Individuals following a keto diet are often problematic—about whether people are getting adequate amounts of Vitamin A from their keto diet or not. But, is keto vitamin A deficiency a thing? Not likely, but read on to find out more symptoms to look out for, and more.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, meaning that we may earn a small commission if you click through using our link and make a purchase. Please be assured that this will not cost you any extra money. Also, please be assured that we either use the products we recommend personally, or have been recommended by trusted friends who currently use them.
Why May You Need Supplements when Eating a Keto Diet?
If you’re new to keto and want a bit more information, check out our keto beginners guide.
As a quick summary, if you need it, the keto (also known as the ketogenic diet) is a low-carb, high-fat diet (LCHF).
The whole concept of the keto diet is that your body transitions from burning glucose, in simple terms, sugars or carbohydrates, to burning fat as its primary fuel source.
For a keto diet, people will restrict their macros to eating;
- 70% of their calories are from fat
- 25% from protein
- 5% from carbohydrates
Sticking to these macros for a period of time will put your body into a state of ketosis.
Ketosis is when your body has transitioned from burning carbohydrates as its primary fuel source to burning fat for fuel. It is at this point that you will start to see and feel the benefits of the keto diet.
It is the role of the liver to convert amino acids into small amounts of glucose. This process is called glucogenesis. This is when ketone bodies (ketones) are created.
Eventually, your body will become what is known as ‘fat adapted‘. In simple terms, this means that your body is accustomed to burning fat as its primary fuel source and it will function this way as its default setting.
There are a lot of new terms and abbreviations that you may come across, sometimes it can feel like a new language that you need to learn. In order to help you out and keep you on the right track, we have created a keto terms and keto abbreviations guide, bookmark these to make your keto journey easier.
Some people can be put off the keto diet because of the side effects, however, these are only short-lived and the health benefits of keto far outweigh the side effects.
There is no doubt that the process of getting into ketosis and remaining there is a massive change to the way your body is used to functioning.
Supplements may be able to assist your body with this transition and speed up your journey to your health goals.
Vitamin A And Keto
All you have to do is choose a food item rich in vitamin A, but with low carbohydrate content to ensure that you do not end up with a vitamin A deficiency on a keto diet.
In this article, you will find details like why vitamins are important in a keto diet, how much Vitamin A is sufficient for an adult, and more.
Do include the mentioned food items in your daily keto diet, and you do not have to think about your vitamin A intake again.
Why Do We Need Vitamin A on Keto?
Vitamin A is a vital nutrient for our body. It helps in strengthening our immune system, improves bone health, promotes hair growth, improves vision, and improves skin health.
Being on keto means you may miss out on essential nutrients; this is only if you do not maintain a balanced diet.
Do you need to take a vitamin A supplement on your keto diet? Let’s have a look.
How Much Vitamin A Should I Be Getting on Keto?
If you are on a keto diet, you probably get the required vitamin A naturally, as a lot of the foods in which vitamin A is found are also keto-friendly foods. This is always good news.
According to the recommended dietary allowances, when it comes to vitamin A, a man should have at least 900mcg per day, and a woman should have at least 700mcg a day.
This quantity can be easily reached by following a keto diet.
Also, if you are in keto, it is better to avoid taking a multivitamin with Vitamin A as these are often full of carbs and can be costly.
Symptoms Of Too Little Vitamin A On A Keto Diet
Does keto make you lose vitamin A? If you are eating a balanced keto diet, you should be eating enough foods which contain vitamin A, so that you shouldn’t be deficient.
Here are the signs that can help you determine whether you are running low on Vitamin A –
- Night blindness (struggle seeing in twilight)
- Dry eyes
- Skin irritations
- You become prone to infections immune system becomes weak without Vitamin A
- Hazy vision
- Gastrointestinal issues
Symptoms Of Too Much Vitamin A On A Keto Diet
Vitamin A is a vital nutrient for keeping our skin healthy, promotes hair growth, improves vision, and enhances our immune system.
However, the fact that it has some side effects when consumed in large amounts makes it toxic. Too much vitamin A in the diet can cause vitamin A toxicity.
Here are the symptoms that can help you determine that you have been adding way too much Vitamin A to your diet –
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Joint pain
- Hair loss
- Visual issues
What Does It Mean If I Crave Vitamin A on Keto?
It is evident that being on a keto diet limits your carbs intake, hence, reducing the glucose supply. In the early stages, the blood glucose drops, resulting in a low blood sugar state termed hypoglycemia.
As a result, hypoglycemia triggers your hunger.
Some nutrient deficiencies can be the root cause of some cravings, but this applies to only special cases.
Truly, cravings have nothing to do with specific nutrients, but the cravings are a result of external forces.
How to Get Vitamin A on Keto
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that has several health benefits. Hence, before starting with keto, understand how much Vitamin A is okay to consume.
If you are on keto, you can still get enough Vitamin A even after saying no to the bowl of cereals. You have to get a hold of oily fish such as salmon, liver, and greens like spinach!
Keto Foods That Contain Vitamin A
If you are looking at how to get Vitamin A on keto, there are some great options to help you out.
Here is our list of Vitamin A rich foods for keto –
- Green leafy veggies such as kale, spinach, swiss chard, collards – rich in Vitamin A, C, and K
- Beef Liver and any other offal meats – a rich source of Vitamin B12, and also a rich source of Vitamin A and Vitamin B
- Carrots – Rich source of Vitamin A
- Cod-Liver Oil-rich is a source of Omega-3, Vitamin A
Check out our article for more on vitamins and supplements on the keto diet. Learn which ones you are likely to need, and which ones are just marketing.
