Top 10 Foods with the Most Vitamin A

Our body needs vitamins to properly grow and develop. Yes, there’s a reason why it seems we heard “get your vitamins” more frequently during childhood – because we needed them – and still do. One vital vitamin is vitamin A.

What is vitamin A?

There are two varieties of vitamin A. The first type is preformed vitamin A, which is found in dairy, fish, meat, and poultry. The second type is provitamin A, found in fruits, vegetables, and plants. Beta-carotene, a red-orange pigment in more colorful fruits and vegetables, is the most common type of “A” and is found in foods and supplements.

Why do I need vitamin A and how much?

“Vitamin A’s most critical role is in vision. While vitamin A has many forms, it’s converted into a form called retinal in the light sensing portion of the eye.” – Dr. Mehmet Oz (source)

Vitamin A, which is stored in the body’s fatty tissue, is essential for:

A healthy immune system
Bone growth
Cell growth, maintenance, and protection (vitamin A is an antioxidant)
Good vision
Reproductive health

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 900 µg (micrograms) for men, and 700 µg for women. For those with children, here’s an RDA chart, courtesy of the Institute of Medicine:

Age	RDA
1-3 years (both sexes)	300 µg
4-8 years (both sexes)	400 µg
Boys
9-13 years	600 µg
14-18 years	900 µg
Girls
9-13	600 µg
14-18	700 µg

(Women who are pregnant require an additional 50-70 µg of vitamin A. Also, note that µg is equivalent to mcg. As the source listed uses the metric system, µg is listed.)

Deficiency

If you live in a developed nation, you’re more likely to over-consume this vitamin than to be deficient – a condition called toxicity. People are at risk of vitamin A toxicity if they take too many supplements and or overindulge in foods containing vitamins (e.g. athletes). The upper limit of vitamin A intake is 2,000 micrograms per day.

Vitamin A deficiency is common in poorer countries, however. Symptoms of deficiency include:

Dry hair and skin
Infections
Infertility
Underdevelopment of bones in young people
Skin irritation
Vision disorders (including damage to the cornea)
Vision problems

Specific demographics are more at-risk for deficiency than others, including premature infants, infants, young children, pregnant women, and those diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.