Vitamin A Daily Intake Calculator

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for vision, immune function, and cell growth. The body uses two forms: preformed Vitamin A (retinol, found in animal products) and provitamin A carotenoids (like beta-carotene, found in plants). Both are measured in micrograms of Retinol Activity Equivalents (mcg RAE).

Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) by age and sex:

*For babies there is no RDA. These are Adequate Intakes, set from what breast milk supplies.

The upper limit counts preformed vitamin A only, from supplements, liver, fish liver oils and fortified foods. Carotenoids from plants do not count against it.

Why Vitamin A matters:

• Night vision and low-light adaptation
• Maintaining healthy skin and mucous membranes
• Supporting immune system response
• Fetal development during pregnancy

Deficiency symptoms include night blindness, dry eyes, and increased susceptibility to infections. Deficiency is rare in developed countries but common globally.

Toxicity warning: Because Vitamin A is fat-soluble, it accumulates in the body. Consuming more than the Upper Tolerable Limit (especially from supplements or liver) can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, and in severe cases liver damage. In pregnancy, high preformed intake can cause birth defects, which is why pregnant women are told to avoid liver and high-dose supplements.
Beta-carotene from vegetables does not cause vitamin A toxicity, because the body converts it only as it needs it. A lot of carrot can tint the skin orange, which is harmless. Beta-carotene supplements are another matter for smokers: two large trials found they raised the risk of lung cancer.

Practical example: A 35-year-old woman needs 700 mcg RAE/day. One medium sweet potato baked in its skin provides about 1,400 mcg RAE, twice the daily requirement in a single serving.

Conversion note: Older labels used International Units (IU). 1 mcg RAE = 3.33 IU of retinol, or about 20 IU of beta-carotene from food (12 mcg of it, since plant beta-carotene is poorly absorbed).