7 Foods With More Vitamin A Than Carrots
Eat your carrots so you don’t need glasses– how many of us have heard that in our lifetime? Though mostly an old wives’ tale, carrots are indeed chock full of vitamin A, which can help improve your vision. But wait, there’s more! Vitamin A also boosts your immune system and lowers your risk of developing heart disease. It comes in two forms: retinol, primarily from animal sources, and beta-carotene, primarily from plant sources. Both are important, though preference is placed on beta-carotene, and both can be found more abundantly in many foods besides carrots, like…
1. Sweet Potatoes
One average sized sweet potato contains twice as much beta-carotene and retinol as a half cup of carrots. They may feel more like a treat than carrots, but they come in at a whopping 438 percent your daily recommended vitamin A intake– and they have more potassium than a banana!
2. Kale
A small kale salad, four cups to be precise, will give you a stunning 7 times as much beta-carotene and retinol as a half cup of carrots. Kale isn’t regarded as a superfood for no reason, either; that same amount will also give you 500 percent your daily vitamin C and a stunning 3,000 percent your daily vitamin K.
3. Cod Liver Oil
One tablespoon of cod liver oil packs a tremendous amount of beta-carotene and retinol, 8 times as much as a half cup of carrots. Fish oil also comes loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which have their own huge range of benefits, from clearing up your skin to preventing Alzheimer’s.
4. Butternut Squash
A half cup of butternut squash has a bit more vitamin A than a half cup of carrots, but also comes with a lot of fiber, to keep you full throughout the day.
5. Liver
Liver is an amazing source of a variety of vitamins, vitamin A included. Liver is a storage area for many vital nutrients, including vitamins A, D, E, K, B12, folic acid, copper and iron. If liver sounds too unappetizing for you, desiccated liver capsules provide many of the nutrients in pill form.
6. Dried Apricots
Two cups of apricots will put you above how much vitamin A you get from a half a cup of carrots. Apricots are also a good source of potassium, though like most fruit, they’re high in sugar– partake in moderation.
7. Dandelion Greens
Incorporated into a salad, two cups dandelion greens will give you more vitamin A than half a cup of carrots. Plus you can find them in any yard (maybe rinse them off first)!
If you didnt’ notice, there’s a pretty obvious trend apparent here: dark, leafy greens and orange foods tend to contain noteworthy amounts of vitamin A. Incorporating at least one of these foods in your daily meal plan should be enough to meet your daily recommended retinol and beta-carotene needs without going over; studies have shown getting too much retinol may be detrimental.
Happy eating!
