Foods High in Vitamin A

Vitamin A is best known for its role in vision. It is a key component of rhodopsin, the protein in your retinas that allows you to see in low-light conditions. Even mild vitamin A deficiency impairs night vision, and severe deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children worldwide. In developed countries, most people get enough, but those who eat very few orange, red, or dark green vegetables may fall short.

Beyond vision, vitamin A is a cornerstone of immune function. It maintains the integrity of mucosal barriers in the lungs, gut, and urinary tract, which are your body's first line of defense against infection. It also supports the production and differentiation of white blood cells. Vitamin A deficiency dramatically increases susceptibility to infectious diseases, particularly in children.

There are two forms of dietary vitamin A. Preformed vitamin A (retinol) comes from animal sources like liver, fish, eggs, and dairy and is directly usable by the body. Provitamin A carotenoids (primarily beta-carotene) come from orange and dark green plant foods and must be converted to retinol. The conversion is less efficient, so people relying solely on plant sources need to eat generous portions of foods like sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, and kale.