Each time you check out online articles about keeping the eyes in an excellent shape, chances are you will encounter vitamin A and beta carotene. Sometimes it seems as though that they are one and the same, especially if the article uses them interchangeably. But are vitamin A and beta carotene the same things?
Here’s a quick answer to that question: No, vitamin A and beta carotene are not the same things.
Vitamin A is a type of vitamin, just like what its name pretty much says, while beta carotene is a type of antioxidant. Each one of them has its own health benefits to offer, but both of them are essential for keeping your vision sharp and your eyes protected from a host of diseases that could cost you your eyesight.
We all know that one of the most important vitamins for the eyes is vitamin A. You can obtain this particular nutrient only from animal products. Some good examples include beef liver, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy products. No, you cannot obtain vitamin A from any plant, but it is still possible for certain plants to supply our body with vitamin A.
All you have to do is include lots of fruits and vegetables that are deep orange and yellow in color in your diet on a regular basis. Some wonderful examples include carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupes, mangoes and winter squash. You can also obtain some of it from greens like spinach, lettuce and broccoli.
Why should you add them to your diet? All of them are phenomenal sources of beta carotene. Here’s what’s so interesting about beta carotene: once inside your body, it can be easily converted into vitamin A!
Once converted by your body into vitamin A, beta carotene then becomes very useful in keeping your vision in tip-top shape, and also lowering your risk of ending up with various diseases. What was once an antioxidant is now an exceptional protector of your peepers!
Aside from supplying your body with additional doses of vitamin A, beta carotene is also very useful as an antioxidant. It’s no secret that antioxidants are the ones that neutralize harmful free radicals that can form each time you workout, digest food, inhale pollutants in the air, and get exposed to the sun’s UV radiation.
Based on numerous studies, beta carotene may help lower a person’s risk of having to battle cancer since it’s being an antioxidant allows it to zap cancerous cells or keep them from multiplying and spreading.
Vitamin A also has so many other health perks to offer aside from keep both your vision and eyes out of harm’s way. According to experts, vitamin A also possesses superb antioxidant properties, which means that it can also help defend your body against free radicals and the damage they can cause your healthy cells.
You also need vitamin A to maintain healthy skin, mucus membranes, bones and teeth.
