Which of the following food items are rich sources of vitamin A?

SCTIMST Staff Nurse - 2015 (Set-A)

Applied Nutrition & Dietetics

Easy

Appeared in: SCTIMST Staff Nurse - 2015 (Set-A)

Explanation

Green leafy vegetables (like spinach, amaranth) and yellow/orange fruits and vegetables (like mango, papaya, carrots) are exceptionally rich in beta-carotene.
Beta-carotene is a provitamin, a precursor that the human body efficiently converts into active Vitamin A (retinol).
These plant-based foods are often the most abundant, affordable, and therefore primary sources of Vitamin A in many global diets, making them key for preventing deficiency.

Option B: Green gram and other pulses are valued for their high protein and dietary fiber content, but they contain negligible amounts of Vitamin A.
Option C: Rice and potatoes are staple foods that are primary sources of carbohydrates (starch) for energy. They are not significant sources of Vitamin A.
Option D: While milk and its products do contain preformed Vitamin A (retinol), they are not considered the 'richest' sources. The concentration of Vitamin A is significantly lower than the beta-carotene equivalent found in dark green leafy vegetables and deep yellow fruits.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Dietary sources of Vitamin A as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses play a vital role in nutritional counseling to prevent Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD), a major public health issue that can lead to night blindness, xerophthalmia (dry eyes), and increased susceptibility to infections.
A key nursing intervention is educating families, especially with young children, to incorporate affordable and locally available green leafy vegetables and yellow/orange fruits into their daily meals.
What if? If a patient presents with Bitot's spots (foamy patches on the conjunctiva), the nurse must recognize this as a specific clinical sign of advanced VAD. The priority action would be to facilitate an urgent medical assessment, anticipate orders for high-dose Vitamin A supplementation, and provide intensive dietary education.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key nutrient in the question, which is 'vitamin A', and the qualifier, 'rich sources'.
Recall the two main forms of dietary vitamin A: preformed retinol (animal sources) and provitamin A carotenoids (plant sources).
Systematically evaluate each option based on general nutritional knowledge.
Option A: 'Green leafy vegetables and yellow fruits' are famously rich in beta-carotene (e.g., carrots, spinach, mangoes). This is a strong candidate.
Option B: 'Green gram and pulses' are primarily known for protein and fiber.
Option C: 'Rice and potatoes' are known for carbohydrates/starch.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) p. 150-152

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