Source function food sources and deficiency of vitamin a
Answers
Answer:
Though vitamin A is often considered a singular nutrient, it’s really the name for a group of fat-soluble compounds, including retinol, retinal and retinyl esters (1Trusted Source).
There are two forms of vitamin A found in food.
Preformed vitamin A — retinol and retinyl esters — occurs exclusively in animal products, such as dairy, liver and fish, while provitamin A carotenoids are abundant in plant foods like fruits, vegetables and oils (2Trusted Source).
To use them, your body must convert both forms of vitamin A to retinal and retinoic acid, the active forms of the vitamin.
Because vitamin A is fat soluble, it’s stored in body tissue for later use.
Most of the vitamin A in your body is kept in your liver in the form of retinyl esters (3Trusted Source).
These esters are then broken down into all-trans-retinol, which binds to retinol binding protein (RBP). It then enters your bloodstream, at which point your body can use it (4Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Vitamin A is the generic term for a group of fat-soluble compounds found in both animal and plant foods.
Answer:
There are many dietary sources of both preformed vitamin A and provitamin A carotenoids. Preformed vitamin A is more readily absorbed and utilized by your body than plant-based sources of provitamin A carotenoids.
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Food Sources
Egg yolks.
Beef liver.
Liverwurst.
Butter.
Cod liver oil.
Chicken liver.
Salmon.
Cheddar cheese.