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Vitamin A
Have you ever been told you need to ‘eat all your carrots so you can see in the dark’? There is some truth in this, as the orange pigment in carrots is turned into vitamin A by our bodies. Vitamin A is important in maintaining good eyesight, especially night vision. However, vitamin A is also important for growth and helping us to fight infection.
How much vitamin A do we need?
Age(years) | RDI*Vitamin A (µg/day) (as retinol equivalents) | |
|---|---|---|
Infants and toddlers | 1-3 | 300 |
Children | 4-8 | 400 |
| 9-13 | 600 |
Adolescent boys | 14-18 | 900 |
Adolescent girls | 14-18 | 700 |
Men | 19-70+ | 900 |
Women | 19-70+ | 700 |
Pregnant women | 14-18 | 700 |
| 19-50 | 800 |
Breastfeeding women | 14-50 | 1100 |
Which foods contain vitamin A?
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin found in two forms:
- retinol (in animal foods) Retinol is found in liver, milk, cheese and butter.
- carotenoids (in plant sources). The most common of these is beta carotene, which gives the orange colour to carrots. Carotenoids are also found in dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli) and yellow-orange coloured fruits and vegetables (capsicum, kumara). Carotenoids are converted into Vitamin A in the body.
Vitamin A Content of Food (Retinol equivalents)
Food item | Vitamin A (µg) (as retinol equivalents) |
|---|---|
1 slice of lamb liver | 20600 |
1/2 cup cheddar cheese | 233 |
1 teaspoon butter | 133 |
1 cup trim milk | 7 |
1 cup standard milk | 83 |
Vitamin A Content of Food (Beta carotene equivalents)
Food item | Vitamin A (µg) as retinol equivalents (as b-carotene equivalents) |
|---|---|
1 carrot | 782 (4680) |
1 cup spinach | 540 (3230) |
1 red capscium | 259 (1550) |
1 cup boiled broccoli | 181 (1080) |
1 red kumara | 43 (255) |
Retinol Toxicity
Too much vitamin A (retinol) can be toxic, although this is rare from food sources but should be considered when taking supplements that contain high levels of the retinol form of Vitamin A. High levels of vitamin A (retinol) during pregnancy may increase the risk of birth defects. Women who are pregnant should
- avoid eating more than 100g of liver a week (as this is high retinol)
- avoid taking cod liver oil
- avoid supplements containing vitamin A, including fish oils, unless advised by their doctor
Carotenemia
Carotenemia is a condition where your skin turns orange from eating too much beta-carotene. It is most noticeable on the skin of your palms and soles. Unlike jaundice, though, carotenemia does not cause yellowing of the whites of the eyes. Carotenemia is usually seen in young children, and despite its alarming appearance, it is relatively harmless and generally does not cause other health problems. To treat carotenemia, you simply need to stop eating so much beta-carotene.
Last reviewed: 14/01/2022
Last modified:
14/01/22