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Vitamin A Daily Intake

Gender Age Intake
1-3 years Male 300 mcg/day
1-3 years Female 300 mcg/day
4-8 years Male 400 mcg/day
4-8 years Female 400 mcg/day
9-13 years Male 600 mcg/day
9-13 years Female 600 mcg/day
14 years and older Male 900 mcg/day
14 years and older Female 700 mcg/day
Pregnant women 14-18 years Female 750 mcg/day
Pregnant women 19 years and older Female 770 mcg/day
Lactating women 14-18 years Female 1200 mcg/day
Lactating women 19 years and older Female 1300 mcg/day

This fat-soluble vitamin is contained in many vegetables, fruits, dairy products, eggs, meat, and fish. It can be produced synthetically too.

Useful Properties

The human body needs vitamin A for the normal function and development of the skin, eyes, and many other parts and systems.

It is widely used for treating eye problems, like cataracts, glaucoma, and AMD. It can also be efficacious for improving vision.

Retinol helps to lower complications of numerous diseases, like HIV, diarrhea, measles, malaria, etc. Women often use it when they suffer from PMS, various infections, heavy menstrual periods, fibrocystic breast disease, and lumpy breasts. If a pregnant of breast-feeding woman has HIV, she can take vitamin A to diminish the risk of transmitting the virus to her baby.

Many men take it in order to raise the number of spermatozoa.

Vitamin A can be efficient in treating psoriasis, acne, burns, Darier’s disease, eczema, ichthyosis, cold sores, and many other skin conditions.

It is possibly efficacious for protecting cardiovascular system and heart, treating and preventing cancer, curing diabetes, hay fever, ulcers, kidney stones, and other diseases. One can use it to reduce wrinkles, improve healing of wounds, and protect skin against ultraviolet radiation.

Vitamin A Deficiency

Lack of vitamin A can happen as a result of protein deficiency, fever, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, liver disease, and other health issues. Its deficiency can lead to various skin problems, slow wound healing, susceptibility to infections, lowering of visual acuity, shedding hair, lack of appetite, and other problems.

Vitamin A Side Effects

Taking more than 10,000 units of vitamin A per day for a long time can cause numerous side effects, like irritability, anorexia, vomiting, fatigue, excessive sweating, stomach discomfort, mental changes, mild fever, etc.

Vitamin A Absorption

Retinol is a liposoluble vitamin. It can be absorbed into blood only when it is combined with bile. If there is too little fat in the food, up to 90% of vitamin A can be lost. Vitamin A is also easily absorbed from vegetable juices but they must be fresh.

Recommendations and Precautions

As a rule, people who eat much dairy products, vegetables and fruits do not have to take supplements with vitamin A. You can need more retinol when you are pregnant or breast-feeding or when you suffer from certain diseases.


Vitamin A Uses

Effective for
Vitamin A deficiency
Possibly effective for
Breast cancer, Cataracts, Measles, Precancerous lesions in the mouth , Overall mortality, Diarrhea after giving birth, Pregnancy-related death, Pregnancy-related night blindness, Eye disease affecting the retina
Possibly ineffective for
Breathing problems that affect newborns , Fetal and early infant death, A type of skin cancer called melanoma, Miscarriage, Osteoarthritis, Tuberculosis, Head and neck cancer, HIV transmission, Lower airway infections, Pneumonia
Insufficient evidence for
Alcohol-related liver disease, Anemia, Autism, Cervical cancer, Child development, Cancer that starts in the bone marrow ), Colon and rectal polyps , Colorectal cancer, Esophageal cancer, Stomach cancer, HIV, Diarrhea related to HIV, Infant development, Multiple sclerosis related fatigue, Liver cancer, Lung Cancer, Malaria, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Ovarian cancer, Pancreatic cancer, Parkinson's disease, Recovery from laser eye surgery , Prostate cancer, Age-related macular degeneration , Glaucoma, Improving immune function, Promoting good vision, Relieving hay fever symptoms, Wound healing

Top 10 Foods Highest in Vitamin A

  • Carrot
  • Cod liver
  • Sweet potato
  • Kale
  • Squash
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Apricot
  • Sweet pepper
  • Tuna
  • Mango