“Vitamin A is the name of a group of fat-soluble retinoids, including retinol, retinal, and retinyl esters” that are involved in the immune, vision, and cellular communications of the body. It is an important vitamin for vision because it absorbs light in the retinal receptors. Vitamin A supports cell growth and differentiation and plays another important role in maintenance and formation of the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs. Frederick Gowland Hopkins, an English biochemist, discovered Vitamin A and the need for it in 1912. There are two forms of Vitamin A, preformed Vitamin A which is found in foods from animals like fish and meats as well as dairy products and provitamin A carotenoids which is found in most fruits and vegetables.
It’s recommended that males ages 19-50 years they should get 900 mcg RAE(retinol activity equivalents) and for women ages 19-50 years should get 700 mcg RAE. Preformed Vitamin A is highest in the liver and fish oils. Some other foods that are high in preformed Vitamin A are milk and eggs (dairy products, and fortified cereals). Dietary Provitamin A is found in leafy green vegetables, orange and yellow vegetables (carrots, broccoli, cantaloupe, and squash), tomatoes, fruits, and some vegetable oils).
A list of foods that are high in all Vitamin A are; Cod liver oil, eggs, fortified skim milk, orange and yellow vegetables, broccoli, spinach, dark greens, leafy vegetables, sweet potato, black-eyed peas, sweet red pepper, mango, dried apricots, herring, tomato juice, and pumpkin.