Because the body converts all dietary sources of vitamin A into retinol, 1 mcg of physiologically available retinol is equivalent to the following amounts from dietary sources: 1 mcg of retinol, 12 mcg of beta-carotene, and 24 mcg of alpha-carotene or beta-cryptoxanthin.
The body needs more omega-3 than omega-6 to reduce the risk of heart disease and inflammation. Since olive oil is higher in omega-3 than other oils, sardines in olive oil contain more omega-3 than sardines in water; however, the sardines in water are still the better option with lower amounts of cholesterol and fat.
Calcium and Selenium. Canned sardines, when eaten with the bones, are a concentrated source of calcium. Calcium is essential for healthy bones and an inadequate intake causes rickets in children and osteoporosis and osteomalacia in adults.ew foods provide vitamin D, and canned sardines are one of them. This vitamin is synthesized in the skin during exposure to sunlight; however, people living in areas away from the equator or who do not expose themselves frequently to the sun, may become deficient in this vitamin.