Ask a Dietitian

Ask a Dietitian

"Diana, just a quick heads up to let you know we are still using your cookbook and the guys will often be heard saying what would Diana say about this or that....really good feed back... I made your potato salad and the oriental coleslaw on Sat. for a family luncheon and had rave reviews so thanks again."

Maeghan Henke
BC Hydro

Vitamin A

August 12th, 2003

As seen on BCTV August 12th, 2003

Vitamin A, or retinol, is essential for bone growth, reproduction, skin, eyes and immune function. Because it is essential for good health, some foods have been fortified with it such as milk, margarine and some breakfast cereals to reduce the incidence of disease. The new RDA for vitamin A is 3000 IU for men and 2333 IU for women. Vitamin A is fat soluble so levels can build up over time. Recent research found that too much preformed vitamin A, vitamin A palmitate or acetate may increase the risk of hip fractures, liver abnormalities and birth defects. It is thought that moderate to high levels of vitamin A reduces bone growth and interferes with the ability of vitamin D to help the body utilize calcium. Beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A as needed, doesn’t cause those problems, but very high doses of beta-carotene (33,000-50,000 IU a day) from a pill (not food) may increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers.

Your goal in a supplement is to find one that contains no more than 2,500 IU of vitamin A acetate or palmitate or 15,000 IU of beta-carotene. The best option however, is to load up on beta-carotene-rich fruits and vegetables like carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, squash, cantaloupe and broccoli which may help prevent cancer. Preformed vitamin A is found in animal foods and fortified foods such as liver (30,000 IU in 3oz of beef liver), fish oil and fish livers (if taking fish oil supplements find one with less vitamin A, especially if you are pregnant), breakfast cereals that have been fortified (500-1000 IU), and whole milk (300 IU per cup)

Recommendations: If you are postmenopausal, keep track of your vitamin A intake.

  • check your multivitamin (aim for less than 5000 IU vitamin A and at least 20% of this should be from beta-carotene)
  • Don’t take a separate vitamin A supplement, especially women of childbearing age)
  • Don’t worry about the vitamin A in milk, it is hard to get high levels of vitamin A from food unless you eat liver and fortified cereals everyday
  • Don’t worry about carotenoids, your body will convert these into vitamin A as needed
  • Don’t take cod liver oil
  • Don’t avoid vitamin A all together. You need some. Eat lots of brightly coloured fruit and vegetables every day and you will get the carotenoids you need.

Beta-carotene Rich Meal of the Week:

Butternut squash soup, grilled salmon on spinach salad with shredded carrots and tomato wedges and cantaloupe for dessert.

 

Watch for the Eating for Energy segment every Tuesday on BCTV’s Noon News Hour!