Introduction

You probably know that vitamin C is an important nutrient for your body. But did you know that there are many other vitamins and minerals that also play a role in keeping your body healthy? In fact, most of the foods we eat contain several different types of vitamins and minerals. That’s why it’s important to eat a wide variety of foods on a daily basis so that your body gets all the nutrients it needs to function properly.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that we get from food. It helps maintain healthy skin, teeth, and eyes. Vitamin A also plays a role in growth and development.

In the U.S., foods that naturally contain high amounts of vitamin A include:

• Carrots
• Sweet potatoes
• Spinach (and other leafy greens)

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Beta-Carotene

Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant, which means it helps protect your body from damage that can lead to disease. Your body uses the beta-carotene you get from food to make vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential for good vision and healthy skin and mucous membranes, such as those in your mouth, nose and lungs.

Besides sweet potatoes and carrots—which are rich in beta-carotene—other foods high in this nutrient include kale and cantaloupe. If you don’t eat much meat or dairy products, then eating more vegetables like these may be especially important for your health.

Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant. It is also used by your body to make vitamin A, which you need for healthy eyes, skin, and other tissues. Beta-carotene rich foods include:

Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant. It is also used by your body to make vitamin A, which you need for healthy eyes, skin, and other tissues. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), beta-carotene can be found in fruits and vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes and spinach. The ODS also states that consuming foods rich in beta-carotene may help prevent cancer and heart disease.

The following are some examples of foods that contain high amounts of beta carotene:

• Sweet potato or yam (1 medium cooked) – 604 micrograms per serving
• Carrot juice (8 oz.) – 604 micrograms per serving

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a great source of beta-carotene, an antioxidant that your body can use to make vitamin A. Vitamin A helps keep your eyes and skin healthy, boosts the immune system and supports brain function. It’s also important for people who have had liver damage or hepatitis B or C virus (HBV/HCV) because it helps prevent scarring of the liver.

Sweet potatoes are one of the healthiest foods you can eat. They contain fiber and antioxidants like beta carotene that may help lower cholesterol levels in your blood while boosting immunity by fighting off bacteria in your body while also helping protect against cancer cells from growing out of control in some cases as well

Carrots

Carrots are a good source of vitamin A and beta-carotene, which is a precursor to vitamin A. The carotenoids in carrots that give them their orange color can be converted into vitamin A by the body. Carrots also contain high amounts of vitamin C and potassium.

Kale

Kale is a dark, leafy green vegetable that’s high in vitamin A, vitamin K and calcium. Kale is also a good source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, manganese and potassium.

To get the most out of your kale salad or smoothie bowl topping choice (which we hope you choose wisely!), try to avoid overcooking it by steaming it lightly with some garlic or olive oil before adding it to your dish. This will make your veggies tastier without also turning them into mushy piles of mushiness–and no one wants that!

Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe is a good source of beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body. You might also see it listed as carotene or provitamin A. Cantaloupe has one of the highest beta-carotene contents out of all fruits and vegetables. Some other foods that contain beta-carotene include sweet potatoes, carrots and winter squash (butternut squash).

To get the most benefits from this fruit, you should eat it with some fat—either butter or oil—to increase absorption into your bloodstream.

Pumpkin

You may be wondering how to get pumpkin into your diet. As it turns out, pumpkins are quite versatile, and if you prepare them correctly can be used in a variety of meals. In fact, most people don’t realize just how much pumpkin they eat each day!

The health benefits of pumpkin include vitamin A and beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A), both known for their antioxidant properties; fiber; potassium; iron; zinc; magnesium. This makes it a good source of vitamins C and E as well as manganese (which helps cells form collagen). It also contains copper—an essential mineral that helps produce red blood cells—and selenium which is necessary for normal thyroid function.

Spinach and romaine lettuce

Spinach and romaine lettuce are both good sources of vitamin A, but spinach contains more. One cup of cooked spinach provides you with over 300% of your daily recommended intake (RDI). To get 300% or more of your RDI for vitamin A from romaine lettuce, you’d need to eat about two cups per day.

So how much spinach or romaine lettuce is enough? You can meet all your needs with three cups over the course of a week. If that sounds like a lot, consider other food sources that contain vitamin A: sweet potatoes and carrots are two examples you might be familiar with!

Apricots, mangoes, and cantaloupe melons

• Apricots
• Mango
• Cantaloupe melon

Zucchini, broccoli, and raw red peppers (for vitamin A precursors)

These veggies contain precursors to vitamin A.

Vitamin A is important for healthy eyes and skin, as well as hair, teeth, and nails. It’s also fat soluble (meaning it can be stored in your body), so eating a lot of these veggies can help you get more than the RDA recommendation of vitamin A in one sitting.

Conclusion

It can be difficult to get all the vitamins and minerals you need from food alone, so it’s important that you take a multivitamin every day. If you want to eat more fruits and vegetables, try adding them into more of your meals. You’ll feel better for it!