Question

What are vitamin precursors? Name the precursor of vitamin A and tell in what classes of foods they are located in. Give examples of food with high vitamin A activity

Answer 1

Vitamin precursors in foods are transformed into active vitamins in the body. vitamin A is fat soluble.The active form is present only in animal tissues.The provitamin  or vitamin precursor, beta-carotene is present in plant tissues.One molecule of beta-carotene can theoretically give rise to two molecules of vitamin A.The vitamin A precursor in plants,beta-carotene,is an effective antioxidant in the body.Brightly colored plant foods and are richest in beta-carotene, and diets containing these foods are associated with good health.

Other names of vitamin A are Retinol,Retinal,Retinoic acid.

• Food source
  • Retinol: fortified milk,cheese,cream,butter,fortified margarine,eggs,liver.
  • Beta-carotene: spinach and other dark leafy greens;broccoli,deep orange fruits(apricots,cantaloupe) and vegetables (squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin).

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