Vitamin A

Vitamin A (Beta Carotene) is not found in plants: it is manufactured by the human and animal body from pigment substances called carotenes, which are quite common in plants. Carrots and apricots advertise their carotene content by their color, but green plants can be just as rich in these vital pigments.

Vitamin A is essential for night vision, and it promotes healthy skin and mucous membrane. It is important for good bones and teeth, for growth and proper digestion, for the production of red and white corpuscles in the blood, and for lactation. Vitamin A is fat-soluble and is sensitive to oxygen, especially with heat.

Vitamin A is necessary for growth & repair of body tissues; helps maintain smooth, soft disease-free skin; helps protect the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose , throat & lungs, thereby reducing susceptibility to infections; protects against air pollutants; counteracts night-blindness & weak eyesight; aids in bone and teeth formation. Current medical research shows that foods rich in Beta Carotene will help reduce the risk of lung cancer & certain oral cancers. Unlike Vitamin A from fish liver oil, Beta Carotene is non-toxic.

A deficiency of Vitamin A may result in night blindness; increased susceptibility to infections; rough, dry, scaly skin; loss of smell & appetite; frequents fatigue; lack of tearing; and/or defective teeth & retarded gum growth.

The lists of plants following are two kinds: quantitative and alphabetical. The quantitative list presents plants and plant products containing significant amounts of the nutrient involved, in approximate order from highest to lowest content for a given weight. Plants marked with an asterisk (*) contain significantly more of the nutrient than do the unmarked plants. Those marked with a double asterisk (**) contain considerably more than those with a single asterisk. Unless otherwise noted, all items are fresh and unprocessed. Dried fruits are often included without their fresh equivalents because the dried versions weigh considerably less and therefore contain more nutrients than the same weight of fresh fruit.

1. * Dandelion greens, *yellow dock, *carrots, *lamb's-quarters, *apricots (dried), *turnip greens, pokeweed (young shoots), spearmint, parsley, blue violet (leaves), spinach, sweet potatoes, collards, kale, mustard greens, nettle (young leaves), chard, green amaranth, beet tops, winter cress, watercress, chicory greens, broccoli, elderberries, apricots (fresh), winter cress (buds), papaya, cantaloupe.
   
2. Alfalfa, Alpine cranberry, artichoke, bilberries, brier hips, buckwheat, Calendula, cannabis, cowslip (flowers), elecampane (flowers), garlic, Iceland moss, Indian corn, lettuce, lily of the valley (fruit), okra, red currants, rowan (fruit), saffron.
   

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