Did You Know Just That Many Cancers Are Linked To A Vitamin Deficiency?
Why
do we need Vitamin A?
¨ important in vision, helps prevent "night blindness"
(difficulty seeing at night)
¨ necessary for cell growth and maintenance of skin
tissue
¨ is an antioxidant (substance that may help the body
fight diseases such as cancer and heart disease)
How can we get enough Vitamin A in our diets?
Good sources of vitamin A in the diet include fruits and
vegetables, especially those that are deep orange or dark
green in color. Carrots, spinach, cantaloupe are all excellent
sources. Vitamin A can also be found in dairy products,
liver and egg yolks. See the chart below for good sources
of vitamin A.
Most healthy adults need between
800-1000 ug RE* vitamin A per day
1 medium baked sweet potato 2488
1 medium raw carrot 2025
1 cup cantaloupe pieces 516
2 scrambled eggs 238
1/2 cup cooked broccoli 174
8 ounces lowfat milk 145
1 cup canned peaches in juice 95
*ug RE = microgram retinol equivalents, a measure of vitamin
A activity
What
about Vitamin A supplements?
Since vitamin A helps to maintain skin, doctors often use
it to treat acne and other skin conditions. Watch out, though!
Excess amounts of a kind of vitamin A known as beta-carotene
can turn your skin orange! High doses of
vitamin A can even be toxic. That's because vitamin A is
a fat-soluble vitamin and we don't tend to get rid of it
in the urine like we do with some water-soluble vitamins.
Instead, the extra gets stored in our liver or body fat.
Before you take extra vitamin A, either by putting it on
your skin or taking a pill, ask your doctor. He or she can
help you determine the benefits of vitamin A for you.
Words to know
¨ water-soluble vitamin - vitamin that dissolves in
water: B vitamins, vitamin C
¨ fat-soluble vitamin - vitamin that does not dissolve
in water: vitamins A, D, E and K.
¨ Antioxidants - substances that have been shown to
help the body cells fight diseases
such as cancer and heart disease
¨ beta-carotene - a form of vitamin A found in dark
green or dark orange fruits and
vegetables
¨ toxic - poisonous
Pump up your Vitamin A intake with this terrific recipe!
Wrestler's Low-Fat Low-Cal Garden Veggie Soup
Servings: approx. 6
Amount Measure Ingredient
2 medium celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium white potato, diced
2 14 1/2 oz cans chicken broth, fat-free/low sodium
1 14 1/2 oz can green beans, drained
1 10 oz pkg. Frozen spinach, thawed
1 14 1/2 oz can stewed tomatoes, Italian style
1/8 cup fresh parsley
1 tsp. ground sage
2 envelopes instant chicken broth, low sodium
Procedure
1. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring
to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered until vegetables
are tender, 30 minutes
3. Serve with parmesan cheese, if desired.
http://www.team.uconn.edu/images
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