nutrient
Vitamin A
A fat-soluble vitamin family needed for vision, cell differentiation and immune function.
Educational draft · Human scientific and editorial review pending. About review status
Vitamin A includes preformed retinoids and provitamin A carotenoids. The body handles these forms differently, so the source and chemical form matter when interpreting a label.
Food sources
Per 100 g| Food | Per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Spinach, raw (SR Legacy 2018) | 469 µg |
| Spinach | 283 µg |
| Cottage cheese, 2% fat | 69 µg |
| Atlantic salmon, farmed, cooked (SR Legacy 2018) | 69 µg |
| Soy milk, unsweetened and shelf-stable | 58.2 µg |
Show 9 more foods
| Food | Per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified | 58 µg |
| Atlantic salmon, farmed, raw (SR Legacy 2018) | 58 µg |
| Atlantic sardines, canned in oil (SR Legacy 2018) | 32 µg |
| Rainbow trout, wild, raw (SR Legacy 2018) | 19 µg |
| Braised chicken drumstick | 7 µg |
| Almonds, dry-roasted and salted | 2 µg |
| Hummus, commercial | 1 µg |
| Greek yogurt, plain nonfat | 1 µg |
| Banana, ripe, raw | 1 µg |
USDA reports Vitamin A as retinol activity equivalents (RAE); RE and RAE are not converted here.
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.
Healthy European adults; women / men. Population reference intake: 650–750 µg/day. These are population references, not individual targets.
Portions recorded by the source
- Cottage cheese, 2% fat: 1 cup (220 g) — 151.8 µg.
- Low-fat milk, 1% and fortified: 1 cup (246 g) — 142.68 µg.
- Braised chicken drumstick: 1 drumstick (104 g) — 7.28 µg.
- Almonds, dry-roasted and salted: 1 cup (135 g) — 2.7 µg.
- Hummus, commercial: 2 tablespoon (33.9 g) — 0.34 µg.
- Greek yogurt, plain nonfat: 1 container (156 g) — 1.56 µg.
The source records and EFSA guidance are linked in References below.
How it works
What it does
Retinal participates in the visual cycle, while retinoic acid regulates gene expression involved in cell growth and differentiation. Vitamin A also supports normal immune barriers and immune-cell function.
Where it comes from
Liver, dairy and eggs provide preformed vitamin A; orange, red and dark-green plants provide provitamin A carotenoids. Conversion from carotenoids varies with food and individual context.
Forms
Retinol is a form of Vitamin A.
Retinol is a named chemical form within its parent vitamin family.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin A and Carotenoids: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
Roles and processes
Vitamin A supports normal function of Immune function
Vitamin A is involved in normal immune function. This established role does not mean extra vitamin A improves immunity when intake is adequate.
Evidence: Established · Source checked 2026-09-05 · Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin A and Carotenoids: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
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
Why vitamin A uses equivalents. Vitamin A amounts combine contributions from preformed vitamin A and some plant carotenoids. Retinol equivalents (RE) and US retinol activity equivalents (RAE) use different conversion rules, so the unit matters when comparing amounts.
A closer look
Beta-carotene and pregnancy safety
Excess preformed vitamin A can damage the liver and cause birth defects during pregnancy. High-dose beta-carotene also has specific risks: trials found more lung cancer among smokers receiving it, including a trial combining beta-carotene with retinyl palmitate in current and former smokers. Supplement use needs particular care with pregnancy or retinoid medicines.
Storage and conversion are separate layers
Most body vitamin A is stored in the liver as retinyl esters, while retinol can be oxidised to retinal and retinoic acid. This storage biology is why a single plasma value is an incomplete picture of total reserves.
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
- European Food Safety Authority (opens in new tab)Dietary Reference Values for nutrients: Summary reportChecked 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.
Sweet potato black bean bowl · 25 min →
Lentil sweet potato · 22 min →
Sweet potato egg breakfast · 25 min →
Compare meals by vitamin a →