Approximate dose-response bands. Individual response varies — these are starting points, not prescriptions.
Well below target. Risk of deficiency symptoms tied to vision · immunity.
Below the recommended daily target. Long-term adequacy not assured.
Daily target met. Standard nutritional support for vision · immunity.
Common for specific health goals. Check the evidence for your situation before sustaining this level.
Approaching the tolerable upper limit. Monitor and consider clinical guidance.
Above the tolerable upper limit. Risk of adverse effects — back off or consult a clinician.
You're at 0% of your vitamin a target. The biggest single-serving sources to top it off:
Fat-soluble vitamin essential for vision, immunity, reproduction, and the integrity of epithelial tissue. Exists in two pools: preformed retinoids from animal foods (immediately usable) and provitamin carotenoids from plants (converted on demand and rate-limited by body status, which is why carrots don't cause toxicity but high-dose retinol can).
Retinol is oxidised to retinal (vision) or retinoic acid (gene regulation). Retinoic acid binds nuclear RAR/RXR receptors that act as transcription factors for ~500 genes governing differentiation. Beta-carotene is cleaved by BCO1 in enterocytes — cleavage efficiency drops as retinol stores rise, providing a built-in toxicity buffer.
Globally common in regions with limited animal-source food and orange produce; rare in the US outside of fat-malabsorption disorders. Earliest sign is impaired dark adaptation.
Preformed retinol is teratogenic and hepatotoxic in chronic excess. Carotenoid intake does not cause true hypervitaminosis A — only harmless skin yellowing (carotenodermia).
Look for products that deliver most of the dose as beta-carotene plus a small amount of retinyl palmitate or retinyl acetate. Avoid supplements above 100% DV from preformed retinol, especially during pregnancy.
Absorbed with dietary fat in mixed micelles via SR-BI and CD36 transporters. Cooking and oil pairing improve carotenoid extraction from plants (cooked carrots in olive oil ≫ raw). Smokers and former smokers should avoid high-dose beta-carotene supplementation (CARET/ATBC trials showed lung-cancer increase).
Adequate but not high. The healthy range is narrow: deficiency drives infection and blindness; excess accelerates osteoporosis and liver injury. Whole-food carotenoid intake (lutein, zeaxanthin) is more consistently associated with reduced AMD and all-cause mortality than supplemental retinol.
Retinal function, immune response, skin and mucous membrane health.
The mechanisms and systems this nutrient feeds. Click any to drill into what runs on it.
Whole foods that contribute meaningfully (≥10% DV per 100 g serving). Click any food to see its full nutrient profile and what else it brings to the table.
See all foods high in Vitamin A, ranked →