|
1,050
|
20
|
|
Tomato juice,
canned, 6 oz
|
1,010
|
20
|
|
Ready-to-eat
cereal, fortified, 1 oz (15% fortification)
|
750
|
15
|
|
Peaches, canned,
water pack, 1/2 c halves or slices
|
650
|
15
|
|
Peach, raw,
1 medium
|
525
|
10
|
|
Papaya, raw,
1 small
|
430
|
10
|
|
Orange, raw,
1 large
|
375
|
8
|
|
Asparagus, boiled,
4 spears
|
325
|
6
|
|
Tomato, red,
ripe, raw, 1/2" thick slice
|
170
|
2
|
| *
DV = Daily Value. DVs are reference numbers based on the Recommended
Dietary Allowance (RDA). They were developed to help consumers determine
if a food contains a lot or a little of a specific nutrient. The DV
for vitamin A is 5,000 IU (1,000 RE). The percent DV (%DV) of Vitamin
A listed on the nutrition facts panel of food labels tells adults
what percentage of the DV of Vitamin A is provided by one serving.
Percent DVs are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your Daily Values may
be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Foods that provide
lower percentages of the DV of Vitamin A will contribute to a healthful
diet. |
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References
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This fact sheet was
developed by the Clinical Nutrition Service, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical
Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, in conjunction
with the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) in the Office of the Director
of NIH. The mission of ODS is to strengthen knowledge and understanding
of dietary supplements by evaluating scientific information, stimulating
and supporting research, disseminating research results, and educating
the public to foster an enhanced quality of life and health for the U.S.
population. The Clinical Nutrition Service and the ODS would like to thank
the expert scientific reviewers for their role in ensuring the scientific
accuracy of the information discussed in this fact sheet.
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