Nutrient Food Sources
Vitamin A (Retinol)
Vitamin A is fat-soluble, also known by the name retinol because of its close association with the health of the retina in the eye. A group of carotenes, natural pigments in foods, are thought to have vitamin A activity in the body in that they are converted into vitamin A. They are thus called ‘pro-vitamin A’. The list above deals only with preformed vitamin A, or retinol.
Vitamin A is important for vision, skin health, reproduction, immune function, and antioxidant status and it also exerts anti-viral properties.
Absorption and utilisation of vitamin A relies on the presence of fat, protein, zinc, vitamin E and some antioxidants in the diet.
| Food Sources of vitamin A | Amount (µg per 100g) |
| Anchovies | 57 |
| Butter | 958 |
| Calf’s liver | 25200 |
| Cheddar cheese | 364 |
| Cod | 2 |
| Cow’s milk – skimmed | 1 |
| Cow’s milk – semi-skimmed | 19 |
| Cow’s milk – whole | 33 |
| Crème fraiche | 388 |
| Egg, chicken (boiled) | 190 |
| Goat’s milk | 44 |
| Mackerel | 45 |
| Mozzarella | 258 |
| Salmon | 13 |
| Sheep’s milk | 83 |
| Trout | 29 |
| Yogurt | 28 |
Source: McCance and Widdowson’s The Composition of Foods (6th Edition)