Tag: Provitamins

Over one-third of the vitamin A intake for many populations comes from provitamin A carotenoids found in plants, which are later converted in the body. This highlights the importance of understanding what are examples of provitamins and how they contribute to our health.

Did you know that many foods, like carrots, don't contain the active form of a vitamin, but rather an inactive precursor? Precursor vitamins are essential compounds that the body uses as metabolic building blocks, converting them into the necessary active vitamins for proper physiological function.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the most common type of provitamin A is beta-carotene, an inactive compound found in plants. Precursors that are converted to active vitamins in the body are called provitamins. This process is a fascinating aspect of nutrition, allowing our bodies to obtain essential nutrients from a wider range of food sources.