nutrient
Beta-carotene
A provitamin A carotenoid found in orange, red and dark-green plant foods.
Educational draft · Human scientific and editorial review pending. About review status
Beta-carotene can be converted to retinol, but conversion varies with food, diet, genetics and health status.
Food sources
Per 100 g| Food | Per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Spinach, raw (SR Legacy 2018) | 5,630 µg |
| Spinach | 3,400 µg |
| Almonds, dry-roasted and salted | 17 µg |
| Hummus, commercial | 12 µg |
| Banana, ripe, raw | 8 µg |
Show 2 more foods
| Food | Per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Lentils, cooked and salted (SR Legacy 2018) | 5 µg |
| Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified | 1 µg |
About these amounts
These values describe the named food and preparation. A 100 g comparison is not a suggested serving. Small amounts are rounded for display; an unreported amount is not zero.
Portions recorded by the source
- Almonds, dry-roasted and salted: 1 cup (135 g) — 22.95 µg.
- Hummus, commercial: 2 tablespoon (33.9 g) — 4.07 µg.
- Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified: 1 cup (246 g) — 2.46 µg.
The source records and EFSA guidance are linked in References below.
How it works
What the form means
Beta-carotene is a dietary precursor rather than preformed vitamin A. EFSA expresses its vitamin A activity through retinol equivalents, while the molecule also remains a carotenoid in its own right. High-dose beta-carotene supplements increased lung-cancer and lung-cancer-death risk in a trial of current and former smokers.
Related topics
Beta-carotene can be converted into Vitamin A
Beta-carotene is a provitamin A carotenoid that the body can convert into vitamin A.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin A and Carotenoids: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
Worth knowing
A vitamin A precursor. Beta-carotene is a plant pigment that the body can convert into vitamin A. Orange, red and dark-green plant foods can provide it, but the amount converted varies between people and foods.
Not every carotenoid is provitamin A. Lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids, but they are not converted into vitamin A. A colourful food is not therefore a shortcut to estimating vitamin A activity from colour alone.
A closer look
Food preparation changes availability
Cooking and heat treatment can make beta-carotene more bioavailable from some foods. That is one reason a nutrient database value is a composition measure, while vitamin A activity in a meal also depends on the food matrix and preparation.
References
Source-checked local draft.
Human editorial review pending.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (opens in new tab)Vitamin A and Carotenoids: Fact Sheet for Health ProfessionalsChecked 2026-09-05
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (opens in new tab)FoodData Central Foundation Foods, April 2026 JSON releaseChecked 2026-09-05
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (opens in new tab)FoodData Central SR Legacy, April 2018 JSON releaseChecked 2026-09-05
- European Food Safety Authority (opens in new tab)Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for magnesiumChecked 2026-09-04
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (opens in new tab)Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health ProfessionalsChecked 2026-09-04
- USDA Agricultural Research Service (opens in new tab)FoodData CentralChecked 2026-09-04
Take it into the kitchen
Explore this nutrient in simple meals. Recipe pages show estimated amounts and missing data.
Lentil sweet potato · 22 min →
Sweet potato black bean bowl · 25 min →
Tahini sweet potato lentil bowl · 20 min →
Compare meals by beta-carotene →