Born Angels

The vitamin A is fat soluble, is stored in the liver and is important for embryonic growth of your baby. Provides resistance to infection and fat metabolism.

Vitamin A is especially important for women who are about to give birth as it helps with tissue repair after childbirth, to fight infections and maintain a correct view.

The vitamin A covers two types of nutrients vitamin A or retinol and carotenoids. Preformed vitamin A is found in animal products like eggs, milk and liver and carotenoids found in fruits and vegetables. The most common is beta carotene.

The required amounts of vitamin A in pregnant and lactating women, these are as follows:

• ● Women pregnant for 19 years and older need about 770 micrograms (2,565 IU).

• ● Women pregnant for 18 years and under, 750 mcg. (2,500 IU).

• ● Women who breastfeed for 19 years and older need 1,300 mcg. (4330 IU).

• ● Women who breastfeed for 18 years and younger, 1,200 mcg. (4,000 IU).

Vitamin A comes from animal sources like eggs, meat such as liver and kidney, dairy products like milk, cheese, cream and oil, cod liver, but with the exception of skim milk fortified with vitamin A, these all have a high content of saturated fat and cholesterol.

The sources of beta carotene include orange fruits and bright yellow as the melon, grapefruit and apricots, vegetables, like carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato and zucchini and broccoli, spinach and most green leafy vegetables. None has fat or cholesterol.

Deficiencies of vitamin A, are difficult because it is easy to obtain from the diet, except as a result of certain medical conditions. Signs of a deficiency impair night vision and have a weakened immune system. People with vitamin A deficiency can also develop a condition called xerophthalmia, which gives rise to the dryness and thickening of the cornea.

Comments are closed.