Photo: Collected
The consumption of foods and beverages rich in vitamins is the key factor for the human body to function optimally. One of the vitamins is Vitamin A, which plays a vital role in maintaining the health of the eyes, as an antioxidant, against cancer, and maintaining the health of the human body as a whole.
But deficiency of Vitamin A still stands as a serious problem in Indonesia, with a worrying impact on the health and growth of the next generations.
Tackling Vitamin A Deficiency in Indonesia
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in maintaining human health, especially in maintaining eye health and function. Vitamin A is needed for eye health, as an antioxidant, against cancer, and for other purposes.
Although vitamins are vital for the human body, it cannot be produced by the human body. It has to be supplied through food or supplements.
Vitamin A shortage can cause a number of health problems, including visual impairment, slow growth, and growth problems in children. The shortage of vitamin A can also cause a decrease in state productivity and competitiveness, and increase inequality and poverty in the long term. Therefore, resolving the problem of vitamin A deficiency is very crucial for public welfare.
Based on data on nutritional needs, every individual needs around 3,000 IU of Vitamin A every day. Having a total population of more than 270 million people, Indonesia needs around 86.5 tons of Vitamin A every year. Despite most of the Vitamin A need still being fulfilled by local producers, Indonesia still imported a significant amount of Vitamin A in 2020 to fulfill the domestic need (ITC Trade Map, 2021).
Rich in Vitamin A, Palm Oil is a solution to tackle Vitamin A deficiency
Instead of relying on the import of Vitamin A, Indonesia should actually utilize its abundant local resources. The palm oil is a rich source of vitamin A and high content of provitamin A. Previously, there had been a myth that palm oil has only a low content of Vitamin A, but the actual fact shows otherwise.
Actually, compared to other food sources, palm oil has the highest content of Vitamin A. In fact, palm oil is a natural source of carotenoids that are rich in β-carotene. The content of beta carotene in palm oil reaches 500-1000 ppm, which is greater than the beta carotene content in carrots, tomatoes, or bananas. Equivalently, it turns out that the Vitamin A content in palm oil is greater than in other sources of Vitamin A, such as oranges, bananas, tomatoes, and carrots.
Benefits of Palm Oil: More than Just a Food Source
The table of carotenoid/Vitamin A content comparison in various food sources shows the superiority of palm oil in terms of Vitamin A content. See more.
Source: Online/OFA
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