Nutrition: The Benefits of Vitamin A
Updated: May 10, 2020
When it comes to figuring out healthy food choices, things can get complicated, quick. Micro greens are a great addition to any diet for some quick, easy, bioavailable vitamins and minerals. Micro greens are generally high in magnesium, manganese, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, and more. These tiny greens are so tightly packed with nutrients that they outshine their mature vegetable counterparts.
Micro greens are incredibly easy to incorporate into your daily diet.You can add them to smoothies or use them as a topping on omelettes, soups, potatoes, burgers, casseroles, etc. They are also great in a salad, or you can use a blend as a salad on its own.
Let's break down one of the key nutrients commonly found in micros and how they benefit us.
Micros commonly have a high density of Vitamin A. According to the Mayo Clinic, vitamin A (retinol, retinoic acid) is a nutrient important to vision, growth, cell division, reproduction and immunity. Vitamin A also has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are substances that might protect your cells against the effects of free radicals — molecules produced when your body breaks down food or is exposed to tobacco smoke and radiation.
Because of this, vitamin A could reduce chances of vision impairment with age. It also aids in fertility and growth in the womb. It can strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of some cancers and heart disease.
Some plants carry vitamin A directly, but most provide us with beta-carotene, which our body then transfers into vitamin A. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which is why the old wives' tale tells us that eating carrots helps your vision.
Micro greens that contain Vitamin A include:
more than carrots
cilantro, cress, red cabbage, basil, amaranth
equal to carrots
peas
contains smaller amounts
arugula, daikon radish, beets, mustard
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning it must be digested with fat for adequate absorption. Thankfully, only a few grams of fat can do the job (about equal to a teaspoon of olive oil). Consider pairing these greens with sunflower micro greens, which is a source of healthy, unsaturated fats, for optimal absorption.
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