Page 18 - summer2016

The Scarlet Nutrient:

The Unfair Stigmatization of Vitamin A

By Pam Schoenfeld, MS, RD, LDN

f you take a prenatal vitamin, look on the label to see
whether it contains vitamin A (some brands actually

Idon’t contain any vitamin A), it will probably indicate
“from beta-carotene or mixed carotenoids.” When you see

this, think carrots, sweet potatoes or papaya, all excellent
sources of the pro-vitamin A precursor beta-carotene. You

may recall hearing “eat your carrots—they are good for
your eyes.” Indeed, for many people, eating orange fruits

and vegetables supplies beta-carotene, which can be con-
verted to retinal for the light-absorbing pigments in the

retina.
Vitamin A can take one of three forms in the human body—retinol, retinal
and retinoic acid—depending on its level of oxidation and purpose. Normal
embryonic development depends upon retinoic acid for the correct expression
of the receptors in the differentiating cells—that is, for the transition from
undifferentiated stem cells into differentiated cells such as heart cells, bone
cells and brain cells. For this differentiation to occur, vitamin A supplied by
the diet must be available in adequate forms and quantities.

18 Wise Traditions SUMMER 2016 Wise Traditions