When we think of vitamin A, we often think of carrots! It’s true, carrots are a great source — not of vitamin A per se but of its precursor, beta-carotene. Orange vegetables and fruits in general are great sources, that’s what gives them their color. Greens are fantastic sources too! When we ingest these carotenoids, we make vitamin A in our body, and that’s much better than taking preformed retinol (animal-based vitamin A). Why? Because retinol is toxic when we take too much, whereas we can never overdose on beta-carotene… we just might get an orange skin tone if we eat carrots all day long!
Vitamin A deficiency is rare, because it’s so easy to find! Toxicity, however, is common because of the high levels of preformed retinol found in supplements.
Vitamin A helps our body at a cellular level; it supports organs like our heart, lungs or kidneys; it helps our immunity, our digestion, and it’s very important for our vision.
On this page, we’ll share the best foods to help you reach your intake needs and we’ll provide you with a personalized nutrition calculator to help you identify your Recommended Daily Allowance as well as your family’s. We also give you further details on what vitamin A can do for you and your family, some important facts, and a comparison between whole-food, plant-based sources, supplements, and animal-based sources. Enjoy!
Top Whole-Food, Plant-Based Sources of Vitamin A
Orange vegetables and leafy greens are a fantastic source of vitamin A. One serving alone can give us our daily requirements. So, the key to avoiding deficiency is simply to add any of these delicious options to our daily menus.
Hover over each food below to see how much of the Daily Value (DV) of vitamin A you can get with one cup. Click on each food’s picture to visit its interactive page with a sophisticated calculator that will show you this food’s top nutrients and how much of your RDA and your family’s RDAs you can find in one serving. Plus, discover some useful cooking and storage tips, and learn how this food can support your overall well being.
Vitamin A Personalized Calculator
See how much vitamin A you and each member of your family needs. You will notice that children’s needs are below the Daily Value, or that adult women need less than men, unless they are breastfeeding! Getting your personalized nutrition values will give you a better idea of how to plan your meals and family portions. You can never get too much vitamin A through whole, plant-based foods, but if you’re taking supplements with preformed retinol, you need to make sure you’re not surpassing your Tolerable Upper Intake levels.
Terminology:
- Daily Value (DV): The recommended amount of nutrients to consume each day for individuals who are 4 years old or older.
- Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA): The recommended amount of nutrients to consume each day according to the individual’s age, gender, and whether a woman is pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Upper Intake Level (UL): The highest amount of nutrient intake that will not pose adverse health effects on most individuals.
- The DV and RDAs for vitamin A are measured as RAE (retinol activity equivalent). 1 mcg RAE = 1 mcg retinol, 2 mcg supplemental beta-carotene, 12 mcg dietary beta-carotene, and 24 mcg dietary alpha-carotene or beta-cryptoxanthin.
How Our Body Uses Vitamin A
Important Things to Know
Vitamin A Sources Comparison
Below we make a quick and simple comparison of our available sources of vitamin A: whole, plant-based foods; supplements, or animal-based products.
Provitamin A Carotenoids
Carotenoids or Preformed Retinol
Preformed Retinol