Vitamin A
Also known as Retinol, Retinyl esters, Provitamin A carotenoids, Beta-carotene
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that comes as preformed retinol from animal foods and as provitamin A carotenoids like beta-carotene from plants. It is essential for normal vision, immune defense, and healthy growth.
The recommended intake sits at about 30% of the level considered the safe daily ceiling, leaving comfortable headroom.
Why it matters
What it does in your body
- Vision and eye health
- Immune function
- Cell growth and differentiation
- Reproduction
- Skin and mucous membrane health
By age, sex, and life stage
How much you need
Values are RDA except infant values, which are Adequate Intake (AI). Amounts are given as mcg RAE (Retinol Activity Equivalents), a unit that accounts for the lower absorption and conversion of plant-based provitamin A carotenoids compared with preformed retinol.
Recommended intake across life
in mcg RAE/dayBars scale to the highest recommendation shown. Where men and women differ, both values are listed.
Full reference table
| Life stage | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Infants 0-6 mo | 400 (AI) | 400 (AI) |
| Infants 7-12 mo | 500 (AI) | 500 (AI) |
| Children 1-3 | 300 | 300 |
| Children 4-8 | 400 | 400 |
| Children 9-13 | 600 | 600 |
| Teens 14-18 | 900 | 700 |
| Adults 19-50 | 900 | 700 |
| Adults 51+ | 900 | 700 |
| Pregnancy | n/a | 770 |
| Lactation | n/a | 1300 |
Values in mcg RAE/day. AI marks an Adequate Intake, used when there is not enough evidence for a formal recommendation.
What moves the number
What changes your needs
Age
Needs rise gradually from infancy through the teen years, then stay level in adulthood. There is no separate increase for older adults.
Sex
From age 14 on, men need more (900 mcg RAE) than women (700 mcg RAE), reflecting larger average body size and liver storage capacity.
Body weight / size
Requirements are set per life stage and sex rather than scaled to individual body weight, though larger body size is part of why male values are higher.
Pregnancy and lactation
Needs rise modestly in pregnancy (770 mcg RAE) to support fetal growth and rise more during lactation (1300 mcg RAE) to replace vitamin A secreted in breast milk.
Running low
Signs you might not get enough
Most at risk: Premature infants, young children and pregnant or lactating women in low-income countries, and people with fat-malabsorption conditions such as cystic fibrosis, Crohn's disease, and celiac disease.
Too much
Can you get too much?
Toxicity comes from preformed vitamin A, not from beta-carotene. Acute high doses cause headache, nausea, and blurred vision, while chronic excess causes dry skin, joint pain, and liver damage. Because excess retinol is teratogenic, pregnant women should not exceed the upper limit.
Where to get it
Best food sources
The bottom line
Most people meet their vitamin A needs through a varied diet rich in orange and dark-green vegetables plus some animal foods. Avoid high-dose retinol supplements, especially in pregnancy, since preformed vitamin A is toxic in excess.
Track vitamin a automatically
Vitamin A is one of the 92 nutrients Vora reads from a photo of your meal, so you can see where you stand without weighing or logging by hand.
Sources and method
The recommended intakes, upper limits, and food-source amounts on this page come from the primary references below. Numbers were checked against the current NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheets and the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academies) Dietary Reference Intakes.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Vitamin A and Carotenoids Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
- Institute of Medicine (NASEM), Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc
This page is for general education, not medical advice. Reference intakes are population averages for healthy people and do not replace guidance from your doctor or a registered dietitian, especially if you are pregnant, managing a health condition, or considering supplements.