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Vitamin

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a group of fat-soluble compounds, such as retinol from animal foods. Plants supply carotenoids like beta-carotene that the body can convert to it.

Also listed as retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, tretinoin

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What does a food serving provide?

The NIH food table reports amounts as micrograms of retinol activity equivalents, or µg RAE, which account for conversion from plant carotenoids. These are examples for the specified foods and portions, not interchangeable values for every recipe. 1

Sweet potato, baked in its skin

1,403 µg RAE in one whole sweet potato. 1

Spinach, frozen then boiled

573 µg RAE in half a cup. 1

Carrots, raw

459 µg RAE in half a cup. 1

Egg, hard-boiled

75 µg RAE in one large egg. 1

Beef liver, pan-fried

6,582 µg RAE in 3 ounces. This concentrated preformed source needs particular caution in pregnancy. 1 2

How much is enough?

US adult recommended intakes are 900 µg RAE daily for men and 700 µg for women; from age 19, pregnancy and breastfeeding values are 770 and 1,300 µg. German DGE values differ: 850 µg for men aged 19–64, 700 µg for adult women, 800 µg in pregnancy and 1,300 µg while breastfeeding. These are total-intake reference values, not doses to add on top of food. 1 3

Can a plant-based diet provide enough?

DGE says adequate vitamin A intake is possible with a deliberately planned vegan diet that includes carotenoid-rich foods. Conversion and absorption matter, so the amount of beta-carotene on a food table is not the same as the amount of retinol it supplies. Cooking can improve beta-carotene availability. 1 4

Sources