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Fruits and Vegetables Provide Less Vitamin A Than Previously Thought
Dark-colored fruits and vegetables rich in carotene provide less than half as much vitamin A as previously thought, according to a study published Tuesday.
Orange, red, green or dark yellow fruits and vegetables "are still good sources of vitamin A, but new evidence shows that it takes twice as much of them to yield the same amount of vitamin A in the body as we previously understood," said Robert Russell, a professor at Tufts University in Massachusetts, author of the report for the National Academies' Institute of Medicine, according to today's China Daily.
Russell said people who rely on vegetables as their only source of vitamin A also found in meat, fish, eggs and milk need to make doubly sure they consume enough carotene-rich food to get their daily dose of vitamin A, which is crucial for growth and immune function.
The three carotenoids that are present in vegetables such as carrots, broccoli and sweet potatoes can be converted in the body to retinol, the active form of vitamin A, Russell said.
The researchers modified recommendations first issued by the National Institute of Health in 1989, determining people need to consume twice as much carotene-rich food to achieve their daily dose of vitamin A, calculated at 900 micrograms for men and 700 micrograms for women.
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