Vitamin A — Vision, Immunity, and Cellular Growth
Vitamin A acts as a multi-functional “architect” for your body. It is a fat-soluble nutrient, meaning your body stores it in the liver and fatty tissues for future use. In this lesson, we explore how microgreens provide the building blocks your body needs to manufacture this essential vitamin.
The Two Faces of Vitamin A
Vitamin A enters your diet in two distinct forms:
- Preformed Vitamin A (Retinol): Found in animal-based foods like liver, fish, and dairy. Your body can use this form immediately.
- Provitamin A (Carotenoids): Found in colorful plant foods, including microgreens. The most famous carotenoid is Beta-carotene.
The Concept Bridge: Think of Provitamin A like “Lego bricks.” When you eat microgreens, your body takes these bricks and assembles them into active Vitamin A as needed. This natural conversion process makes it very difficult to “overdose” on Vitamin A from vegetables alone because your body stops “building” the vitamin once it has enough.
Why Your Body Craves Vitamin A
Skin Health: It promotes healthy tissue turnover and sebum production, helping your skin stay resilient against environmental damage and acne.
Vision (The Night Vision Shield): Vitamin A produces the pigments in your retina that allow you to see in low-light conditions. It acts as a shield, protecting the surface of your eye (the cornea) and preventing dry-eye syndrome.
Immunity (The First Responders): It supports the production and function of white blood cells, which identify and destroy pathogens. It also maintains the integrity of “mucosal barriers” (like the lining of your lungs and gut), which act as your body’s front-line physical defense.
Cellular Growth: Vitamin A regulates cell division and gene expression. This makes it vital for everything from skin repair to the healthy development of an infant’s organs.
How Much Vitamin A Do You Need?
Below are the values of Vitamin A recommended by the National Institute of Health based on life stage.
| Life Stage | Recommended Amount |
|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 400 mcg RAE |
| Infants 7–12 months | 500 mcg RAE |
| Children 1–3 years | 300 mcg RAE |
| Children 4–8 years | 400 mcg RAE |
| Children 9–13 years | 600 mcg RAE |
| Teen males 14–18 years | 900 mcg RAE |
| Teen females 14–18 years | 700 mcg RAE |
| Adult males | 900 mcg RAE |
| Adult females | 700 mcg RAE |
| Pregnant teens | 750 mcg RAE |
| Pregnant adults | 770 mcg RAE |
| Breastfeeding teens | 1,200 mcg RAE |
| Breastfeeding adults | 1,300 mcg RAE |
Bioavailability Booster: The Micelle Connection
Because Vitamin A is fat-soluble, your body cannot absorb it effectively if you eat microgreens “dry.” Carotenoids are locked inside the plant cells; to get them out and into your bloodstream, you need dietary fat to trigger the creation of “micelles.”
The Concept Bridge: Think of micelles as tiny “nutrient taxis.” These taxis pick up the Vitamin A and carry it through your intestinal wall. Without fat, the taxi never arrives, and the nutrients pass right through you.
Expert Tip: Always pair your microgreens with a healthy fat source. Drizzling extra virgin olive oil, adding walnuts, or slicing avocado into your salad can increase your absorption of carotenoids by 400% to 1,000%.
Safety and Toxicity
While it is nearly impossible to reach toxic levels of Vitamin A from eating microgreens, supplements require caution. Because the liver stores Vitamin A, excess amounts from synthetic pills can build up and lead to “hypervitaminosis A.”
- The Beta-Carotene Advantage: Unlike synthetic Retinol, your body regulates the conversion of Beta-carotene from plants. If you have enough Vitamin A, your body simply stops converting the “Lego bricks.”
- Upper Limit: 3,000 mcg per day for adults (from preformed sources).
- Clinical Caution: High-dose Beta-carotene supplements (not food sources) have been linked to increased risks in heavy smokers. Always prioritize whole-food microgreens over pills.
- Risk Groups: Children, pregnant women, and individuals with liver disease should consult a doctor before taking Vitamin A supplements.
If you are taking a vitamin A supplement, talking to your doctor or nutritionist about the risks and benefits is important. They can help you determine the correct dose for you.
Remember the purpose of the information posted here is to make you aware of the benefits and possible risks. It is up to you to seek out advice from a doctor or nutritionist for the correct amount of vitamin A you should be ingesting.
Vitamin A in Microgreens by Variety
These values are based on 100 grams of microgreens. Much more than you would eat of any one variety per meal. Be sure to remember the purpose of this course and the values presented.
Vitamin A %DV per 100 grams
| Microgreens Variety | Daily Value by % per 100-grams |
|---|---|
| NR = No Reliable Data | No data from reliable source |
| Amaranth | 58% |
| Arugula | 47% |
| Basil | 29% |
| Beet | 35% |
| Bok Choy | 38% |
| Borage | 23% |
| Broccoli | 30% |
| Brussel Sprouts | 13% |
| Buckwheat | 0% |
| Cabbage | 6% |
| Carrot | 78% |
| Cauliflower | 20% |
| Celery | 10% |
| Chervil | 1% |
| Chives, Garlic | 2% |
| Cilantro | 37% |
| Cress, Upland | 63% |
| Dill* | 68% |
| Endive | 55% |
| Fennel* | 13% |
| Fenugreek* | 7% |
| Kale | 102% |
| Kohlrabi | 16% |
| Leek | 28% |
| Lettuce | 48% |
| Lovage | 74% |
| Mustard | 69% |
| Nasturtium | 18% |
| Onions | 20% |
| Parsley | 97% |
| Pea | 43% |
| Radish | 8% |
| Shungiku* | 47% |
| Sorrel | 22% |
| Spinach | 31% |
| Sunflower | 25% |
| Swiss Chard | 60% |
| Tat Soi | 198% |
| Tokyo Bekana* | 45% |
| Turnip | 128% |
Calculate the %DV based on Your Serving Size
You can use the calculator below to estimate the %DV of Vitamin A based on your average serving size. If you weighed your microgreens in ounces, you can use the first row to calculate the weight in grams and then enter that value into the lower calculator.
For More Information on Vitamin A
Click here for more information on Vitamin A from the National Institute of Health.
